Kazakhstan

Leading firm Aequitas remains a top tier choice for local counsel. It specialises in banking and finance, labour and employment, M&A, natural resources and environmental law. The firm has been expanding in the areas of healthcare and pharmaceuticals and has developed recognition in the market for specialist areas such as insurance, media and customs. It is also foraying into the bitcoin and cryptocurrency space with recent work representations. Managing partner Olga Chentsova is a key contact.

General business law  

Work highlights

Acted for Siemens on the local leg of the company’s global restructuring, which included advice on corporate issues.

Represented the Kuwait Food Company, which is in Kazakhstan under the name Americana Group, on its regional restructuring. The client runs 90 restaurants in the country.

Supported Brokers IO on its local market entrance as the first company with a project providing cryptocurrency buying and selling services to the mass consumer.

Advising the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Eurasian Development Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank as a lending syndicate of $585 million debt financing for a concessionary project involving the construction and operation of a ring high-speed toll road, the Big Almaty Ring Road.

Acted for Portuguese company, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, on its 100% share sale in its subsidiary organisation Partex Holding to Thai state energy PTT Exploration and Production Public Company (PTTEP). Upon closing, Partex held a 20% interest in the production sharing agreement for the major oil and gas Dunga field in Kazakhstan.

Key clients

Bitfury, Chevron, Gazprombank, Marks & Spencer

Client feedback

“Provides services in a timely manner with high quality.” – Banking and finance

“The firm provides tailored-made advice. Excellent work within a multi-jurisdictional group of lawyers. Takes an extraordinary approach to challenging tasks.” – Corporate and M&A

“Representatives of the law firm stick to given deadlines, are easily accessible and make additions and clarifications to the opinion when requested.” – Dispute resolution

“Firm has perfect client service, meaning prompt replies, always accessible, and very good expertise.” – Labour and employment

“Strong communication and professionalism.” – Tax

Yekaterina Khamidullina

“She is proactive and responsive.”

“Provides good communication and clear answers.”

Valikhan Shaikenov

“He has the ability to think out of the box and provides exclusive solutions that fit clients' requirements.”

Lyailya Tleulina

“Responsive and competent.”

Bolotov & Partners is the undisputed leading IP specialist firm in the market. It provides services covering registrations of trademark, patent and copyright in Kazakhstan, and other Central Asian Republics of the CIS. The firm assists in the protection and enforcement of trademark rights, preparation of assignment and licence agreements, matters related to copyright, utility models, patent and domain name-related issues. Managing partner Yuri Bolotov is a registered patent and trademark attorney of Kazakhstan with more than 20 years of experience.

General business law  

Work highlights

Advised Korea’s Binggrae Company, the owner of the trademark ‘Melona’ for its frozen dessert product, in the cancellation of a similar mark registration by a Kazakhstani company. The appeal board agreed to cancel the opposition’s ‘Milana’ trademark.

Assisted Louis Vuitton Malletier on enforcing its IP rights by organising the investigation, raid and destruction of counterfeit goods.

Represented Turkish pharmaceutical company Abdi Ibrahim Global Pharm in a case related to the invalidation of two HIV drug Eurasian patents.

Key clients

Magnum Cash & Carry, Procter & Gamble, Toyota

Grata International is ranked ‘Outstanding’ in General business law. The firm has been especially active in the natural resources sector in the past year, particularly in mining, and oil and gas. Partner Yerzhan Yessimkhanov has extensive experience in the areas of construction, infrastructure, real estate and telecommunications.

General business law

Work highlights

Representing Xingling Petroleum, a leading Singaporean oil company holding significant oil assets in Kazakhstan, in a dispute between its shareholders. It is also acting for the same client in another dispute against a drilling company.

Advising Korean National Oil Company on its acquisition of a company that holds the licence for a geological study of an oil and gas block subsoil. Its counsel includes a risk assessment on obtaining subsoil exploration or production rights and developing a legal strategy for carrying out the geological study.

