Aigul Aitzhanova
Of Counsel
Aigul Aitzhanova has years of experience leading in-house legal teams in the Republic of Kazakhstan with responsibilities for all key legal functions. She previously served in the legal divisions of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the State Property Committee of the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan, Baiterek National Managing Holding Company, JSC National Company “KazMunayGas” and its joint ventures and affiliates.
She has a long-standing track record dating back over 25 years in the oil and gas sector, having worked on several upstream projects, as well as downstream and midstream projects. More generally, over the last 23 years, she has acted in a wide variety of negotiations for JSC National Company “KazMunayGas” on international contracts, advising on all core operational agreements, including advising on production sharing agreements, intergovernmental agreements, exploration/production contracts, shareholder agreements, joint operation agreements, share purchase agreements, guarantees, etc.
She has led support of direct negotiations with the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, different types of subsoil use contracts and foundation agreements for joint ventures with strategic partners of a national company, and has latterly served as head of the legal department of KMG Kashagan B.V., advising on petroleum operations under the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement, and transportation and export of crude oil, gas, LPG and sulphur.
Aigul’s specific areas of practice include mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, joint ventures, regulatory and compliance, permitting and all manner of commercial contracting in the oil and gas sector. Her practice has largely been focused on energy and natural resources, but also includes financial institutions and chemicals.
- Supporting multifunctional teams in major projects’ M&As (Kashagan, Karachaganak, Kazgermunay and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium).
- Preparation of a full package and negotiations on the creation of a Kazakhstan-China transportation system for both oil and gas.
- Drafting legislation on initial public offerings (IPOs), stock markets, transfer of money, state-owned joint stock companies’ management, privatisation, permissions for change of control in joint stock companies acting in the exploration and production sector in Kazakhstan and subsoil use issues.
- Providing legal support to Baiterek (a state-owned financial holding vehicle) to finance industrial projects (loans and guarantees) and collaborate with international institutions (EBRD and Kazakhstan Development Bank) on financing joint projects.
- Provided legal support (as in-house lawyer) for closing a US$3 billion prepayment deal with a commodities trader for crude oil shipments.
- Provided legal support in relation to parent company guarantees on the side of a mother company of different borrowers (affiliates of JSC National Company “KazMunayGas”).
- Provided legal support on the borrower side of a project financing through China Development Bank for construction of an export crude oil pipeline from Kazakhstan to China.
- Provided legal support in relation to the Eurobonds programme of JSC National Company “KazMunayGas” on the issuer side, as well as on an IPO.
- Provided legal support related to project financing agreements, carry financing agreements, loans, carry financing for hydrocarbon exploration and production projects in the Kazakhstani sector of the Caspian Sea.
- Managing international joint ventures in upstream, downstream and midstream projects.
- Advising on international offshore oil and gas and oilfield service projects.
- Supporting intergovernmental relations in respect of high-profile projects of national importance.
- Handling corporate services for numerous Kazakhstani companies.
Education
- Al-Farabi State National University (Kazakhstan), Bachelor of Laws, 1997
Admissions
- Kazakhstan, 1997
Languages
- English
- Kazakh
- Russian