Abai Shaikenov

Practice Areas

Abai is the Managing Partner at Dentons Kazakhstan.

He has been actively advising clients in Kazakhstan and across the CIS for more than 25 years. He focuses on complex M&A and corporate transactions, including cross-border acquisitions and disposals, as well as the diverse finance transactions. His experience includes advising on the most complex and unique M&A and financing transactions in Kazakhstan.

Abai has been the preferred legal counsel to the leading financial institutions and private investment firms in Kazakhstan for many years, including Citibank, Bank of China, ICBC, EBRD, IFC, KAZ Minerals and ERG.

Abai is a regular speaker at conferences and is a contributing author to many local and international legal and business publications.

Career

• Managing Partner - Dentons, Almaty, 2022-up to date

• Partner - Dentons (formerly Salans), Almaty, 2005-2021

• Senior Associate - Salans, Almaty, 2000-2005

• Associate, Salans, Almaty, 1999-2000

• Junior Associate, Salans, Almaty, 1996-1999

Professional Memberships

• Kazakhstan Bar Association

• Board of Directors of EUROBAK

Publications

Abai is a regular speaker at conferences and is a contributing author to many local and international legal and business publications.

• "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidelines for Kazakhstan", Investor Voice, American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan, July 2024

Languages Spoken

English, Kazakh, Russian

Experience

• Air Astana: Advised the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus region based on market share, on its Rule 144A/Regulation S initial public offering and triple listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE), the Astana International Exchange (AIX) and the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE).

• Eurasian Resources Group: Advising ERG in relation to its USD 6.85 billion complex debt restructuring involving parallel facilities with Sberbank and VTB Bank.

• KAZ Minerals: Advising a client on Kazakhstan law aspects of the redomicile of a holding company from Netherlands into Astana International Financial Center.

Education