Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

{BA79F199-9DE4-476F-BF54-3B60C8744615}

As one of the most important economies in Central Asia, Kazakhstan has significant mineral wealth and is a major exporter of oil and gas, metals and other minerals. The Kazakh economy is steadily progressing in seven priority sectors—machinery, energy, transport and logistics, mining and metallurgy, agriculture and foodstuffs, tourism as well as chemistry and petrochemistry. In addition to its wealth of business opportunities in the energy sector, the country is also an important financial center (in general and through the Astana International Financial Center) for banks and other major financial players.

Operating in such a dynamic and regionally important location, you need a partner with the international experience and local knowledge to drive your success. With almost three decades of experience in the region, and as the largest international law firm in Kazakhstan, Dentons is a logical and trustworthy choice.

Dentons’ Kazakhstan office and its lawyers are highly regarded by our clients and peers. Moreover, premier legal ranking guides, including Chambers Asia-Pacific, The Legal 500 and IFLR 1000 have ranked us in the top tier in Kazakhstan for many consecutive years. With some 30 qualified lawyers, including seven partners managing various practice groups, we have the means to support you in every area of your business.

Major international and local companies, as well as financial institutions, government entities and quasi-state entities seek Dentons’ advice, owing to our recognized, long-standing strength in dispute resolution, foreign investments, energy and natural resources, banking and finance, corporate, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property and technology, employment, real estate and infrastructure development. Clients also benefit from the legal services of a large team of Dentons lawyers (both locally and foreign qualified).

With a new economic policy promoted by the government, continued prominence of the oil and gas industry and an ever-improving infrastructure, Kazakhstan is an exciting place to do business. Let us leverage for you our deep knowledge and experience in assisting foreign investment into Kazakhstan and its neighbors so that you can get your deal done right.

Look to our lawyers for effective solutions across Kazakhstan and the Central Asia region in areas including:

Arbitration
Banking and Finance
Competition
Corporate
Employment
Energy and Natural Resources
Intellectual Property & Technology
Life Sciences
Real Estate and Construction
Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Reorganization, Restructuring and Insolvency
PPP/Infrastructure Projects
Tax/Customs

Experience

EBRD: Joining forces with the National Bank of Kazakhstan (then, the financial regulator) and EBRD in 2017 to establish in Kazakhstan an effective legal framework for cross-border OTC derivative and repo transactions. The purpose of the project was to align Kazakh law with relevant international standards, such as the UNIDROIT principles on the operation of close-out netting provisions and the ISDA Model Netting Act. Our Banking and Finance team prepared and negotiated with the involvement of all stakeholders the draft law established in Kazakh law a number of concepts, including “close-out netting,” “outright transfer of title,” and “master financial agreement.” Several provisions of the Civil Code, the Civil Procedure Code, the Securities Market Law, the Bankruptcy Law, the Banking Law, and the Pension Funds Law were also amended by this draft law. The draft law was adopted by the Parliament on 15 June 2022 and came into effect on 12 September 2022.
EBRD: Working in cooperation with financial, IT and public-policy consultants on establishing an e-platform for the sale and transfer of distressed assets in Kazakhstan. Our team in Kazakhstan is responsible for all legal aspects related to the launch of the e-platform, including for drafting and negotiating the relevant legislative changes.
Major international oil and gas company: Acting as Kazakh law counsel in a long and extremely complex international arbitration initiated by the Republic of Kazakhstan. Our Dispute Resolution team provided the client a comprehensive analysis and advice on the intricate and nuanced merits of the arbitration and the settlement agreement, which was key in the parties’ settlement of the dispute (finalized in December 2020), leaving the client very content with the settlement terms—which is an outstanding achievement.
Altyntau Kokshetau JSC: Representing successfully the client in an administrative dispute against the Department of Ecology, where the client challenged both the results of preventive and unscheduled inspections, as well as the instructions issued on the basis of the inspection results. Although the first instance court did not rule in the client’s favor, Dentons conduced a thorough analysis of the circumstances of the case and of the actions of the Department of Ecology and identified significant material and procedural violations committed by the Department of Ecology. On the basis of this, Our Dispute Resolution team appealed to the court of appeal and successfully proved the unlawfulness and invalidity of the decisions of the court of first instance. As a result of our analysis and successful appeal, the client saved some US$20 million in administrative fines.
PKZ Mining LLP (Polyus gold group): Defending successfully the client in court against a claimant who challenged the validity of the client’s exploration license and the competent authority’s refusal to grant a license to the claimant for the same area. Our lawyers proved that the client’s license was lawful since (1) the competent authority’s refusal to issue a license to the claimant was reasonable because it failed to prove adequate financial capacity to carry out exploration activities, and (2) issuance of the license to the client only occurred after expiry of the appeal period for the authority’s first decision. Additionally, our team relied on the principle of protection of legitimate expectations under the APPC, which provides that an administrative act (the license) favorable to the client cannot be revoked, even if the competent authority committed a mistake in issuing it.
TAV Airports Holding: Acting as local law counsel in the acquisition of shares in Almaty international airport and related entities. Our M&A team supported the client in the full scope of services, providing due diligence, structuring, documentation, regulatory approvals and completion.
Leading Chinese renewable energy developer: Assisting in relation to a number of wind projects in Kazakhstan. Our mandate included advice on a broad range of legal, tax and regulatory issues of auction based renewable projects. We also assisted with the due diligence of several project companies holding a renewable PPA.
Rainbow Logistics-2 LLP (subsidiary of Mercury Properties LLP): Assisting with drafting the lease agreement with the prospective lessee (OZON, a Top-Three Russian e-commerce retailer) and EPC contract with one of the largest local construction contractors (Bazis Construction LLP). The transaction was quite innovative for the local market, as it was based on a build-to-suit scheme and involved the construction of a multi-profile warehouse complex. The warehouse complex is intended to serve as OZON’s fulfilment center and will be the largest retail and transportation base in the region.
Eurasian Development Bank: Acting as Kazakh, French and English law counsel for the bank in relation to the financing of the investment project, “Production of Electric Locomotives in Kazakhstan.” The transaction involved three jurisdictions—Kazakhstan, the UK and France: A French company provided the guarantee under English law in favor of an international organization (Eurasian Development Bank) to secure the borrower’s obligations, prepared under Kazakh law.
Kazakhmys: Advising on its secondary listing at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Kazakhmys, whose shares are also listed on the London Stock Exchange and Kazakhstan Stock Exchange, is one of the top copper producers in the world. The SPO made Kazakhmys the first ever Kazakhstan-based company listed in Hong Kong.
Major Chinese gold refiner and bar manufacturer: Assisting with the acquisition of a stake in a Kazakh company, holder of subsoil use rights on exploration and production of copper, gold, silver and molybdenum on the Koksay field, considered to be a unique deposit in Kazakhstan.
Major international oil and gas companies: Representing successfully the companies (in partnership with another global law firm) in settling a more than two-year dispute with the Republic of Kazakhstan. The settlement included complex issues related to interpreting the subsoil use contract in respect of taxation, cost recovery, cost control, customs, environmental and other issues. This extremely complex process involved legal management of various workstreams, including the development of legislation, provision of contractual framework, finalization of various disputes considered in courts and through administrative proceedings, issuance of new permits and similar.
Major Kazakhstan investment fund: Assisting with a debt-to-equity transaction with the involvement of a Canadian listed company that indirectly owns subsoil use rights in Kazakhstan. The transaction was a cross-border lending, involving several jurisdictions, with a complex loan structure (partly repaid, partly debt-to-equity conversion) and also included the use of several interconnected security tools.
RBS (Kazakhstan): Advising on the sale of a retail portfolio to HSBC. The transaction was unique for the Kazakhstan market and involved a number of legal complex and unprecedented issues.
Société Générale: Advising on the sale of its consumer credit business in Kazakhstan. The transaction was a mixture of equity and assets sale.