Representing domestic infrastructure contractor KazStroyService in a number of judicial proceedings amidst a long-standing contract dispute against a local counterparty with regards to the construction of a petrochemical facility.

Acted for Sinopec Engineering on tax matters and a turnkey EPC contract for the modernisation of the Atyrau Refinery.

Key clients

ArcelorMittal Temirtau, Brendt, Coalco, China National Petroleum Corporation, ILF Engineers

Founded in 2005, CIS law firm Integrites provides legal services in the fields of banking and finance, competition/antitrust, corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, foreign trade and tax. Oil and gas is one of the firm’s key industry focus. The firm recently opened an office in Atyrau and relocated its Nur-Sultan office to the AIFC tower. Managing partner Kurmangazy Talzhanov helms a team in Almaty that includes partners with specialties in international arbitration and subsoil use, among others.

General business law

Work highlights

Advised a UK-based international oil and gas company on a tender issued by the North Caspian Operating Company. The team deftly completed negotiations and provided regulatory and corporate governance counsel in a new joint venture that was formed to meet tender participation requirements.

Represented a global energy services provider on its purchase of a local construction company.

Acted for a domestic industrial and investment company on its multi-million-dollar acquisition of a major private Kazakhstani oil company.

Key clients

Hydratight

Linkage & Mind offers strong capabilities in corporate, energy and oil and gas matters. Recently, the firm’s corporate and finance group has been focused on several natural resources projects, winning new clients along the way. Partners Yerzhan Manasov and Madina Sypatayeva are the key contacts.

General business law  

Work highlights

Advising the National Wealth Fund Samruk Kazyna on the privatisation of Samruk-Energy and its subsidiaries. Upon completion, it will be the largest energy sector privatisation in the country.

Representing United Chemical Company on local law aspects concerning the $10 billion construction of a polyethylene-producing petrochemical plant in Atyrau.

Acting for Tau-Ken Samruk in two share-selling transactions of its joint venture mining companies. 

Key clients

Apina Export, Ekibastuz Gres-2, PTTEP, SCAT Air Company

With offices in Almaty and Astana, Sayat Zholshy & Partners has been serving its clients for over two decades. The firm has partnered with the IFC over the last three years on developing a corporate governance programme for Kazakhstan. Senior partner Arman Berdalin leads the firm’s Astana office and he is experienced in corporate governance and M&A.  

General business law  

Work highlights

Advised a major Kazakhstan railway service provider on its acquisition of shares in domestic terminal operator that exercises control over a major Kazakhstan logistics company.

Represented a Russian insurance company on its disposal of a controlling stake interest in a major Kazakhstan insurance company. This transaction was valued at $10 million.

Acted for a multinational telecommunications company on setting up a non-profit association of mobile financial services providers, uniting all key players within the relevant local market.

Advised Yenisei Capital on its antitrust clearance while investing in TransContainer, Russia’s largest container transport firm. The target controls half of Kedentransservice, which offers terminal handling at 19 railway stations in Kazakhstan. 

Key clients

Air Astana, Bays Transit, Beeline Kazakhstan, Caspian Beverage Holding, InDriver

 Client feedback

“The law firm's specialists had extensive experience in representing clients in tax disputes. It was able to immediately consult us on all issues that arose to build an appeal strategy. It represented us in court at a high professional level.” – Tax

Yelena Tyureikina

“Yelena specialises in representing clients in tax disputes and has extensive experience. She was always able to quickly and efficiently advise on emerging issues and helped build an appeal strategy. Very professional lawyer in her field.”

Signum Law Firm provides legal services in the areas of construction, corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, employment, IP and regulatory compliance. Last year the firm engaged in a number of corporate, finance and regulatory projects that impacted industry sectors and helped shape law enforcement practice. Managing partner Sofiya Zhylkaidarova has a record of advising oil and gas, and mining companies for over 20 years on strategic acquisitions and various subsoil use issues.

General business law  

Work highlights

Advised BNP Paribas on the $120 million financing of a Kazakhstan agro-industrial complex that is crucial for Kazakhstan’s food safety and lowering the country’s dependency on food imports

Represented Excellence Logging, a specialised oilfield services multinational, on a $50 million buy-side cross-border M&A transaction. The team is also advising on a related finance transaction for the client’s acquisition of Weatherford International.

