Practice Area

Corporate

Corporate

With a creative and professional approach, our corporate lawyers offer clients practical advice in a range of corporate issues. Our firm has broad experience in the provision of legal services in matters related to business establishment, restructuring and liquidation (both voluntary and involuntary).

Our corporate law lawyers have extensive practical experience in preparing for and leading meetings of boards of directors/shareholders in joint stock companies and limited liability companies. The SIGNUM corporate law team also administers clients’ corporate files, serving as corporate secretaries.

SIGNUM is regularly involved in complex domestic and cross-border corporate transactions. Close relationships with top law firms enable our corporate law lawyers to successfully complete projects which require knowledge and experience in several jurisdictions. In complex transactions, our corporate lawyers are supported by lawyers in other practice areas (tax, employment and commercial law).

Service includes the following directions
  • Business Establishment and Further Day-To-Day Legal Support
  • Changes in Business, Re-Registration, Restructuring
  • Business De-Registration, Bankruptcy and Insolvency
  • Corporate Finance
Signum Law Firm handles corporate and M&A matters, and is particularly active in the oil and gas sector. Liza Zhumakhmetova and Abylkhair Nakipov are the key names.
The Legal 500, Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, 2018
Signum Law Firm’s team focuses on project and debt financing deals. Liza Zhumakhmetova is noted.
The Legal 500, Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, 2018
Signum Law Firm focuses on transactional and contentious issues. Practice head Sofiya Zhylkaidarova has expertise in M&A and subsoil-use contracts.
The Legal 500, Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, 2018
“Good, responsive, excellent English communications both verbal and written. Good understanding of Western practice.”
Asialaw Profiles, 2018
“Excellent work both in analysis and execution. Dedicated and trustable professionals.”
Asialaw Profiles, 2018
“Excellent professionals, with wide local and international experience, high standards, focused on results and performance.”
Asialaw Profiles, 2018
“Strengths: Tailor made approach from assisting lawyer, accuracy to details, client oriented approach.”
Asialaw Profiles, 2018
“The SIGNUM team are responsive and helpful. SIGNUM is my go-to law firm in Kazakhstan: commercial and efficient while being legally correct. Sofiya Zhylkaidarova, Liza Zhumakhmetova and Gaukhar Kudaibergenova are all especially strong.”
Asialaw Profiles, 2018
"Perfect team of bright minds."
The Legal 500 EMEA, 2023
"Highly recommended."
The Legal 500 EMEA, 2023
"It was my pleasure to work with Sofiya, Abylkhair, Nazym and Talgat. They are strong professionals with vision."
The Legal 500 EMEA, 2023

Experience

Business Establishment and Further Day-To-Day Legal Support
  • Legal advice to the world-leading gas and engineering company on joint venture under a gas processing plant project initiated by the Kazakhstan's national operator for exploration, production, refining and transportation of hydrocarbons.

  • Legal advice to a Canadian resource company focused on the identification and exploration of oil and gas assets in Kazakhstan.

  • Legal advice to a big Russian technology company, engaged in developing a plagiarism-detecting technology, on tax structuring relating to entering the Kazakhstan market.

  • Legal advice to Europe’s second fastest growing delivery platform on establishing commercial presence in Kazakhstan and supporting the ongoing operations.

  • Full legal support of a major European food delivery service as part of its expansion to the Kazakhstan market.

  • Legal advice on establishing Kazakhstani company – subsidiary of international insurance company;

  • Pre-incorporation advice on local tax issues and regulatory compliance;

  • Legal support of numerous registrations of LLPs, branches and representative offices on international and local basis;

  • Legal advice on incorporation of joint venture between Canadian company and Kazakhstani company for projects in geological and aerogeophysical survey;

  • Transaction structuring and consultation for a joint venture between national uranium producer and major international uranium producer for projects in Kazakhstan;

  • Establishment of Kazakhstan LLP – a Land Rover brand car dealer;

  • Preparation of draft resolutions for annual general meeting of shareholders, preparation of all corporate documents for general meeting of shareholders on dividend payment for an Italian-Kazakhstani joint venture;

  • Provision of advice on taxation and settlement of dividend payment in a joint venture;

  • Preparation of corporate documents (Corporate Governance Code, share value determination method, calendar of corporate events, etc.) for a major Canadian oil holding to be submitted to the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange.

Changes in Business, Re-Registration, Restructuring
  • Legal advice to a big Russian technology company, engaged in developing a plagiarism-detecting technology, on tax structuring relating to entering the Kazakhstan market.

  • Legal advice to a leading Danish distributor of medical equipment on the cross-border acquisition of the Kazakhstan Target Pharm Trade by the Danish Acquirer.

