Sanat Ablakov
Founder & Managing Partner
Sanat Ablakov is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bond Stone International Law Firm — ranked Legal 500 EMEA Top Tier and IFLR1000 Market Leader in Kazakhstan, with offices in Almaty, Astana, Tashkent, Bishkek, Kyiv, and Chicago. He holds AIFC Registered Legal Adviser Kazakhstan status, enabling him to advise on AIFC law and English common law and to appear before the AIFC Court — one of the few Kazakhstan-based practitioners to hold this credential.
Sanat began his legal career in 2000 as a senior trial and appellate attorney at the Almaty City State’s Attorney Office, where he led a team reviewing over 2,500 cases and handled high-profile white-collar criminal matters. In 2007 he founded Bond Stone, building it over 18 years into a multi-office internationally ranked firm with an active pipeline of Chinese, European, Gulf, and US institutional investor mandates across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the AIFC.
Sanat’s practice covers cross-border M&A, foreign investment structuring, AIFC entity formation and AFSA licensing, energy and natural resources advisory, dispute resolution before the AIFC Court and Kazakhstan courts, and tax advisory across Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. His client base includes Fortune Global 500 companies — among them Chevron and CEFC China Energy — as well as international law firms engaging Bond Stone as local counsel for Central Asia transactions.
Sanat is a member of the Almaty Bar Association, admitted to represent clients before all courts and government agencies of Kazakhstan. He holds an LL.M. from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), American Bar Association (ABA), and American Immigration Law Association (AILA).
What Clients Say
“Sanat did not approach the deal purely as a legal exercise. He understood our priorities as an international buyer and was proactive in flagging issues before they became problems, rather than simply reporting them after the fact.”
Overseas Operations Manager — Australian strategic investor, cross-border M&A transaction
“For cross-border M&A involving Kazakhstan, particularly transactions with environmental and industrial complexity, Sanat has the depth of experience and market knowledge you would expect from a senior practitioner. He led the transaction with authority and kept the process on track.”
International client — IFLR1000 referee feedback, Kazakhstan M&A
“For any foreign company — particularly one from outside the CIS region — looking to acquire assets or invest in Kazakhstan, Sanat Ablakov is exactly the kind of adviser you need. He combines deep local law knowledge with an international mindset and genuine commercial awareness. We would recommend him without hesitation to any investor considering the Kazakhstan or Central Asian market.”
Overseas Operations Manager — Australian strategic investor, IFLR1000 2026 survey
“We have been subscribing to Bond Stone’s services for over five years. They are professionals with great domain understanding. Sanat Ablakov is very friendly and approachable — a very important attribute when managing a legal conflict.”
CEO — Camber Pharma / Hetero Labs Limited
Experience
Cross-border M&A — Industrial Acquisition
M&A · Kazakhstan · Manufacturing
Lead counsel on cross-border acquisition of a Kazakhstan leather processing facility by an Australian strategic investor — full legal support including due diligence, acquisition vehicle structuring, SPA negotiation, and post-closing compliance. USD 12 million.
KazMunayGaz × CEFC China Energy — M&A
M&A · Kazakhstan · Oil & Gas
Advising on the acquisition of a 51% stake in KMG International — owning Romania’s Petromedia Navodari and Vega Ploiesti refineries plus Eastern European fuel distribution. USD 3.68 billion transaction.
Moinak Hydro Power Plant
Project Finance · Kazakhstan · Renewable Energy
Full-cycle legal support for Kazakhstan’s first major hydropower plant since independence — advising CWE (China International Water & Electric) and Samruk-Energo on project structure, financing, and regulatory matters. USD 360 million.
Borly Copper Plant — Project Development
Mining · Kazakhstan · Project Development
Local counsel advising on all corporate, licensing, regulatory, construction, and project development matters throughout the lifecycle of a 5,000-tonne/year cathode copper processing plant at the Borly deposit, Karaganda Region. USD 19.6 million.
Supercola — Investment Contract
Project Finance · Kazakhstan · Manufacturing
Legal and project finance adviser on a government investment agreement for construction of a soft drinks manufacturing facility — securing 0% tax rate and 100% customs duty exemption for five years. Afghanistan–Kazakhstan cross-border. USD 12 million.
Savola Foods — CIS Acquisition
M&A · Kazakhstan · Food & Agro
Full M&A legal support for Yug Rusi’s acquisition of 100% of Savola Foods CIS — a company holding 20% domestic sunflower oil market share — including antitrust clearance. USD 25 million.
KEGOC — National Grid Due Diligence
Regulatory · Kazakhstan · Energy / Grid
Legal audit of Kazakhstan’s national electricity grid operator — corporate compliance review, regulatory risk reporting, and advisory on concession and licensing framework for infrastructure investors. USD 13 million mandate.
Chopard Kazakhstan — Distributorship & IP
Corporate · Kazakhstan · Luxury Retail
IP risk management, distributorship contracting, and legal governance for the official CHOPARD distributor (Premium Lux LLP) in Kazakhstan — including trademark protection and exclusive distribution framework. USD 5 million.
AFSA Licensing — Digital Assets & Fintech
AIFC · Astana · Digital Assets / Fintech
Advising multiple international fintech and digital asset operators on AFSA licensing applications — digital asset exchange, payment services, brokerage, and investment management licences — including regulatory correspondence and compliance framework implementation.
Macleods Pharmaceuticals — Kazakhstan Entry
Corporate · Kazakhstan · Pharmaceuticals
Advising Macleods Pharmaceuticals on market entry and regulatory licensing in Kazakhstan — entity formation, pharmaceutical product registration, distribution agreements, and ongoing regulatory compliance advisory.
Hetero Labs — Long-term Regulatory Advisory
Corporate · Kazakhstan · Pharmaceuticals
Five-year retained advisory relationship with Hetero Labs / Camber Pharma — providing ongoing corporate, regulatory, dispute resolution, and commercial legal support across Kazakhstan operations.
AIFC Court — Dispute Resolution
Dispute Resolution · AIFC · Financial Services
Representing AFSA-regulated entities in AIFC Court proceedings — leveraging Bond Stone’s AIFC RLA status to appear before the AIFC Court and advise on enforcement of AIFC Court judgments within Kazakhstan.
Credentials & Recognition
AIFC Registered Legal Adviser
Registered with the AIFC Authority to advise on AIFC law and English common law and to appear before the AIFC Court. Valid to 31 December 2026.
Legal 500 EMEA — Recommended Lawyer
Recommended in Legal 500 EMEA for M&A, Foreign Investment, and Energy & Natural Resources in Kazakhstan.
IFLR1000 — Recommended Lawyer →
Recommended by IFLR1000 for M&A and transactional work in Kazakhstan.
Almaty Bar Association
Licensed to practise law in the Republic of Kazakhstan and appear before all courts and government agencies.
Education
IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law
Master of Laws (LL.M.), 2019
School of American Law in Kazakhstan (IIT Chicago-Kent)
Certificate in Business Law, 2018
Kazakh State Law University (KazGYU)
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), 1999
Professional Memberships
Almaty Bar Association
International Bar Association (IBA)
American Bar Association (ABA)
American Immigration Law Association (AILA)
Languages
Kazakh (native) · Russian (fluent) · English (fluent)