Banking & Finance

Since the start of Salans' work in Kazakhstan, the Almaty office has focused on projects involving cross-border issues, including corporate finance and capital markets. 

Our Approach  

Our point of difference is our international teams of lawyers who work together to complete transactions in a timely manner for clients who need access to international capital markets and investments abroad. We combine our knowledge of domestic legislation with international banking and finance expertise, enabling us to devise appropriate solutions, whether incorporating Kazakh legal financial structures or the most appropriate offshore legal mechanisms, for our clients.

Our Expertise  

We are experienced with transactions in the area of capital-raising on international markets, where we have made a strategic decision to focus our energy and resources on a broader range of clients located in Kazakhstan.

We also consult on loan agreements, investment insurances, lending securitisation, and complicated derivatives. Our banking and finance lawyers and tax advisors are fully competent to provide suitable solutions utilising only our in-house experience and resources.

Our Banking & Finance Group lawyers in Kazakhstan have gained particular experience due to their negotiation skills and drafting for numerous financial transactions, including:

• Leasing and collateral documents,
• Asset and project financing, and
• Primary products and derivatives.

Almaty Banking & Finance Expertise and Clients

• Advising several major investment banks on trading derivatives in Kazakhstan;
• Limited due diligence review of a Kazakhstan subsidiary bank of a foreign bank in relation to transfer of shares in its parent company;
• Due diligence review of a Kazakhstan subsidiary bank of a foreign bank in relation to the transfer of shares in its parent company;
• Due diligence reviews of local banks in relation to financing by a major Western financial institution;
• Creating and licensing an insurance company for a major Central European Financial Holding in Kazakhstan
• Acting as Counsel to a major bank in the People’s Republic of China in respect of regulatory matters in Kazakhstan arising from the bank’s recent corporate and financial restructuring, including examining regulatory impact  on restructuring, issuing a legal opinion, and negotiating with the National Bank of Kazakhstan;
• Detailed due diligence review of Kazakhstan’s banking laws and the National Bank’s rules governing the operation of depository and share value transfer systems for a major Western Bank with a Kazakhstan subsidiary;
• Advising a leading multinational investment bank on Kazakhstan law matters relating to derivative transactions including review of the Schedule to ISDA Master Agreement and Credit Support Documentation;
• Acting as lead counsel for EBRD with respect to a USD 80 million project finance facility, extended to a joint venture for the refinance of pipeline construction costs;
• Acting as lead counsel in a USD 70 million oil pre-finance facility extended to PetroKazakhstan;
• Advising EBRD on numerous loans amounting to more than USD 200 million for investment projects and other matters in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan;
• Advising issuer of bonds in USD 300 million bond issue to finance petroleum operations in Kazakhstan;
• Advising Lead Managers in USD 1 billion bond issue by a company having assets in Kazakhstan;  
• Advising West LB on the provision of secured loans ranging from USD 25-30 million to a Kazakh nuclear company;
• Advising Rabobank  on a cross-border trade financing transaction;
• Advising a major European lending institution with respect to a USD 600 million oil pre-finance extended to KazMunaiGaz E&P;
• Advising a global investment bank in providing financing to a number of Kazakhstan banks with financing totaling more than USD 400 million;
• Advising a global banking group on Kazakhstan law issues relating to the regulation of OTC derivative market and ISDA documentation;
• Advising a major London based bank on extending a corporate facility loan to a mid-size Kazakhstan oil producer;
• Advising Kazakhstan group of companies on attracting a USD 1.5 billion loan from consortium of major Western Banks;
• Advising Kazakhstan national railway company on arranging financing from US banks; and,
• Advising UBS, a Swiss world-renown bank, on legal issues in connection with the promotion of UBS Wealth Management Services in Kazakhstan and other jurisdictions.