Kinstellar LLP > Almaty, Kazakhstan > Firm Profile
Kinstellar LLP Offices
KURMANGAZY BUSINESS CENTER
61a KURMANGAZY STREET
050000 ALMATY
Kazakhstan
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Kinstellar LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Kazakhstan > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 1
Kinstellar LLP has an outstanding track record representing financial and industrial clients, including private equity funds and enterprises, on transactions in the banking space. The group is led by managing partner Joel Benjamin, who has worked in the US and Uzbekistan as well as the firm’s three Kazakhstan offices. He specialises in areas such as trade finance, project finance and acquisition finance, although further expertise includes equity and debt capital markets transactions. Benjamin co-heads the practice with Almaty-based Adlet Yerkinbayev, who led the team on the IPO by national oil and gas giant KazMunayGas JSC on the London Stock Exchange in a high-profile highlight. Counsel Pavel Kornilov is also recommended.Practice head(s):
Joel Benjamin; Adlet Yerkinbayev
Other key lawyers:
Pavel Kornilov; Maksim Grekov; Kairat Baizakov; Kuanysh Shekerbekov
Key clients
Citigroup Global Markets Limited
UBS, Citi, MUFG and VTB
Work highlights
- Advised UBS, Citi, MUFG and VTB on the debut Eurobond offering by Samruk-Kazyna.
- Advised Citigroup Global Markets Limited in its capacity as corporate stockbroker to Kaspi.kz JSC appointed to undertake a programme of purchases of the Kaspi.kz JSC’s depository receipts listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Kazakhstan > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1
The corporate and M&A team at Kinstellar LLP has transactional expertise spanning a broad range of sectors, including financial services, mining, fintech, transportation and communications, among others. Public M&A is an area of core focus for the group, although other significant drivers of work include corporate law issues and restructurings. Managing partner Joel Benjamin is a seasoned M&A expert offering over 25 years of experience to the team, having worked in the US and Uzbekistan in addition to the firm’s Kazakhstan offices in Almaty and Astana. Other key individuals include Adlet Yerkinbayev and counsel Pavel Kornilov.Other key lawyers:
Joel Benjamin; Adlet Yerkinbayev; Pavel Kornilov; Kuanysh Kanlybayev; Kuanysh Shekerbekov; Anna Kornilova
Testimonials
‘The team has deep knowledge and always give valuable insights, not only from a legal perspective but also a business perspective.’
‘Adlet Yerkinbayev is a very valuable partner in all deals. He is flexible and creative.’
Key clients
JCS SB “Alfa-Bank”
Work highlights
- Advised JCS SB “Alfa-Bank” (Kazakhstan) on its sale to Bank CenterCredit JSC.
Kazakhstan > Dispute resolution Tier 1
Kinstellar LLP‘s versatile dispute resolution practice is a strong pick for major international law firms, with the team covering complex and cross-border commercial, environmental, construction, customs and tax disputes. It is led by Almaty-based Mukhit Yeleuov, whose industry sector expertise includes energy, construction and materials, mining and metals, and pharmaceuticals and life sciences, among others. Other significant drivers of work include arbitration proceedings and criminal investigations, the latter spanning areas such as allegations of fraud and corruption. Senior associate Dina Berkaliyeva is recommended for her advice to oil and gas companies in environmental disputes.Practice head(s):
Mukhit Yeleuov
Other key lawyers:
Kazakhstan > Energy and natural resources Tier 1
Counsel Almas Zhaiylgan heads the energy and natural resources practice at Kinstellar LLP, which provides a broad range of services to clients that are active in the oil and gas, power, mining and renewable energy sectors. The team’s wide-ranging workload encompasses M&A, farm-out agreements and joint ventures, commercial contracts, regulatory reviews, litigation and arbitration proceedings. Other key individuals within the practice include Joel Benjamin, firmwide managing partner, and Adlet Yerkinbayev, whose combined expertise includes debt and equity capital markets transactions and restructurings. Senior associate Anna Kornilova is also recommended.Practice head(s):
Almas Zhaiylgan
Other key lawyers:
Joel Benjamin; Adlet Yerkinbayev; Maksim Grekov; Anna Kornilova
Testimonials
‘Very confident and smart team.’