Acted for the local arm of US-based healthcare giant Medtronic on its public-private partnership project application to develop angiography laboratories in Kyzylorda. 

Advising a national zinc and lead concentrates manufacturer on tax and regulatory matters related to a complex EPC transaction spanning Kazakhstan, China, Russia and the UK.

Represented a financial services company as a bidder in a public procurement tender aimed at the historic first selection of a unified operator for marking all groups of goods in Kazakhstan.

Advising the EBRD on its $356 million renewable energy sources project. This historic initiative enables Kazakhstan to develop its regulatory framework and improves its auction process in order to have competitively tendered renewables projects in the country.

Key clients

Emir-Oil, EnerMech, Partex Oil & Gas, Reach Energy, Silk Energy, Vitol

Client feedback

“The team is especially prominent in oil and gas projects. Signum provides highly professional services from experienced lawyers that have the expertise and motivation to meet the best criteria for the quality of the work. I believe the team has a deep understanding of Kazakhstan oil and gas sector specifics, and on global trends in the sector.” – Oil and gas

“The team is proactive, professional and knowledgeable.” – Technology and telecommunications

Gaukhar Kudaibergenova

“Good communications, responsiveness and professionalism.”

Sofiya Zhylkaidarova

“Zhylkaidarova has an in-depth knowledge of and extensive experience in the oil and gas sector in the country. I would also mention that she has an exceptionally high level of professional support. Communicating and working with her is efficient, which saves both time and costs for the client.”

Unicase provides legal services in the areas of corporate and M&A, finance and securities, dispute resolution, environment, labour and tax law. It recently expanded into the neighbouring Uzbekistan market with a new office in Tashkent that focuses on the full economic spectrum, from working on PPP projects to growing its renewables client base. Managing partner Saniya Perzadayeva is an expert in project finance and construction. Partners Artem Timoshenko, Zhanar Abdullayeva and Rausahana Chaltabayeva round out the leadership.

General business law  

Work highlights

Advising renewables player Goldwind International Holdings on the potential acquisition of the Zheruyik Energy wind power plant.

Represented France-based power producer Total Eren in connection with its complex acquisition, construction and operation of the M-Kat green solar photovoltaic power plant in Kazakhstan.

Acting for China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation on the reconstruction of an irrigation network in the Alakol district of the Almaty region.

Advising the Asian Development Bank on its Kazakhstan Urban Infrastructure Modernisation Programme and on finance facilities to improve wastewater treatment in 53 cities across the country.

Representing Ecoinvest on the construction and financing of a $17 million greenhouse in Southern Kazakhstan that will provide vegetables for the local market and exports to Russia.

Key clients

British Embassy in Kazakhstan, Dahua Technology Kazakhstan, Firebird Management, Frontier Project Logistics, JSC Ekoton+

Client feedback

“The Unicase team has proved themselves as professionals in its field, focusing on the results. The team perfectly understands the needs of the client and are ready to do everything possible to achieve the goals. For each of the questions, lawyers give comprehensive answers with a description of possible risks for the client, which has been very rare lately.” – Corporate and M&A

“It has excellent professionals who know the Kazakhstani legal system very well. The lawyers are methodical, organised, and always deliver on time. It also has excellent interpersonal skills.” – Energy

“The firm is very professional, meeting all deadlines, providing professional answers and have a great customer focus.” – Labour and employment

Aybek Kambaliyev

“He is an expert in his field.”

Raushana Chaltabayeva

“She is an excellent professional, very knowledgeable.”

“Chaltabayeva is indeed a pleasant lawyer to collaborate with. Her easy-going personality and exceptional possession of sector-specific knowledge promote smooth negotiations between the sub-contractors and contractors. As there are many flaws in real estate legislation, she is extremely proactive in introducing necessary amendments and stipulates necessary regulatory innovations for governmental and client benefits.”