Burlakov case

In 2018, Lyudmila Burlakova began divorce proceedings, which were accompanied by a monetary dispute between the spouses. Oleg Burlakov believed that his wife had stolen money and initiated a criminal investigation against her in Monaco.[5]

In March 2019, the court decided to separate Lyudmila and Oleg Burlakov inside their apartment in Monaco: the 10th and 11th floor with a swimming pool were given to Lyudmila, while the 9th floor was left to the businessman.[14]

In September 2019, Burlakov accused his wife and youngest daughter Veronika of fraud by filing allegations to courts in Monaco, Switzerland, Cyprus, Isle of Man and Panama. According to him, the two embezzled $1 billion, which belonged to Nikolai Kazakov. In the lawsuit, the businessman argued that part of the funds belonged to his business partner, with whom he had earned the money from the sale of the Burneftegaz ($1 billion) and Novoroscement ($1.45 billion) companies. In 2018, without the consent of Burlakov and Kazakov, the money was withdrawn into various offshore accounts belonging to Lyudmila Burlakova, including one on the island of Guernsey. Some of the money ended up in the accounts of Burlakov's daughters and some in a Bahamian trust, whose beneficiaries are the businessman's wife and daughters.[14][15]

However, the Zurich prosecutor's office and the appellate court rejected Burlakov's claim, stating that there was no evidence of a fiduciary relationship with Kazakov. As of December 2021, a similar case began pending before a court in Monaco[14].

In 2020, Lyudmila Burlakova filed a lawsuit against her husband in the High Court of England and Wales. In addition to her husband, 12 individuals and entities in Switzerland were marked as defendants, including Leo Trust, the company that managed the Burlakovs' joint accounts.[16][17]

Earlier, the Swiss publication Finews, citing court documents, wrote that two former members of Leo Trust's board of directors in Zurich had filed a lawsuit against the owner and chairman of the company's board of directors. They accused him of falsifying and setting up a $1.35 billion loan agreement retroactively for Oleg Burlakov. After that, the director of Leo Trust filed a counterclaim against these two members of the board of directors of the company accusing them of forging documents, data theft and attempted blackmail.[16][17][18]

However, a Leo Trust representative told Forbes that the Finews article was the result of "a smear campaign currently being conducted by Burlakova's entourage and aimed at undermining Leo Trust's professional reputation and business." The company denied all criminal charges against it.[18]

Oleg Burlakov's adult daughters, Veronika and Elena, stopped communicating with their father, taking the side of their mother. According to an Izvestia source, Burlakov made several attempts to establish relations with his daughters, but received only formal letters from the daughters' lawyers demanding that all contact cease in response.[5]

The divorce was supposed to be finalized at the end of the summer of 2021, but the businessman passed away before it was completed.[5]

After Burlakov's death, a number of court and police proceedings, both civil and criminal, are continuing to be processed in several countries of the world. Mainly they concern applicability of the two will papers and distribution of funds, but there are also other-type cases.

In the UK, a lawsuit has been filed in the High Court of Justice. In the lawsuit Lyudmila Burlakova demands from Nikolai Kazakov that Oleg Burlakov and Nikolai Kazakov were never business partners and did not have joint business interests. She also demands to recover damages in the amount of 700 million US dollars. As of April 2023, this process is at an early stage.

Civil trial: contesting the recognition of Burlakov's 2004 will in favor of Nikolai Kazakov and Vera Kazakova. The court recognized that it was in its jurisdiction and assigned a manager of the inherited estate. The debates and other proceedings are expected by the end of 2023.

Criminal proceedings: a criminal case against Lyudmila Burlakova was initiated in connection with abuse of trust, concealment and money laundering in 2018, when she withdrew assets transferred to her for safekeeping in her favor.

Nikolay Kazakov have a company in Panama, and Veronika Burlakova attempted to claim it via several Panaman courts.

Black Pearl (yacht)

Burlakov widow and daughters attempted to claim the yacht "Black Pearl", owned by Burlakov, in the Court of Montenegro. The court refused to seize the vessel and to conduct an inventory.

Along with Leo Trust affairs, processes were initiated at the request of Luydmila and daughters about the seizure of the accounts of Kazakov family and to initiate several criminal cases against them. Processes were canceled.

Three criminal cases have been initiated against Lyudmila Burlakova: contempt of court, fraudulent seizure of inheritance, embezzlement of property. As of April 2023, all three cases are at the initial stage.

Burlakov family filed a lawsuit against the Kazakov family for the recovery of $15 million (withdrawal of $5 million from the trust and illegal transfer of rights to the apartment). As part of this process, Nikolai Kazakov filed a counterclaim, where Kazakov makes the above-described demands to his opponents, including charges of fraud, withdrawal of partner funds, and so on. In response, opponents accused the Kazakov family of violating the RICO law, claiming that they are racketeers who support corruption and illegal ways of resolving disputes. But, having convinced themselves of the insolvency of their position, in terms of the RICO law, Burlakov voluntarily withdrew the claim. Hearings are not expected until June 2024.

As well, a claim by Nikolay Kazakov was filed in the USA against Lyudmila, her daughters and Gregory Gliner. Nikolai claims that Gliner used his knowledge and professional connections to facilitate the transfer and dissipation of partnership assets of Kazakov and Oleg Bourlakov. Some of the assets were allegedly moved through hedge fund Ironwall Capital by creating false losses on investments in an effort to cover up significant transfers of those assets abroad.[31]

Lyublinsky district court of the Russian Federation recognized the 2019 will as valid on October 8, 2022. Recognition was appealed in Moscow City Court, which confirmed the decision on April 4, 2023.[32] In accordance with the Civil Code of Russia, the form of the will is determined by the law of the country in which the person had permanent residence at the time of its preparation. It cannot be invalidated due to observance of its form if the form complies with the laws of the place where the will was made.[14]

In the meantime, stewardess Sofia Shevtsova appealed to Vyborgsky district court to recognize her daughter Nicole as daughter of Oleg Burlakov. The court supported her on March 11, 2022. The decision was also appealed and appellation court canceled the decision and ordered a genetic testing.

As well, Ludmila Burlakova made an appeal to Petrogradsky district of Saint Petersburg against Nikolay Kazakov to collect from him 800 million of Russian rubles. First instance court rejected the claim, the reject was appealed and appealing court confirmed first instance on October 22, 2022. Appellation to cassation instance was made, but the initial decision was kept by it on March 3, 2023.

Latvian authorities launched criminal proceedings against Sofia Shevtsova, Ludmila Burlakova and Elena Burlakova, as well as their local affiliate Ingūna Bobrovska, for an alleged conspiracy to seize assets of Oleg Burlakov.[31]

The process on the application of Sofia Shevtsova and Lyudmila Burlakova for the recognition of the Latvian certificate of inheritance and freezing of assets of Nikolai Kazakov in Cyprus. The decision to freeze the assets of Nikolai Kazakov in Cyprus is being challenged in court.