Signum Law Firm

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.”