Managing partner Abai Shaikenov and Gani Ashimkhan head the commercial, corporate and M&A practice at Dentons. The Almaty-based team has a notable track record in transactions for local and international clients, with expertise in areas such as acquisition finance, competition and joint ventures, among various others. Recent work spans the aviation, mining, construction and energy sectors. In a landmark deal, the team advised TAV Holding Airports on the acquisition of Almaty International Airport, with subsequent advice still ongoing. Another name to note is Victoria Simonova, whose focus is on infrastructure projects in the oil and gas sector.

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.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP undertakes high-value financial and corporate work for a range of Kazakh and international clients, including major corporates, investment banks, equity funds and sovereign wealth funds. The firm’s deep expertise is spread throughout the energy and natural resources, technology, transportation and agriculture sectors, among others. Managing partner Aset Shyngyssov heads the corporate and business transactions practice, which spans two well-developed offices in Almaty and Astana. Other key individuals include Bakhytzhan Kadyrov and Asem Bakenova.

Almaty-based partners Yelena Manayenko, Nurlan Sholanov and Yuliya Chumachenko jointly head the corporate department at AEQUITAS. M&A work is a core area of focus for the team, who are able to assist with deal structuring and negotiations, the acquisition of shares and assets, and applications before Kazakhstan's competition regulator. Elsewhere, the practice is renowned for its involvement in the development of Kazakhstan’s corporate legislation, including the civil code, law on limited and additional liability partnerships, and law on joint stock companies.

The corporate department at White & Case Kazakhstan LLP is led by Astana-based Maxim Telemtayev, whose expertise lies in cross-border and commercial transactions, corporate governance and M&A. Counsel Zangar Nogaibay joined the firm from KAZENERGY in April 2022, and is a specialist in corporate law with a focus on the oil and gas sector. Energy and natural resources work continues to be an area of core focus for the team; in a recent high-profile highlight, Telemtayev led the advice to the Ministry of Finance on the privatisation of two hydropower plants located in the east of the country.

The corporate team at Ernst & Young Kazakhstan LLP is part of a multinational network that provides advice across a range of sectors, including technology, fintech, construction, oil and gas and transportation. The practice's work includes advising businesses on their contractual relationships with local and international customers, suppliers and distributors, in addition to advice on commercial contracts supporting their mainstream and strategic activities. Practice head Dinara Tanasheva contributes more than two decades of legal experience to the team.

At KPMG Law in Kazakhstan, corporate and M&A matters form a considerable share of the team’s workload. Recent work has involved advising on asset and share purchase transactions, corporate and operational restructuring matters, and due diligence reviews. Almaty-based Alexey Abramov and Astana-based Assel Meiramgaliyeva head the firm’s practice in Kazakhstan, which forms part of the wider network comprising Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.

Legal director Olessya Kirilovskaya now heads the practice at Deloitte TCF, LLP. Her work in commercial, corporate and M&A covers joint ventures, investment and financing structures (including private equity and venture capital investments), divestitures and post transaction activities.

Astana-based Inna Revazova, Almaty-based Darya Markina and Karaganda-based Meruet Zhunubayeva co-head the practice at MG Partners. The team’s recent work in the field of commercial, corporate and M&A has involved the establishment of joint ventures, registrations and acquisition of shares, among others. Another key individual is managing partner Nurlan Sultanbayev.