Recognition

Dentons secures top-tier recognition in The Legal 500 EMEA 2025

March 28, 2025

Dentons has reinforced its position as a leading global law firm in The Legal 500 EMEA 2025 guide, securing 266 practice and sector rankings across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The guide also recognized 247 Dentons lawyers with 299 individual rankings across 32 jurisdictions, underscoring their leadership in their respective practice areas.

WTR 1000 2025: Dentons’ lawyers among world’s leading trademark professionals

February 3, 2025

The World Trademark Review has highly ranked Dentons in the 2025 edition of WTR 1000 – the directory recognizing the world’s leading trademark legal services providers and practitioners.

Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025 - Dentons unrivalled in Central Asia

December 12, 2024

In the 2025 edition of the Chambers Asia-Pacific guide, Dentons has received Band 1 rankings across all practices assessed in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, retaining its leading position in Central Asia.

View all recognition for Kazakhstan

Insights

Important changes in Kazakhstan procedural legislation (In Russian)

March 26, 2025

Kazakhstan: In 2024-2025, regulatory legal acts were adopted that introduced important changes to the Administrative Procedural and Procedural Code (‘APPC’), the Civil Procedural Code (‘CPC’), the Criminal Procedural Code (‘CPC’), and the Code of Administrative Offences (‘CAO’).

Changes to Kazakhstans Administrative Code bring more financial sanctions

March 20, 2025

Kazakhstan: New amendments to the Administrative Code (Code), which became effective from March 13, 2025, have introduced stricter penalties in a number of areas — labor safety, electronic digital signatures as well as personal data protection.

Changes to Kazakhstans Administrative Code bring more financial sanctions: What you need to know (in Russian)

March 20, 2025

View all insights for Kazakhstan

News and Events

Recent Press Releases

Dentons advises KT&G on first major investment project in Kazakhstan

May 12, 2025

Dentons acted as legal counsel to South Korean conglomerate KT&G Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of tobacco and ginseng products, on its first major investment project in Kazakhstan.

Dentons announces 2025 partner and counsel promotions in Europe and Central Asia

April 28, 2025

Global law firm Dentons has promoted 13 lawyers to partner, three to Senior Counsel, six to Managing Counsel, and 46 to Counsel as part of the 2025 promotion round across Europe and Central Asia. The promoted lawyers represent 13 countries, 18 offices, and all practice groups operating in the Europe Region.