Kazakhstan
Official name: Republic of Kazakhstan Population: 14,825,000 as of 2005.
Meet the Kazakhstan Office
Size: Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest nation in the world by area. Neighboring territories: Kazakhstan stretches over a vast expanse of northern and central Eurasia. A portion of its territory west of the Ural River is located in eastern-most Europe. It shares borders with Russia, the People’s Republic of China, and the Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and has a coastline on the Caspian Sea.
Members of the Bracewell team in Kazakhstan are, front row from left: Daniar Bektembaev, Anton Yanchenko, Vasily Zolotyuk, Greg Vojack, Aidar Yegeubayev, Gani Bitenov and Tatyana Valuyeva. Back row from left: Valeriya Shabunina, Katerina Li, Saltanat
History: Kazakhstan was a member of the former
Sadyrbayeva, Togzhan Zhailganova, Zhanar Kassymbekova, Marina Suvorova, Assel Alibekova, Alina Joldasbekova, Damilya
Soviet Union. Following the dissolution of the
Sarsenova, Zhibek Kassymova, Dauren Adinayev and Sergey Zhukov.
Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared its independence on Dec. 16, 1991, and is now a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Historians maintain that humans first domesticated
Since first establishing a presence in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1994, Bracewell & Giuliani has developed a vibrant practice that has played a leading role in helping the country create and expand its banking infrastructure, securities markets and legal and court systems. Today, the firm continues to
the horse in the vast steppes of this nation. Government/legal system: Kazakhstan is a constitutional republic. The president is the head of
advise the government of Kazakhstan on the evolution of its infrastructure and helps major international companies and banks with a variety of legal needs.
state and the commander in chief of the armed forces, and may veto legislation that has been
The Almaty office consists of 12 attorneys, three managers—finance, office and IT; two accountants,
passed by the bicameral Parliament.
two translators, and one consultant, operations specialist, paralegal, receptionist and secretary. The
Major industry: Energy is the leading economic
majority of the attorneys and staff are from Almaty, with others from Russia and Turkmenistan. The
sector. Kazakhstan holds about 4 billion tons of
Astana office has one full-time attorney, Yurity Ponomarenko. Inside Bracewell polled the attorneys
proven recoverable oil reserves and 2,000 cubic kilometers of gas. Industry analysts believe that planned expansion of oil production, coupled with the development of new fields, will enable
and staff on what life is like in Kazakhstan. Zhibek Kassymova, an accountant and Almaty native, says everyone should see the country’s beautiful
the country to produce as much as 3 million barrels
mountains. Finance manager Damilya Sarsenova said Kazakhstan is not like Russia. “We do not live in
per day by 2015, lifting Kazakhstan into the
rural areas riding horses and living in portable homes like nomads.” Another Almaty native, associate
ranks of the world’s Top 10 oil-producing nations.
Aselina Tulegenova, said, “It is a wonderful country with great oil and gas development, beautiful people
Natural resources: Kazakhstan has the secondlargest uranium, chromium, lead and zinc reserves in the world, the third largest manganese reserves, the fifth largest copper reserves, and ranks in the Top 10 for coal, iron, and gold. It is
and a great future.” Senior associate Aidar Yegeubayev added, “Almaty is the best city in the world!”
Office Life Attorneys and staff were quick to highlight their favorite aspects of their jobs. “I enjoy working with
also an exporter of diamonds.
skilled specialists,” said accountant Dauren Adinayev. Associate Saltanat Sadyrbayeva agreed, adding,
Climate: Continental with hot summers and cold
“It affords me an opportunity to expand my knowledge of international business, economics and the law.”
winters. Precipitation varies between arid and semi-arid.
Source: Information compiled from various Web sites, including Wikipedia.org and kazakinfo.com.
Agriculture: Kazakhstan is the sixth-largest producer of grain in the world. Chief livestock products are dairy products, leather, meat and wool.
Associate Valeriya Shabunina likes being involved in huge projects, which sometimes lead to new Kazakhstan legislation. Office manager Marina Suvorova, described by friends as energetic and a great multi-tasker, likes building a team and involving employees in the corporate culture “and realizing that things are changing for the better.” Sarsenova has the distinction of being the first person in Kazakhstan to receive an MBA from a Western university—East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas (see related story at left). She noted “I enjoy working with figures and people. I like working with my team because I see them learning from me while I am learning from them. The most challenging feature of my job is that the work we do never ends. There is always something new.” Paralegal Anton Yanchenko, described as an outgoing person and fun to be with, likes his job
Kazakhstan’s First MBA Bracewell finance manager Damilya Sarsenova is the
because of the new experience and knowledge he gains. Yegeubayev said he likes being part of a team that has become a market leader. “I have contacts with intelligent people from various countries. I have
first person in the country of Kazakhstan to receive an
access to many areas of economics both in my country and abroad,” he noted. Associate Vasily
MBA from a Western university. At the time she was
Zolotyuk, a former Russian army pilot, said, “I could not enjoy doing anything else.”
awarded the degree in 1993 from East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas, it wasn’t recognized by educational authorities in her home country. “When I returned to Kazakhstan to continue working as an economist for Kazakh State University, the head of the university sent my diploma to the
Outside of Work Attorneys and staff enjoy various activities outside of work, including working out, reading, cooking, sports, spending time with friends and sewing. Associate Alina Joldasbekova, whose heroines include actress Audrey Hepburn, said she likes having fun when not at work. Sadyrbayeva said, “I enjoy listening
department of higher education to get an approval
to music, including Moby and Orbital, and watching classic American and British television series.”
for my promotion from a trainer to a professor.
Suvorova enjoys “spending time with my daughter, reading and playing sports.” Zolotyuk has two
However, the Ministry of Education in Kazakhstan said they had no precedent case of someone with such a degree,” she recalled. At the time, Kazakhstan had only one Western-type institution providing education at the same level, Kazakhstan Institution of Management, Economics &
favorite pastimes—biking in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.
Recommended Reading Reading is a widely shared passion in the Kazakhstan offices, with suggestions ranging from the practical recommendation of consultant Ruslan Galkanov—Easy Ways to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr to Pride
Prognostication (KIMEP). Even though the first KIMEP
and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the classic favorite of Sadyrbayeva to the technical selection of IT manager
graduates completed their MBA degrees in the spring
Sergey Zhukov, who gives two thumbs up for MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit: Implementing and
of 1994, it was still a few more years before American university-issued MBAs were recognized in the country. I N SID E B R ACEWELL | FA L L 2006 | PAGE 8
Managing Microsoft Exchange Server. The Soviet Civilisation by Sergei Kara-Murza and Finansist by Theodore Dreiser are among those listed by associate Gani Bitenov.