Kazakhstan > IP and TMT Tier 1
Kinstellar LLP is a strong choice among major international companies in the TMT space; the team’s cross-disciplinary expertise spans a number of areas which are integral to the execution of complex transactions, including corporate and M&A, project development, data protection, and IP. Adlet Yerkinbayev regularly handles major M&A deals for clients active in the Kazakhstani telecoms sector. Elsewhere, managing partner Joel Benjamin‘s cross-border expertise has seen him acting on matters in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as Kazakhstan. Another name to note is managing associate Kuanysh Kanlybayev, whose advice to telecoms companies further encompasses competition and employment issues.Other key lawyers:
Kazakhstan > Real estate and construction (including projects) Tier 1
Managing partner Joel Benjamin is the main point of contact at Kinstellar LLP; he brings more than 25 years of experience in real estate and construction to bear, having worked in the US and Uzbekistan, as well as the firm’s three offices in Kazakhstan. The Almaty-based team, which is preferred local counsel in Kazakhstan for several leading international law firms, has a standout reputation in hotel development and management matters. Beyond complex transactional advice, the group is also involved in construction disputes, PPP projects and project development issues in the renewable energy, payment services and TMT sectors.Practice head(s):
Joel Benjamin
Uzbekistan > Leading firms
Kinstellar is noted for its corporate and M&A, banking, finance and capital markets work in Uzbekistan; leading international companies and financial institutions, including major American banks, seek the firm’s advice. Managing partner Joel Benjamin has been working on transactions in the region for over two and a half decades. Tashkent-based Sherzod Yunusov is another name to note, whose expertise further covers energy and infrastructure projects. Muborak Kambarova left to KY & Partners.Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Kinstellar’s team in Uzbekistan is very professional, accessible and have the ability to deliver quality work within tight deadlines.’
‘We work primarily with Sherzod Yunusov on PPP projects. He has an extensive understanding of the local regulatory framework and practices which helped us a lot to understand and tackle legal issues.’
‘Very proactive and experienced team, with whom we worked on a renewables project, receiving high quality advice.’
‘Sherzod Yunusov is the main point of contact; he is very diligent, efficient, knowledgeable and reactive.’
‘The lawyers are able to quickly and efficiently resolve issues. I know that my questions are answered quickly and accurately.’
‘Sherzod Yunusov is very diligent, solution-oriented, and highly knowledgeable in the transactional structuring of dispute resolution mechanisms, with a particular focus on infrastructure and energy projects.’
Key clients
JP Morgan Securities plc
Citigroup Global Markets
Work highlights
- Advised JP Morgan Securities plc on a bond offering by Uzbekneftegas, a state-owned holding company of Uzbekistan’s oil and gas industry.
- Advised Citigroup Global Markets on a bond offering by Uz Auto Motors, a state-owned auto production company.
Kinstellar LLP > Firm Profile
The firm: Kinstellar is a leading independent law firm in emerging Europe, Turkey and Central Asia, with offices in Almaty (Kazakhstan), Belgrade (Serbia), Bratislava (Slovakia), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Istanbul (Turkey), Kyiv (Ukraine), Prague (the Czech Republic) and Sofia (Bulgaria).
The firm’s office in Almaty was launched in 2013, and has experts working with years of experience assisting leading investors in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia. The team of international and local lawyers, led by a US partner with more than a decade of on-the-ground experience, is highly regarded and widely viewed by leading international law firms as the go-to team in Kazakhstan for complex transactions.
As part of Kinstellar’s seamless cross-border coverage, the Almaty office provides a wide range of legal services and is particularly strong in banking and finance, capital markets, dispute resolution and corporate and M&A.
Kinstellar serves a broad range of leading international and domestic clients active in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia. The firm’s legal experts bring international experience and local knowledge in key sectors of the Kazakh economy such as oil and gas, mining, financial services, infrastructure and telecommunications.
Areas of practice: The firm’s focal areas of practice include banking and finance; competition and state aid; compliance, risk and sensitive investigations; dispute resolution; employment and labour law; energy; infrastructure and projects; M&A and corporate; real estate, construction and planning; restructuring and insolvency and technology, media and telecommunications.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Banking, finance and capital markets | Joel Benjamin | ||
Dispute resolution | Mukhit Yeleuov | ||
Energy | Joel Benjamin | ||
Infrastructure and projects | Joel Benjamin | ||
Infrastructure and projects | Adlet Yerkinbayev | ||
M&A and corporate | Adlet Yerkinbayev | ||
Restructuring and insolvency | Joel Benjamin |