The London High Court ordered Russian billionaire and fishing giant Norebo Group owner Vitaly Orlov to file his defense earlier than planned.

The company's Russian co-owners Orlov and Alexander Tugushev have been embroiled in a bitter lawsuit since 2018 over a stake in the fishing firm, which made Orlov a billionaire. Tugushev sued Orlov in London for a third of the company.

Orlov is forced to file his defense by Dec. 20 despite wanting to delay it until Feb. 2020, the court ruled during a hearing Oct.