It's getting colder in Moscow, and it's getting hot in courtrooms. Lawyers associate autumn with the peak of judicial activity. The flagship of the Russian metallurgy and mining industry, Norilsk Nickel, stands out against the general background of high-profile litigation news.
In September, it got warmer in the London Court of Appeal. Vladimir Potanin's ex-wife Natalia, after years of irreconcilable legal battles, obtained permission to apply to the court with a claim for financial security after the divorce in 2014. The media reasonably believe that the protracted divorce process may become one of the most expensive in recent history. At stake is half the value of Vladimir Potanin's stake in Norilsk Nickel, the share of dividends received since 2014, and luxury real estate worth $150 million. After the victory, albeit an interim one, Natalia Potanina, along with her lawyers, is full of strength and confidence that the case will be resolved without further delay. However, the billionaire's habit of suing says something else.
Warming is possible in the Second Cassation Court of Moscow in October. On October 9, Sergey Stepanov, the former chief production officer of Norilsk Nickel, will prove his right to receive payments from the company under an employment contract. Let's recall the background. At the invitation of Vladimir Potanin, Stepanov joined Norilsk Nickel as Senior Vice President and Production Director in 2021 after three large-scale emergencies: the sensational environmental disaster at CHPP-3 in Norilsk, the flooding of two mines and the collapse of the enrichment plant building, which led to the death of people. According to numerous publications and reports, over the three years of his work, the crisis manager has fulfilled all the production tasks assigned to him, including in the field of environmental protection and industrial safety. The company's good performance has become the key to paying dividends. It would seem that an effective production worker should be appreciated, but Stepanov left Norilsk Nickel. A year later, in 2025, production and safety indicators decreased, and his replacement left the company in September amid "sad" reports. And Stepanov met with his former employer already in the courtroom.
Abnormal heat is predicted in the High Court of England and Wales. Back in July, US Rusal expanded the list of claims against Vladimir Potanin regarding the possible withdrawal of assets from the Norilsk Nickel group. One of the episodes is the withdrawal of the Logistics Center supplier from the company and its sale at a price of about 87 million rubles. While US Rusal experts estimated the Logistics Center at 700 million rubles. After the change of ownership, Logistics Center continued to work with the Norilsk Nickel group, significantly
