Saniya Perzadayeva

Practice Areas

Saniya Perzadayeva is a founder and partner at Unicase Law Firm and a globally & locally recognised expert in Energy and Natural Resources, CCS, Infrastructure, PPP, Project Finance and Construction. Saniya advises on various legal issues, particularly corporate and commercial matters, energy, real estate, infrastructure and public-private partnerships. She has developed and managed 5,000 projects with 25 years of experience, leading to approximate foreign direct investments of 3.5 billion dollars in Central Asia.

Saniya is a distinguished author of numerous international guides and a speaker at leading global conferences, where she consistently demonstrates her expertise as a valuable contributor. Recognised as a Women IFLR1000 leader from 2021 to 2023, she stands among the top 1000 women lawyers worldwide. Additionally, her contributions to the field have earned her the title of "Honoured Renewable Energy Professional" for the past two years, as conferred by the Qazaq Green Association.

Professional Memberships

- International Bar Association;

- Kazakhstan Bar Association, Management Board Member;

- Qazaq Green, Independent Director;

-Arbitrator of the 3rd Session of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Xi'an Arbitration Commission (XAAC)

Industry Sector Expertise

She is experienced in Banking and Finance and advised on debt and deposit operations, cross-border finance transactions, syndicated loans and securities transactions. She is an expert in Corporate law and M&A in Kazakhstan and other CIS countries. Saniya provides consulting services to investment banks on the syndication of commercial tranches for the financing of different social and commercial projects, drafts Kazakhstan security documents for project finance and advises international companies on investment regimes and guarantees provided to investors under Kazakhstan laws.

Beyond her experience in Banking and Finance, Saniya Perzadaeva pioneered innovation in Central Asia's renewable energy sector in 2012. Now, with 11 years of professional experience, she specialises in Energy Storage, Natural Resources and Environmental Renewable Energy groups.

Her primary emphasis involves navigating the landscape of regulatory and permitting intricacies associated with utility-scale wind, solar, and battery storage projects throughout Central Asia. Saniya's distinguished expertise extends across all facets of project development, financing, and operations. She has actively contributed to numerous projects spanning wind, solar, hydrogen, geothermal, heat, hydropower, battery storage, and natural gas energy at varying stages, ranging from greenfield initiatives and operational project acquisitions to repowering endeavours, amassing a remarkable 4 gigawatts of generation capacity.

Beyond her project-centric pursuits, Saniya plays a pivotal role in shaping the legal framework for the renewable energy sector in Central Asia. This includes instrumental contributions to the amendment and development of prevailing national legislation and regulations, looking at aspects such as taxation and auctions. She has notably influenced the revision of the "Law on Support of Renewable Energy" in Kazakhstan, involving changes to existing codes, laws, and assorted regulatory acts to establish a comprehensive framework and incentive structure for renewable resources. Under her strategic leadership, three noteworthy deals have recently reached fruition. Notably, her team provided consultancy for an unprecedented venture: the construction of five hydropower plants boasting a cumulative capacity of 46.6 MW—a first-making PPP Energy initiative in Uzbekistan. Additionally, Saniya led legal matters regarding the comprehensive lifecycle of a wind energy power plant project with a substantial 1 GW capacity in the vicinity of Mirny village, Zhambyl region, Kazakhstan. A cornerstone of her contributions to Central Asia involves the "Power Central Asia" project across countries such as the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

Personal

Saniya, an accomplished professional with a diverse range of interests, derives joy from sports, particularly her passion for ice skating—an enthusiasm that coexists with her extensive professional background. As the nurturing mother of four remarkable children, she advocates for Gender Equality and women's Rights, aligning her personal convictions with her professional pursuits.

Saniya has played a huge role in charitable initiatives. Notably, during the COVID-19 lockdown, she spearheaded a significant project focused on bridging the digital divide. A flagship initiative involved the procurement and donation of laptops to underprivileged families, facilitating remote education for children facing socio-economic challenges. In this commendable effort, her team demonstrated remarkable efficacy, raising over £40,000 and buying more than 100 laptops to empower disadvantaged youth with the tools necessary for continued academic growth.

Languages Spoken

English

Russian

Kazakh

Clients

USAID, Total Energies, CCECC, Risen Solar Energy, Sungrow Power, CNPC

Work Highlights

USAID “Power the Future” Project

Assists with introducing and improving renewable energy auction documentation, methodology recommendations, and renewable energy auction schedule in Kazakhstan. Revised recent relevant reports prepared by other donors and summarised all key barriers and recommendations, identifying different bankable financial models and other renewable energy investment conditions, reviewing international best practices.

USAID “Power Central Asia” Project

Provided gap analysis reports, laws assessments and proposals for improving energy security, regional connectivity, and deployment of clean energy technologies in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The scope of work includes analyzing relevant documents including legal, regulatory, permitting, institutional framework governing renewable energy procurement to identify barriers to renewable energy use and to provide relevant recommendations on a model power purchase agreement. Assisted in ensuring a competitive procurement process for renewable energy based on successful tenders/auctions, which includes stakeholder consultations on discretionary and competitive procurement of renewable energy technologies.

Publications

▪ “Renewable Energy Comparative Guide”, Mondaq, September 2023

▪ “The Main Regulatory Approvals And Permits For The Commercial Operation Of Renewable Energy Facilities In Kazakhstan”, Mondaq, September 2023

▪ Renewable Energy Law and Regulations in Kazakhstan 2023”, ICLG International Comparative Legal Guide - Renewable Energy, September 26, 2022

▪ “RES Tariff Indexation”, Mondaq, August 10, 2022

▪ “Take Or Pay" In PPA In Kazakhstan: For Or Against?”, Mondaq, July 8, 2022

▪ “Financial Lease in Kazakhstan”, Mondaq, July 8, 2022

▪ “How to Obtain Land for Renewable Energy Projects in Kazakhstan?”, Mondaq, 14 April 2022;

▪ “Renewable Energy Procurement and Supply in Kyrgyzstan: Status Quo”, Mondaq, 9 March 2022;

▪ “IFLR100 Women Leaders 2022 Q&A: Saniya Perzadayeva, Unicase Law Firm, Kazakhstan” , IFLR.com, March 2022

Career

Unicase Law Firm, Founder & Partner, 2010-present

Eurasian Development Bank, Senior Associate, 2009-2010

Macleod Dixon, Associate, 2008-2009

Denton Wilde Sapte, Associate, 2005-2008

Education

Awards