Sayat Zholshy & Partners Hails New Partners

With effect from 1 January 2026, Yerzhan Toktarov (former Counsel) and Gulmira Abenova (former Counsel) were elected as Partners in Sayat Zholshy & Partners.

Yerzhan Toktarov specializes in Labour Law.  He has been successfully representing and advising our major clients on a wide range of employment issues.  Yerzhan is skilful in providing a comprehensive audit of internal HR documentation.  Moreover, Yerzhan has an enormous experience in drafting any sort of HR-related documents.  On many occasions, Yerzhan represented major employers in courts in connection with former employees’ claims for reinstatement in employment and recovery of outstanding amounts.  He also supported a number of large businesses in their negotiations with labour collective councils.

Furthermore, in 2021, Yerzhan Toktarov undertook an internship in the Almaty courts where he mastered skills of conducting civil, administrative, criminal and appellate proceedings.  Upon completion of his internship, Yerzhan was appointed by the Kazakhstan President’s Decree as a judge of an Almaty district civil court where he administered justice for two years.  Thereafter, he returned to Sayat Zholshy & Partners.

Gulmira Abenova focuses on technical regulations, public-private partnership issues, licensing and authorization practices as well as subsoil use.  Over many years, she has been providing legal support – including environmental compliance support – to various major oil & gas service companies and solid mineral producers.

Some time ago, Gulmira supported a project for the deployment of a municipal waste disposal system in Almaty.  As part of the project, she advised the Client on how to deploy a solid waste management system in Almaty via a public-private partnership (PPP).

In the framework of her PPP practice, Gulmira supported a major Kazakhstan company through the process of engineering, building and operating paid parking lots and multilevel parking facilities in Almaty, where she not just advised but also represented the Client in negotiations and discussions with local executive authorities.

Further, in 2022, Gulmira Abenova was recommended by the Legal500 EMEA guide as the Key Lawyer in Energy and Natural Resources.