Loudmila Bourlakova & Ors v The Estate of Oleg Bourlakov & Ors

Facts

The claimants are Mrs Loudmila Bourlakova, her daughter Veronica Bourlakova and two companies. They issued these proceedings on 16 July 2020. They allege that after the marriage broke down, Mr Oleg Bourlakov, acting with the other defendants, pursued a dishonest or unlawful strategy to maximise his share of the family's assets and minimise hers. Their pleading expressly left out claims under the Ukrainian matrimonial property regime ("MPR"). A month before issue, Mr Bourlakov had started proceedings in Monaco against his wife and two daughters to enforce his MPR rights (the Asset Transfer Proceedings). He died on 21 June 2021. On 12 October 2023 the court appointed Mr Nicholas Jacob to represent the Estate under CPR, Part 19.12, and it later confirmed his power to bring counterclaims. On 31 October 2024 Mr Jacob served a Defence and Counterclaim that raised MPR issues for the first time. As an alternative to a nomineeship under Monégasque law, he pleaded that Mr Bourlakov held joint common property rights. On that basis Mrs Bourlakova's disposals, identified as totalling some US$911m, were void or liable to be set aside under the Ukrainian Family Code, and any award in her favour should be limited to her share. In May 2025 A&S, the Monaco administrator, took over the Asset Transfer Proceedings, in which what was described as a "final hearing" was timetabled for 26 November 2026. In December 2025 Mrs Bourlakova began MPR proceedings in Latvia. By an application dated 8 December 2025, the claimants asked the court to direct that Mr Jacob should not pursue the MPR issues in England.