Legal500

Michael Wilson & Partners

NURLY TAU BUSINESS CENTER, 7TH FLOOR, BUILDING 1A, 5 AL-FARABI AVENUE, 050059 ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN

Tel:: Work +7 727 258 4890
Fax:: Fax +7 727 258 4894

Web:: www.mwp.kz
Email:

Baku, Almaty

The firm

Michael Wilson & Partners, Ltd (MWP) is a full-service law practice and business consultancy with offices in both Baku and Almaty, covering Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the central Asian region and the Caucasus. MWP was established in Kazakhstan in 1998 and in Azerbaijan in 2003.

Combining years of collective experience in the CIS, MWP is ideally placed to provide legal services in a unique region where a cultural understanding and an appreciation of the local approach to legislation and business are vital to commercial success. Key personnel have been resident on a full-time basis for more than 15 years.

Today, MWP maintains its position as one of the region’s largest independent law firms, and is considered a key strategic partner to its clients in the mining and natural resources sectors, utilities, all aspects of foreign investment, joint ventures, financing, privatisations, restructuring, transportation, litigation, intellectual property, trade marks and general commercial law. The firm advises both foreign and domestic business clients, including some of the region’s largest and most strategically important investors.

Areas of practice

MWP is a unique Kazakhstani firm in today’s market, having some of the most experienced lawyers in their chosen fields on the staff and being able to boast over 90 combined years of legal experience within its team. Most of MWP’s people are bilingual and are most sensitive to and understanding of the business and cultural needs of the region and its industries.

Operating as a fully autonomous law firm, MWP’s focus is on Kazakhstan and the other central Asian republics of the former ?Soviet Union, including Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. MWP offers a full ?range of commercial transactional services in the categories ?detailed above, with a strong emphasis on the corporate sector, with ?a wide range and depth of both international and domestic ?clients. The firm is an honoured legal adviser on Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan for the World Bank Group (Financial and Private Sector, Washington DC) in relation to Doing Business 2006-2010, its ?annual series of reports.

The firm is considered one of the regional leaders in the mining and natural resources sector, utilities, and all aspects of foreign investment, joint ventures, financing, privatisations, restructuring, transportation, litigation, intellectual property and general commercial law. Full information on Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd, its staff, track record and major completed and ongoing projects can be viewed on its website at: www.mwp.kz.

Contact Michael E Wilson

Languages
Azeri
Bengali
Bosnian
Bulgarian
Chinese (Mandarin)
Croatian
English
French
German
Kazakh
Kyrgyz
Russian
Serbian
Spanish
Turkish
Ukrainian

Other offices Baku

Number of lawyers 15

Above material supplied by Michael Wilson & Partners.

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Legal Developments in Kazakhstan

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

Doing Business in Kazakhstan 2011

Doing Business in Kazakhstan is a guide for companies operating in or considering investment into the Kazakhstan. The 2011 edition presents an overview of the legal system and business regulations in the country.

- Baker & McKenzie
Recent Changes to Kazakhstan's Constitution

Following an unusual series of disagreements between the President and the Parliament of Kazakhstan concerning the President’s term of office, the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan1 was amended recently -- fully in accordance with the law - - to allow for early Presidential elections. Specifically, the Parliament proposed a constitutional amendment that would have allowed a referendum on extending the current President’s term of office. However, the President did not support extending his term of office and submitted the proposed amendment to the country’s Constitutional Council, which declared the proposed amendment unconstitutional.

- Baker & McKenzie
ASSOCIATED GAS: changes introduced by Draft Law of the RK

December 1, 2010 -- On 24 June 2010 President of the RK signed new Law of the RK «On Subsurface and Subsurface Use». One of the changes established by this Law was introduction of state ownership for associated gas. In this regard, the question remains as which state policy will our state implement in gas industry and what are the next steps to be taken further

- Signum Law Firm
Kazakhstan Amends Tax Code

On 16 November 2009, Kazakhstan adopted certain amendments to its Tax Code (the "Tax Amendments"). Most of the Tax Amendments take effect from 1 January 2010. However, some changes are effective retroactively from 1 January 2009. The primary purpose of the Tax Amendments is to keep the current rates of the corporate income tax and the mineral extraction tax until 2012. Another objective is to simplify tax administration and clarify certain provisions of the Tax Code.

- Baker & McKenzie
Formation of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan

Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan will adopt new unified customs tariff and non-tariff regulations from January 1, 2010, and the Customs Union (the “CU”) of the three countries of the Eurasian Economic Community (the “EurAsEC”) will become a reality. The CU Customs Code (the “Customs Code”) is expected to take effect from July 1, 2010 to regulate the resulting integral customs zone.

- Baker & McKenzie
Doing Business in Kazakhstan 2009

Doing Business in Kazakhstan 2009 has been prepared as a general guide for companies operating in or considering investment into Kazakhstan. It is intended to present an overview of the key aspects of the Kazakhstani legal system and regulation of business activities in this country.

- Baker & McKenzie
Kazakhstan Introduces Islamic Finance Law

Kazakhstan has promulgated a new law, the Islamic Finance Law,1 intended to broaden the range of finance options available to Kazakhstani companies and to provide a legal framework for Islamic finance in Kazakhstan.

- Baker & McKenzie
Review of the new law on subsoil and subsoil use

The draft law combines the principles of the Law of the RK in effect on ”Subsoil and Subsoil use” of January 27, 1996 (further the Law on Subsoil) and the Law of the RK on “Oil” of June 28, 1995 (further the Law on Oil), and involves the provisions and requirements of certain governmental resolutions and other delegated legislation.

- GRATA Law Firm
Tightening of the subsoil user tax legislation: the main stages of development

At the present time, the government subsoil users tax policy is one of the most important issues for subsoil users. The export duty, discussions as to the severance tax levy and the new draft of transfer pricing demonstrate the urgency and importance of analysis of the government tax policy and the possible consequences of its implementation for subsoil users.

- GRATA Law Firm
Mergers & Acquisitions in Kazakhstan: To Buy or Not to Buy….

Should foreign companies continue to conduct mergers & acquisitions in Kazakhstan? What are the risks that they face? What are the new laws that the government plans to introduce and how will they affect investors?

- GRATA Law Firm