Biography: Oil and Gas

Sofiya Zhylkaidarova is managing partner of SIGNUM Law Firm, a Kazakhstan-based law firm specializing in servicing local and interstate clients on a range of corporate, commercial, taxation and licensing matters.

Sofiya graduated with honors from the Kazakh State National University named after Al-Farabi, faculty of Law, Bachelor of Laws, with further Master decree from the same University. She participated in number of trainings and workshops on legal and business skills including specific oil and gas and mining trainings, had work experience with International Law Firm. Sofiya joined the firm in her role in 2007.

Sofiya has advised numerous international oil and gas companies on various issues of sub-surface use for more than 12 years including on strategic acquisitions, whether by assignment, takeover or other means. She has participated in drafting number of regulations related to the employment and labour issues, oil and gas, mining and tax matters. Sofiya has also particular focus on the sub-surface use taxation including transfer pricing and international taxation; she has been advising in major M&A transactions. Clients highly valuate her in being not only theoretically strong but also having strong experience in commercial issues and dealing with the officials and being creative in all disputed issues and optimizations. Corporate issues including optimization business are also one of her key and basic practices.

Ms Zhylkaidarova participated in several governmental working groups for development of the important legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Ms Zhylkaidarova is an arbitration of a number of the Kazakhstan and international arbitration courts.

Ms Zhylkaidarova is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) and Kazakhstan Petroleum Lawyers Association (KPLA).

Ms. Sofiya is fluent in English, Kazakh and Russian.