GRATA International

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Samat Daumov is a Partner and Director of GRATA International office in Astana. Samat pays significant attention to the management and development of the firm. From 2013 to 2019 he was acting as Managing partner of Kazakhstan offices.

Saule Akhmetova

Saule Akhmetova is a partner and the Director of the Almaty branch of GRATA International. She has extensive experience in various areas of law, including corporate law, taxation, investment, contract law, intellectual property law, data protection, and litigation. Saule has successfully represented and defended the interests of major international and Kazakh companies in negotiations with government agencies and local authorities on a wide range of issues. In addition, she has a successful track record in litigation, handling administrative and economic disputes and commercial, tax, and intellectual property litigation to protect clients' interests. Saule has authored numerous publications on applying local investment, taxation, intellectual property, and subsoil use legislation. Saule holds a License for advocate activity granted by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan and is a member of the Kazakhstan Bar Association. Saule graduated with honours from the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Furthermore, she obtained a PGC in Information Technology & Telecommunication Law from the University of Strathclyde. Currently, Saule is pursuing a PhD at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

Baizhan Bekzhanov

Baizhan Bekzhanov is a Partner in Natural Resources team of GRATA International. He focuses on energy and natural resources, M&A, labour law and dispute resolution. Baizhan has an extensive experience advising international and domestic clients on issues related to subsoil use regulation at deals on acquisition of subsoil use assets in Kazakhstan. He has a great experience in undertaking and supervising work for mining, oil and gas and services companies, including CNPC and its subsidiaries, North Caspian Operating Company (operator of Kashagan, the world's largest oil discovery of the last 40 years), Sinopec and its subsidiaries, Kazatomprom and its subsidiaries, Severstal, Nord Gold, Polymetal.

Timur Berekmoinov

Timur Berekmoinov is a Partner, Head of Intellectual Property team of GRATA International. He focuses on trademarks, patents, copyrights, commercialisation of IP, pre-trial protection of IP rights, protection of IP at the Border, IP litigation.

Maxim Burak is a Partner at GRATA International in Astana. Maxim got a lot of experience and deep knowledge in the oil and gas industry, subsoil use and corporate transactions. Maxim’s experience includes obtaining the refusal of the state from the priority right to purchase the alienated subsoil use rights in mergers and acquisitions, consulting subsoil users on local content, implementation of full legal support additional agreements to contracts for subsoil use, in particular regarding the extension of the exploration period and the percentages of Kazakhstani content and implementation Due Diligence contracts on subsoil use.

Shaimerden Chikanayev

Almat Daumov is a Partner and Head of Natural Resources Department of GRATA International. He focuses on energy and natural resources, M&A, tax law and dispute resolution. For more than 13 years, Almat has advised domestic and multinational corporations and built an impressive oil and gas and mining practice. He has a great experience in undertaking and supervising work for oil and gas, mining and services companies, including Korean National Oil Corporation (KNOC), North Caspian Operating Company (operator of Kashagan, the world's largest oil discovery of the last 40 years), Sinopec, Rosneft, Baker Hughes, Enka, Polyus Gold International, Severstal, Nord Gold, Polymetal.

Assel Ilyassova

Assel Ilyassova is a Partner and the Head of the Tax and Customs Law Department at GRATA Law Firm. She has joined the firm in 2006.

Marina Kahiani is one of the leading partners of GRATA International qualified to advise on Kazakhstani law and AIFC law. Marina focuses her practice on a wide range of finance transactions, including project finance, aircraft finance and capital markets, infrastructure transactions as well as M&A transactions, financial services regulation and workouts and debt restructurings in many industries.

Askar Konysbayev

Askar Konysbayev is a Partner at GRATA International and Head of Dispute Resolution team.

Igor Lukin is a Partner, Head of Corporate, Competition practices and Co-head of Labour practice of GRATA. Igor has more than 9 years’ experience in advising on arranging and closing M&A transactions, creating business ventures, corporate governance, competition issues and labour disputes. Prior to joining GRATA Igor worked for such major law firms as Dentons and Sayat Zholshy and Partners. Igor is a last year PhD candidate conducting his research in the field of corporate law. In 2015, he worked for Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, Germany as a visiting researcher.

