GRATA International practices and lawyers ranked high in Legal 500 EMEA 2024

On March 27, 2024, Legal 500, a global legal directory, released its rankings of leading law firms and lawyers in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

GRATA International has been recommended as a Top-Tier Firm in 6 practice areas and been recommended in 4 practice areas in The Legal 500 EMEA - 2024 edition.

10 GRATA lawyers are listed in the elite "Leading lawyers" group.  2 lawyers are listed in the "Next generation lawyers" group and 2 in the "Rising stars" group. A total of 22 lawyers are mentioned by name in Legal 500 EMEA commentary for their standout contribution to respective practices and listed as recommended lawyers.

Azerbaijan:

The team of Baku office is once again recognized as one of the leading firms in Azerbaijan and has been ranked in Tier 3. 

Ummi Jalilova, Managing Partner, is a recommended lawyer.

The researches stress that cross-border work is a particular strength of the office: the team has international trade, customs, and taxation experience which it uses to support clients entering the Azerbaijani market.

Georgia:

In Tbilisi, the Dispute resolution team is ranked in Tier 2, while Commercial, Corporate and M&A practice is firmly positioned in Tier 3. 

The “solutions-oriented and highly professional” Irakli Kordzakhia heads the team that also includes tax expert Sofia Roinishvili and “outstanding” Senior Associate Thea Tadashvili, who provides "highly practical and insightful" advice.

Kazakhstan:

GRATA International achieves high positions in all practice areas of rankings in Kazakhstan, and 5 practices are recognized as Top Tier:

• Commercial, corporate and M&A – Tier 1         
• Energy and natural resources – Tier 1
• IP and TMT – Tier 1
• Real estate and construction (including projects) – Tier 1
• Tax and customs – Tier 1

The Commercial, Corporate and M&A practice has been ranked in Tier 1. Igor Lukin, Partner in the practice, has been placed in “Next Generation Partners” category. Clients have praised Igor Lukin, stating that he “has knowledge and experience and is a safe pair of hands in Almaty for European and US-based companies”.

GRATA's Energy & Natural Resources team has achieved a Tier 1 ranking, with an excellent reputation in large-scale downstream and upstream projects. The team is described as “strong and client-oriented”. GRATA Partners Almat Daumov, Baizhan Bekzhanov, Yerbolat Yerkebulanov and Maxim Burak are recognized as Leading Individuals.

We are proud to share that GRATA International`s IP&TMT practice advances to Tier 1. IP practice, led by Timur Berekmoinov handles a full range of intellectual property work in Kazakhstan. Yerzhan Yessimkhanov heads the firm's TMT practice and provides legal support to international technology companies. Clients praise the team for their “attention to detail and full involvement in the essence of the request”.  

Assel Ilyassova leads the Tax and Customs practice, which firmly stands in Tier 1 ranking. Partners Assel Ilyassova and Kanat Adilbekov are recognized as Leading Individuals, while Kamila Urazalina is included to the list of Next Generation Partners for her extensive experience in customs, having represented and protected the interests of the customs authorities and customs auditing procedures. Lyazzat Zhilkibagarova is also mentioned as a name to watch.

The Real Estate and Construction practice has been placed in Tier 1, with Head of practice, Yerzhan Yessimkhanov, recognized as a Leading Individual and Darya Zhanysbayeva ranked in “Next Generation Partners” category. Arsen Mir, Senior Associate, is noted for his work for foreign clients looking for Kazakh real estate.

The Banking, Finance And Capital Markets practice is ranked in Tier 2 and Partner, Shaimerden Chikanayev, is recognized as the Leading Individual. The researchers note the team’s experience in PPP deals, including full involvement on such projects in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian jurisdictions. Within capital markets, the team has extensive experience in areas such as IPOs and Eurobonds issuances. 

The Dispute Resolution practice at GRATA International in Kazakhstan has been placed in Tier 2, noted for “wealth of experience and local knowledge”. "Great litigation partner" Askar Konysbayev leads the practice alongside Assel Ilyassova, who is experienced in tax disputes, while Timur Berekmoinov has helped to expand the practice through his expertise in IP litigation. Zhandarbek Ramazan and Gulnur Nurkeyeva are also key names of the firm.

Tajikistan:

GRATA International’s Dushanbe office has maintained its Tier 2 ratings in Tajikistan, with the team being praised for their dedication and ability to handle unexpected issues. Kamoliddin Mukhamedov has been ranked as a Leading Individual, with a source describing him as highly operative. Bahodur Nurov is listed as a Rising Star.

“The employees of GRATA International are leaders in their fields and committed to giving their clients the finest support possible. They are constantly available to clients to respond to inquiries, offer guidance, and go above and beyond to support them in achieving their objectives.”

Uzbekistan:

GRATA International team in Tashkent deservely holds a place in Tier 1 and remains a market-leading law firm, offering a full-service of services including project finance, corporate and M&A, taxation, litigation and intellectual property.  Clients have highlighted the team for their high-quality services and responsiveness, with particular praise given to Bakhodir Jabborov, who has been ranked as a Leading Individual. 

The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 ranking confirmes GRATA International’s role as a market leader of the region.