Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP

Chairman: George Kahale III

Managing Partner, Almaty/Astana: Askar N Moukhitdinov

Chief Representative, Beijing: Ron Xie

Languages: Within Asia Pacific offices:English, Kazakh, Mandarin, Russian, Turkmen, Turkish, French, Italian, Spanish

Asia Pacific Offices: Almaty, Astana, Beijing

Firm Overview: 

Founded in 1830, Curtis is one of the longest established international law firms. With headquarters in New York City, Curtis has approximately 300 lawyers operating out of 19 offices located across the globe. For nearly 200 years Curtis has been advising clients on their most significant and strategic matters. The firm has a history of‘firsts.’ Curtis was one of the first US firms to open in Mexico and remains the only US-headquartered law firm licensed to practice in Oman.

The firm’s pioneering approach is reflected in its diverse international client base, which includes governments and state-owned entities, multinational companies, financial institutions, public and private businesses, entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals.

The Beijing office opened its doors in February 2014, and continues to primarily focus on matters of international trade. Particularly active in the Asia Pacific region, Curtis’ highly experienced international trade team, based in Washington, DC, Geneva and Beijing, has represented parties in most of the major bilateral and multilateral trade disputes of the past few decades, including disputes involving Japan, China, Korea, Viet Nam, Thailand and Kazakhstan.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Corporate & Finance: 

Curtis is best known in the region for its representation of state-owned companies, banks and agencies, as well as private and public companies, in the full gamut of corporate and financing advice. The firm currently acts for Kazatomprom, the world’s largest uranium producer, on international corporate matters.

International Arbitration:

Curtis is one of the top law firms in the world in the field of international arbitration. It handles many of the world’s largest and most significant disputes and its lawyers are highly experienced in all aspects of international arbitration. Curtis is well-known for acting on behalf of states, stateowned entities and international organisations, both in arbitration proceedings, settlement negotiations and enforcement proceedings. It is currently representing the Republic of Kazakhstan in several major arbitrations. Curtis continues to represent Turkmenistan and has advised both the government and various Turkmen government-owned companies in over a dozen international arbitrations, including under ICSID, ICC and UNCITRAL rules. The firm is also currently representing the Republic of Indonesia and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

International Trade/WTO:  

The Curtis international trade practice provides clients with practical, cost-effective solutions to the global trade, international investment, market access, and export control issues that have become increasingly critical to business operations. Clients include domestic and international companies in an array of industries, as well as foreign governments. Curtis international trade lawyers have decades of experience handling all aspects of international trade law, representing both exporters and importers in some of the most significant international trade disputes of the past few decades. Curtis is the marketleading firm in defending foreign exporters and US importers in cases brought under the current US Administration. The team has been retained in all but a handful of these ‘new style’ cases, such as those invoking national security (Section 232) and broader-based trade restrictions (safeguards and Section 301 cases).

Investment Management: 

For several years Curtis has represented large institutions on a worldwide basis in investment activities. Clients include investment banks, government pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds and private managers and investors. Among regional clients, Curtis counts both of Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth funds, Samruk-Kazyna and the National Investment Corporation of National Bank of Kazakhstan, Centracore LLP in a joint venture with Kazyna Capital Management, JSC, as well as a major university endowment fund in Kazakhstan. Curtis assists on all aspects of structuring, forming and operating a fund, including development of the governance framework and advising on all aspects of its domestic and global investment activities. It has expertise in conducting due diligence, providing corporate, tax and regulatory advice, analysing and assessing the legal risks relating to investments, negotiating terms and conditions with third parties and preparing the documentation for substantial transactions.