Leila Makhmetova

Leila Makhmetova is counsel, Director of Environmental Law Department and Licenses and Permits Department of GRATA International. She focuses on litigation and dispute resolution, environmental law, health and safety, administrative law. Leila Makhmetova has extensive experience in environmental dispute resolution. Her success in representing clients has been constant and consistent. Leila’s clients include some of the most prominent figures in heavy industry. Previously, Leila was a Senior Lecturer at the Kazakh University of Law and Humanities and a legal expert at the Institute of Legislation governed by the Ministry of Justice of RK.

Zhandarbek Ramazan

Zhandarbek Ramazan is a Partner and Co-Director of the Litigation Department at GRATA International, Kazakhstan.

Zaira Sarsenova

Zaira Sarsenova is a Partner and Branch Director of GRATA International in the city of Atyrau. She focuses on natural resources (oil and gas), transport and telecommunications, construction and infrastructure For almost 10 years of experience, Zaira has advised domestic and multinational corporations and built an impressive oil and gas, corporate and commercial practice. She has a great experience in undertaking and supervising work for oil and gas, mining and services companies on domestic and international level.

Kamila Urazalina

Kamila Urazalina is a Counsel of the Tax and Customs Law Department at GRATA Law Firm. Kamila joined GRATA after working as a consultant at Ernst & Young, Almaty, and a lawyer of the Customs Department of Almaty city.

Shakhrukh Usmanov

Shakhrukh Usmanov is a Partner and Head of Trade and Industry and Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare departments. He advises and leads projects for many multinational companies in pharmaceutical, healthcare, consumer goods, information and technology industries on various matters including commercial, employment, tax, customs, intellectual property and litigation. Shakhrukh has an extensive experience on representation of pharmaceutical clients in negotiations with state authorities and third parties. He also successfully supervised representation of clients interests in a wide variety of judicial disputes in the Republic of Kazakhstan, both commercial and those in relation to actions of state authorities.

Yerbolat Yerkebulanov

Yerbolat Yerkebulanov is a Partner and Head of Subsoil Use Department (Almaty) of GRATA International. He has extensive experience in advising international clients on issues related to Oil & Gas, Mining, M&As, EPC contracts, commercial agreements, regulated procurements, Prior to joining GRATA International in November 2010 Yerbolat gained experience as a legal counsel in the largest cellular communications operating company in Kazakhstan (07/2001-01/2006) and in the company owning two hydrocarbons contracts (02/2006-10/2010). He has substantial experience in undertaking and supervising work for a number of oil and gas, mining and services companies, including, inter alia, Korean National Oil Corporation (KNOC), Rio Tinto, North Caspian Operating Company (Kashagan oil superfield), Polymetal, NordGold, Sinopec, Baker Hughes, Eurochem, Repsol, Pertamina, ENRC, CGNPC, Mubadala, MOL, JBIC, Tethys, MIE Holding, Severstal; or with regard to such companies as KPO (giant Karachaganak gas and condensate field), Maersk (Dunga field), Maten Petroleum, etc.

Yerbolat Yerkebulanov

Yerbolat Yerkebulanov is a Partner and Head of Subsoil Use Department (Almaty) of GRATA International. He has extensive experience in advising international clients on issues related to Oil & Gas, Mining, M&As, EPC contracts, commercial agreements, regulated procurements,

Yerzhan Yessimkhanov

Yerzhan Yessimkhanov is a Partner, Head of Telecommunication & Transport, Construction & Infrastructure department of GRATA International.

Darya Zhanysbayeva

Darya Zhanysbayeva is a Partner of GRATA International. Darya focuses on commercial contracts, real estate and construction.

Aliya Zhumekenova

Aliya Zhumekenova is a Partner with Industry and Trade, Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Department of GRATA International in Almaty and Relationships Manager for a number of international clients. Aliya focuses on corporate and commercial issues, data and IP rights protection, investments and business restructuring. She has extensive experience in undertaking and supervising a team work for the long-term clients in the fields of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, FMCG, industrial equipment supplies and service companies.