  • Legal advice to a leading Danish distributor of medical equipment on the cross-border acquisition of the Kazakhstan Target Pharm Trade by the Danish Acquirer.

  • Legal support of numerous re-registrations due to changes in membership, changes in company name, etc. for international and Kazakhstani companies;

  • Change of name and subsequent sale of share of participation into Kazakhstani company – official dealer of Land Rover car brand;

  • Reorganization of a local subsoil user company from LLP to JSC followed by entry into the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange;

  • Reorganization of large Kazakhstani holding company involving numerous mergers and acquisitions, resulting in concentration of one industry’s assets under one holding company;

  • Complex restructuring of an oil holding company with subsequent listing on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange;

  • Legal advice on corporate planning, including management control matters, to Norwegian E&P company on acquisition of oil and gas project in Western Kazakhstan;

  • Structuring joint activity of international consortium of investors and Kazakhstan oil and gas company in oil exploration and production;

  • Complex restructuring of large international oil company’s holding structure involving successive changes in several jurisdictions;

  • Legal advice on cross-border multi-million transaction of power plant located in Kazakhstan involving foreign investor and local municipality;

  • Structuring and incorporation of joint venture between large Italian oil-service company and local company for major off-shore oil project;

  • Corporate advice on acquisition of gold-producing project by an Australian company;

  • Advice on corporate structuring prior to acquisition of oil project by an Australian company;

  • Limited due diligence on large Kazakhstani mining company for the purpose of its IPO (corporate governance matters);

  • Due diligence on chemical plant located in Kazakhstan (including corporate governance matters) for acquisition by national chemical holding company;

  • Legal advice on structuring joint activity between the world’s leader in engineering and geological research on the sea and land and the collection and interpretation of data and the leading Kazakhstani engineering company (including representation of the client in negotiations with the partner and the involved state authorities, preparation of drafts of all the main transaction documents).

Business De-Registration, Bankruptcy and Insolvency
  • Legal advice to a major Australian company relating to the liquidation of subsidiaries in Kazakhstan and exiting the Kazakh market.

  • Legal advice to Kazakhstani subsidiary, an international company specializing in communications satellite technology, which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, on financial restructuring options relating to Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filed by the company in the US.

  • Legal support of liquidation of representative office of a major German telecommunication company;

  • Legal services for liquidation of an oil company representative office;

  • Legal advice on insolvency issues under Kazakhstani laws for a large international company involved in $15 million dispute with contracting party;

  • Advice on bankruptcy matters and contract enforcement for an American airline company.

Corporate Finance
  • Legal advice to the largest oil & gas producer in South-East Europe on restructuring of over USD 15 million of outstanding financial liabilities

  • Legal advice to a major Kazakhstan subsidiary of a global marine services group engaged in offshore fleet services in Kazakhstan related to structuring of complex and simultaneous multi-party transactions on acquisition of a marine asset, including regulatory compliance, shareholder approval, acquisition financing, proposing restructuring options and other critical transactional matters.

  • Legal advice on the transfer of the rights of enforcement on a factoring deal involving a Kazakh subsidiary of one of top international mining traders.

  • Legal advice to the major bank since 2014 on the USD 300 million revolving facility to finance part of the working capital needs.

  • Legal support to a leading oil trader in relation to its USD 180,000,000 credit facility provided to oil and gas company. The support included issuing legal memorandum, legal opinion and reviewing the transaction documents.

  • Legal support to a syndicate of leading international banks on Kazakhstan law matters in relation to USD 3 billion credit facility provided to the world’s largest independent oil trader. The support included conducting legal due diligence, issuing legal opinion, reviewing all transaction documents.

  • Advising one of the leading European banks on Kazakh law matters as part of its provision of USD 120 million committed secured syndicated borrowing base facility to a conglomerate commodities company.

  • Legal advice on securities issue for LLP (with the purpose of tax optimization);

  • Legal advice for Kazakhstani subsoil user in the process of the primary distribution of securities on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange;

  • Due diligence for EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) on project loan ($18,5 million) provided to Kazakhstan-based member of international group of malt-manufacturing companies;

  • Structuring acquisition of $50 million asset through an investment fund with the purpose of minimizing the tax burden;

  • Complex restructuring of an oil holding company with subsequent listing on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange;

  • Legal opinion on financing upon the request of international law firms acting for lenders;

  • Legal advice on corporate restructuring as well as drafting of corporate documents prior to IPO of international E&P company at KASE.

Corporate Governance
  • Advising the US non-profit organization on private enterprise as part of its Kazakhstan corporate governance improvement project.

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