After a lengthy and highly publicized court fight, Tatiana Soroka, ex-wife of billionaire oil tycoon Farkhad Akhmedov, has officially dropped her lawsuit against Baroness Fiona Shackleton, the renowned divorce lawyer famously known as the ‘Steel Magnolia’ for her fierce courtroom tactics.
Instead of securing a bigger payout, Soroka now faces a staggering legal bill—an outcome she likely never anticipated.
The Case That Rumbled On for Over a Year
The legal dispute, which had been dragging on for more than a year, centered around Soroka’s claim that Baroness Shackleton and her firm, Payne Hicks Beach (PHB), failed to seize her ex-husband’s luxurious £200 million superyacht, Luna, during her high-profile divorce settlement battle.
Soroka had hoped to win an additional £600 million—far more than the record-breaking £453 million settlement she initially secured with the help of PHB back in 2016.
However, after several preliminary hearings, Soroka abruptly withdrew her claim, serving a ‘notice of discontinuance’, signaling that she was giving up the fight.
PHB responded with satisfaction, stating, “We are pleased but not surprised that Ms. Soroka has withdrawn her claim.
She will receive no payment from us and is now responsible for paying the significant legal costs incurred in this matter.”
The Billionaire, The Yacht, and The Missed Opportunity
The dispute stemmed from Soroka’s frustration that PHB allegedly failed to seize the Luna—a 377ft, ten-deck, ultra-luxurious superyacht originally built for Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich before Akhmedov acquired it.
Featuring two helipads, a swimming pool, and even a mini-submarine, the yacht was seen as a key asset that could have helped Soroka recover her ex-husband’s unpaid settlement.
Despite a court order demanding Akhmedov pay up, the billionaire reportedly refused, prompting Soroka to direct PHB to track down and seize his assets.
When she discovered that the Luna was docked in Miami, she instructed her lawyers to explore legal avenues to impound the vessel.
However, she later accused the firm of failing to act, leading her to file a lawsuit against them in the High Court.
Payne Hicks Beach Fires Back
From the beginning, PHB fiercely denied any wrongdoing, asserting that Soroka’s claim was baseless and never should have been pursued.
In their defense, the law firm argued that Soroka herself had told Baroness Shackleton during a phone call that she was not particularly interested in seizing the yacht, preferring to go after other assets like valuable artworks instead.
The legal battle also took a bizarre turn when Soroka’s legal team sought to search Baroness Shackleton’s electronic devices for emails and messages.
Shackleton claimed she had never used a laptop or desktop computer for work, which was described as “distinctly odd” by Soroka’s lawyers.
However, the court did order Shackleton to disclose messages from her mobile phone as part of the proceedings.
A Costly Defeat for Soroka
Now that the case has been abandoned, Soroka is left with an enormous legal bill.
Both sides had hired high-powered legal teams, and the total costs are estimated to be around £1 million.
PHB sees this as a complete vindication, stating: “We have always maintained that Ms. Soroka’s claim had no merit. Her decision to withdraw only reinforces that point.”
A Legacy of High-Stakes Divorces
This case adds to the long list of high-profile divorce battles handled by Baroness Shackleton, who has famously represented King Charles and Sir Paul McCartney.
In fact, she was once doused with a jug of water by a furious Heather Mills after securing only £24 million out of the £125 million Mills sought in her divorce from McCartney.
For Soroka, this legal defeat serves as a costly lesson. She may have won Britain’s biggest divorce settlement in history, but her attempt to squeeze out more from her former legal team has now left her footing an unexpected and hefty legal bill.