Overview

• The Court of Appeal granted Natalia Potanina leave under Part III to seek financial relief in England, remitting the case to the Family Division for a substantive hearing.
• Her claim targets 50% of Vladimir Potanin’s ultimate beneficial interest in Nornickel shares, 50% of dividends paid since 2014, and a high-end Russian property on which the couple spent about $150 million.
• Judges said she has a real and meaningful connection to England and was habitually resident, highlighting a significant gap between her Russian award and what might have been available in this jurisdiction.
• The case has seesawed through the courts: a High Court rejection in 2019, a Court of Appeal revival in 2021, a Supreme Court procedural remittal in January 2024, and now a renewed grant of leave.
• Potanin is under sanctions in the UK, US and other countries, complicating enforcement, and legal commentators say the ruling may encourage more overseas spouses to test English courts as a forum, with further appeal still possible.