The Legal 500

The purpose of the forum was association of active players in M&A market in the Central Asia countries for an exchange of professional experience and further cooperation.

During the forum participants traversed recent trends and features of M&A transactions, and also exchanged practical experience and new technologies of legal solutions.

Key subjects of the forum were:

• Peculiarities of M&A legislation in the CIS
• Methods of structuring M&A transactions: foreign experience
• Legal risks in concluding M&A
• M&A and Capital Markets
• Peculiarities of M&A projects involving investment banks

Rashid Gaissin, Managing Partner at GRATA Law Firm, moderated the second session of the forum "M&A and Capital markets".

The following representatives participated in the forum on behalf of GRATA Law Firm:

-  Maksim Grekov, Counsel, with the presentation on the topic: "M&A peculiarities on purchase and sale of public companies";

- Aliya Aralbayeva, Senior Lawyer, and Assel Mukhambekova, Senior Lawyer, with the presentation on the topic: "Anti-corruption legislation within compliance control / corporate management";

- Shaimerden Chikanayev, Partner, with the presentation on the topic: "IPO through lawyer's eyes".

Legal Clinic for disadvantaged people under the auspices of KIMEP opened in Almaty

On 18^th of May 2012 Legal Clinic for disadvantaged people  opened at the Kazakh Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research (KIMEP) in Almaty.

KIMEP's law department students will give free consultations to socially vulnerable citizens.

Judge of Almaty City Court Sholpan Kurmanbekova, Head of the Representative Office of Reed Smith International Law Firm Dinara Dzharmukhanova, and also Director of Legal Clinic of KIMEP, Associate Professor of the school of law at KIMEP Zhanat Alimanov, took part in a press conference held to commemorate opening of the Legal Clinic.

On behalf of GRATA Law firm its Managing Partner Rashid Gaissin took part in the press conference. In his speech Mr. Gaissin emphasized that if in criminal trials state provides free legal advice to defenders , in civil law the right of citizens to  legal aid isn't realized, which is something that the Legal Clinic will try to address. According to Mr. Gaissin although law firms, as other business, are aimed, first of all, at profit, it is worth to remember that many lawyers come to the profession not for the sake of money but to help those in need.

Based on materials of Panorama weekly newspaper 

Rashid Gaissin is appointed as Vice Chairman of BrKLA

Rashid Gaissin, Managing Partner of GRATA Law Firm, the largest Central Asian legal practice, is appointed as Vice Chairman of The British-Kazakh Law Association.

The British-Kazakh Law Association has been re-launched to encourage development of stronger links between lawyers in the United Kingdom and Kazakhstan.

The aim of the Association is to facilitate exchange of legal best practice experiences between lawyers in both countries, to develop academic, educational and practical training programs of interest to Association members, and to assist members of the Association in their professional activities. Its role is also to further the rule of law and of corporate social responsibility among lawyers in independent practices and those working in big law firms in the United Kingdom and Kazakhstan.

GRATA Law Firm has been a member of The British-Kazakh Law Association since 2011.

11th Annual International Mergers and Acquisitions IBA Conference was held on 12-13 June 2012 in New York, USA

This year the conference hit the record number of participants from all over the world. The topics of the conference included:

• A review of the worldwide M&A market place
• The view from the bench
• Current M&A Issues
• Private equity today
• New Frontiers in M&A diligence
• Stockholder activism today
• BRIC M&A in the post-financial crisis era
• Cross-Border M&A

Most of the participants of the conference were well know attorneys representing international and US companies in the most complex acquisitions and joint ventures like JP Morgan, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP and others.

GRATA Law Firm sponsored the luncheon.

Mr. Arlan Yerzhanov, Partner, and Ms. Zulfiya Akchurina, Lawyer, GRATA Law Firm Representatives in the United States took part in the conference.  

GRATA Kyrgyzstan became a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan

On the 28^th of June 2012, by the decision of the Presidium of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan GRATA Law Firm (Bishkek Office, Kyrgyzstan) was admitted as an actual member of the Chamber.

The Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan is a non-governmental organization operating in order to promote economic development of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, its integration into the global economy, formation of modern infrastructure of market relations, creation of favorable conditions for foreign trade, promotion of exports of goods and services, full expansion of trade and economic and scientific and technical relations of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan with other countries.

Nowadays, membership structure of the Chamber includes 517 small and medium businesses.

Unlocking Disputes event was held on the 27th of June 2012 in Almaty 

The event was dedicated to the visit of Right Honorable the Lord Mayor of The City of London to Kazakhstan from 26 June - 30 June 2012.

The purpose of The Lord Mayor's visit was to promote the City of London as well as UK Financial and Business Services, to promote English Law and assist in the development of trade and investment between Kazakhstan and the UK. The Lord Mayor's main role is to represent, support and promote the businesses and the people of the City of London.

On the 27th of June in Almaty, at the Intercontinental Hotel, The Lord Mayor has delivered his opening remarks and speech on "Unlocking Disputes in London: World's leading dispute resolution centre" together with Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador David Moran. 

On behalf of GRATA Law Firm its Managing Partner Rashid Gaissin, Senior Lawyer Assel Kulisheva and Legal Assistant Magdalena Dabkowska took an active part in the event.

A seminar "On Raising Finance and Resolving Disputes in a Challenging Economic Climate - Legal Implications from UK and Kazakh Perspectives" was held on the 29th of June 2012 in Astana

The seminar was organized by The British-Kazakh Law Association (BrKLA) as a part of the official visit of Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman David Wootton in Kazakhstan and supported by the British Embassy in Astana, GRATA Law Firm, BG, Shell, Ernst & Young, HSBC, Norton Rose, Winston & Strawn and Lloyd's Register. 

Managing Partner of GRATA Law Firm Mr Rashid Gaissin, newly appointed Vice Chairman of The British-Kazakh Law Association, was a moderator of the first session of the seminar dedicated to the issues of listings, IPOs and privatisations, dispute resolution, arbitration (particularly investment treaty-related) of government-related contracts and PPP projects in Kazakhstan.

During the seminar a team of leading English and Kazakh practitioners from The British-Kazakh Law Association presented the legal issues of the present challenges and opportunities in Kazakhstan, including:

• securities funding structures;
• shareholder and corporate governance issues;
• raising investment through dual listings in London and Almaty;
• debt restructuring;
• infrastructure financing;
• investment treaty protections;
• enforcement of arbitral awards; and
• general arbitration issues.

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