Dentons

Infrastructure and Real Estate

Office Managing Partner - Astana

Partner - Dentons (formerly Salans LLP), Almaty, Kazakhstan (July 2013 to date) Of Counsel - Salans LLP, Almaty, Kazakhstan (January-June 2013) Senior Associate - Salans LLP, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2010-2012) Associate - Salans LLP, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2006-2010) Head of Legal Department - JSC Vokzal-Servis, Astana, Kazakhstan (2004-2005) Counsel to MP, Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana (2003-2004) Lecturer - Kazakh-American University, Almaty, Kazakhstan (2002-2003)

Kazakhstan Bar Association

University of Edinburgh, 2006, LL.M., in Commercial Law with distinction Science Research Institute for Private Law, 2003 to date, Research Programme Kazakh Humanitarian Law University, 2003, Master's Diploma, with Distinction Kazakh Turkish International University, 2000, Law Degree, with Distinction

Birzhan Zharasbayev is the office managing partner in our Astana office and head of Dentons’ infrastructure and real estate practice in Kazakhstan. His expertise includes infrastructure, including renewable energy, construction and real estate, PPP, corporate as well as commercial matters. He has acted as a lead lawyer on several major infrastructure and development projects and frequently represents clients in high-level negotiations with the Kazakhstan government.

Birzhan has advised multilateral institutions, investors, contractors and developers on infrastructure developments, commercial contracts, concession bids and operations, and regulatory and legislative issues. He is also engaged by clients to act as an independent expert facilitating parties in resolving construction disputes.

Most recently, he has focused part of his practice on advising mining and oil and gas companies on decarbonization matters, which involves assessing the feasibility of potential power projects and associated legal and technical risks as well as developing proposals for new legislation in this respect.

Birzhan advised the EBRD in relation to the model power purchase agreement to be used by Kazakhstan regulators, as well as on draft amendments to laws and subordinate regulations on renewable energy matters. He has also acted as lead lawyer on several renewable energy projects and frequently represents clients in high-level negotiations with the Kazakhstan government.