Aequitas Law Firm LLP

AEQUITAS corporate law practice started with the adoption of the young Kazakhstan’s legislative acts on legal entities, as well as with the establishment of Kazakhstan’s first joint ventures with foreign capital participation in 1993.

The firm has developed and successfully tested in practice the provisions of internal corporate documents helping to resolve dead-end situations and overcome legislative gaps in the field of corporate relations. AEQUITAS lawyers are advising clients on their day-to-day operating matters and providing all-round legal support in large transactions.

Certain firm’s corporate projects may be called unique. AEQUITAS has acquired and treasures invaluable experience of legal support to leading local companies coming to list on the London Stock Exchange and Kazakhstan Stock Exchange.

AEQUITAS acted as a legal counsel in such major projects as Russian Federation’s acquisition of interests in CPC-K JSC and CPC-R JSC from the Sultanate of Oman, drafting of amendments to Tengizchevroil LLP’s corporate documents, etc.

AEQUITAS was the law firm to render legal support in the establishment of Kazakh subsidiaries and representative offices of METRO Cash & Carry, MARS Overseas Holdings Inc., Gazprom Neft JSC, Lukoil JSC, and others.

AEQUITAS partners have participated in the development of the most important acts in the Republic of Kazakhstan’s corporate legislation, such as the Civil Code, Law on Limited and Additional Liability Partnerships and Law on Joint Stock Companies.

Nurlan Sholanov, head of AEQUITAS corporate practice, has been repeatedly recognized as a leading corporate law expert by international rating publications, such as Best Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal and Legal 500.

AEQUITAS Dispute Resolution practice focuses for years on complex cross-border litigations and commercial arbitration (mostly at venues outside Kazakhstan).

Another area of practice is investment arbitration. The firm’s lawyers prepare disputes for international arbitration on a comprehensive basis, from representing the client in local courts to forming the international team, fund-raising and defense in investment proceedings.

The firm’s lawyers act on a regular basis as party representatives and arbitrators in commercial arbitration; they are experienced in dispute resolution under the rules of LCIA, ICC, UNCITRAL, GAFTA, SCC, International Commercial Arbitration Court (ICAC) at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, and others.

AEQUITAS partners and senior advisors often act as experts before foreign courts and international commercial and investment arbitration. The practice team focuses exclusively on dispute resolution.

AEQUITAS’s labor & employment practice is one of the best in Kazakhstan. In 2015, AEQUITAS was affiliated by Ius Laboris, a global Alliance of leading employment, labor and pension law firms.

The firm’s lawyers advise companies on their day-to-day matters and help resolve most complex non-standard issues not regulated by the Kazakh labor legislation.

AEQUITAS provides labor law services to clients in different sectors of economy: energy and mining, transportation and pharmaceuticals, retail and production. The firm’s lawyers are perfectly knowledgeable about the legislative specifics of relations with different categories of employees in particular industries. On most intricate issues involving foreign labor relations AEQUITAS advises Chevron Munaigas Inc., Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, Mars Overseas Holdings, Inc., and others.

AEQUITAS possesses sound experience in labor disputes resolution.

In 2015, the firm’s lawyers submitted a large package of substantiated proposals to amend the labor legislation for consideration to the governmental working group drafting the Labor Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

AEQUITAS lawyers regularly publish analytical articles in local and foreign periodicals. AEQUITAS has been a World Bank’s respondent to prepare labor regulation overviews for the Doing Business annual report since 2005. Over the past several years, AEQUITAS lawyers have been authoring Kazakhstan labor law newsletters for ABA International Employment Law Committee.

Yulia Chumachenko, AEQUITAS partner supervising the labor law practice is among Kazakhstan’s best lawyers specializing in labor law according to the Who’s Who Legal and Legal 500 international rating publications.