Selected Experience

Banking, Project and Structured Finance

• Acquisition financing for a major copper producer - over USD 1.2 billion. Advised an international commodities group on the lender side in financing the acquisition of a 99.9% interest in a major Kazakhstan copper business through an AIFC SPV. The Kazakhstan-law workstream for the USD 1.25 billion documented structure covered the loan agreement, prepayment agreement and SPA, guarantees, share, interest, account and receivables security, trust management, conditions precedent, legal opinions, novation, releases, enforcement and registration.

• Initial acquisition facility - USD 20 million. Advised the lender on a cross-border loan to an AIFC SPV financing the acquisition of a 99.9% interest in the same major Kazakhstan business, including review of the loan agreement, capacity and corporate approvals, preparation of a shareholder personal guarantee and a capacity and authority legal opinion.

• Secured syndicated facility - USD 120 million. Advised a major European bank on Kazakhstan-law aspects of a committed secured syndicated borrowing-base facility provided to an international grain and commodities group.

• Chinese bank financing for a Kazakhstan energy company. Prepared a consolidated Kazakhstan-law opinion on the validity and enforceability of finance documents, cross-border guarantees and security, including account and receivables pledges, transfers of insurance proceeds, registration, priority and enforcement mechanics.

• Derivatives, carbon instruments and cross-border lending. Prepared a regulatory memorandum for an international commodities group covering financial instruments and OTC derivatives, carbon instruments, bilateral, syndicated and structured lending, licensing, exemptions and anti-corruption requirements.

• Digital payments and cross-border investment services. Advised an international payment provider on licensing, the AIFC regime, outbound transfers and digital wallets, and a foreign investment platform on remote CFD services, reverse solicitation, marketing, referral models and local events.

Corporate, M&A, Mining and Subsoil Use

• Indirect acquisition of a subsoil user. Conducted comprehensive due diligence of a Kazakhstan project company holding a mining exploration contract and its shareholder; analysed change of control, contract status, land, environmental and industrial matters, merger clearance and other approvals. The report was issued on 21 January 2026 and regulatory support is ongoing.

• Chinese investments in copper and other mining projects. Advising on two major projects: an AIFC joint venture investment involving due diligence of a mining licence holder and revisions to the JVA, articles and pledge; and the proposed acquisition of 100% of a company holding a large porphyry-copper exploration project, including red-flag due diligence of shareholders and target, licences, land, environmental matters, encumbrances, term sheet and negotiations.

• Due diligence of two subsoil-use contracts for a proposed share placement. Prepared detailed legal due diligence for an oil and gas company in connection with a proposed placement to investors, covering subsoil-use rights, work programmes, expenditure and reporting obligations, exploration and production phases, approvals, disputes, mandatory insurance and investor disclosures.

• Oil and gas M&A. Coordinated a USD 56 million acquisition of an E&P company; advised on a multimillion-dollar sell-side oil and gas transaction; and advised a European company on the indirect acquisition of a Kazakhstan subsoil user through a reverse takeover on a major European stock exchange.

• Metallurgical silicon and a mining asset portfolio. Provided full legal support for the acquisition of a Kazakhstan metallurgical-silicon business with plans for a plant producing up to 35,000 tonnes per year, and legal and tax support for the acquisition of seven subsoil-use assets.

• Critical-minerals accelerator. Conducted due diligence of two exploration companies, covering corporate structures, licences, tenement overlaps, encumbrances, environmental restrictions and key agreements. Each selected company was eligible for up to USD 500,000 and expert support.

• Other significant M&A and corporate matters. Advised on acquisitions of an oilfield data-services business; an interest in a construction company; Kazakhstan assets in telecommunications, IT, data storage and taxi-booking services; and two companies in special economic zones. In 2025–2026, led the establishment of a Kazakhstan subsidiary for a global payment-technology group from the Middle East.

Digital, IP, TMT, Personal Data and Cybersecurity

• IP due diligence of media assets and a bank. As part of the due diligence of four media and digital companies, assessed ownership and risks relating to 6 domain names and 15 trademarks. In a separate confidential banking matter, reviewed the registration of 7 trademarks held by a Kazakhstan commercial bank.

• E-commerce and digital platforms. Advised a major food-delivery platform on its Kazakhstan market entry and the launch of a corporate subscription model, covering regulatory structuring, partner contracts, consumer protection, localisation of terms, mobile applications, websites and personal data.

• Telecommunications, online media and digital advertising. Advised on launching a mobile-employee function with a local operator, the effect of a change of control on telecom licences, national-security and merger-control requirements, and the operation of a .kz sports-media website, regulated advertising, domain ownership, hosting and data localisation.

• Personal data and cybersecurity. Prepared opinions, memoranda and internal policies for international pharmaceutical, IT, financial, leasing and industrial groups on the collection, storage, cross-border transfer and protection of personal data, cybersecurity and data exports; developed corporate documentation and practical technical solutions.

• Cloud mining and domain names. Advised a technology company on establishing a cloud-mining enterprise, locating equipment and connecting it to power networks, and an IT company on the transfer and registration of a new domain name.

Other Regulated Sectors

• Employment, immigration and tax regulation. Analysed the transfer of employees of a Chinese technology group through a local outstaffing model, including pay differentials, employment and tax risks, visas and work permits, quotas and alternative structures for long-term employment.

• Medical-device localisation and public procurement. Developed a legal localisation strategy for participation in public tenders, covering the CT-KZ certificate of origin, permitting documents, leasing of production facilities and cooperation with local manufacturers.

• PPP, competition and market entry. Advised a secure-identification solutions provider on a government PPP and corporate restructuring; prepared a memorandum for an international oil trader on domestic supply and competition rules for liquefied petroleum gas; and advised European delivery and premium-food brands on entering Kazakhstan.