On March 26, 2026, GRATA International took part in the Investment in Central Asia: Legal Risk Seminar & Exchange, held in Shanghai, China - an important milestone event highlighting the firm's growing role in cross-border legal dialogue across the Greater Central Asia and China.
The seminar was hosted by the Xintiandi International Legal Service Center, with the valued support of Boss & Young Attorneys-At-Law. The event brought together leading legal experts, practitioners, and business representatives, creating a high-level platform for discussion on key legal risks and strategic considerations for companies investing in Central Asia.
Against the backdrop of the continued advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Central Asia has become an increasingly significant destination for Chinese outbound investment. At the same time, evolving legal frameworks across the region continue to present complex challenges in areas such as market entry, labor regulation, environmental compliance, and profit repatriation. The seminar offered in-depth insights and practical guidance, while also fostering meaningful dialogue and resource exchange among participants.
Partners and senior lawyers of GRATA International offices played a prominent role as guest speakers, representing multiple jurisdictions, including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia. Among the speakers were Elvira Maratova, Nurlan Kyshtobaev, Shaimerden Chikanayev1, Elena Kurchuk, Bolormaa Volodya, and Khulan Ganbold, who shared valuable expertise and jurisdiction-specific perspectives.
The program featured a dedicated session on legal practice across Central Asian jurisdictions, followed by an engaging panel discussion and active networking session. The event gathered a select audience of professionals with strong interest in expanding their presence in Central Asia that had an opportunity to discuss the highlighted topics of the event:
- Risk Warning: Central Asian Lawyers Systematically Sort Out the Legal Landmines in the Whole Cycle of Investment;
- Practical Empowerment: Focus on the Practical Problems of Employment, Tax, Land, Environmental Protection and so on; and
- Resource docking: face to face communication with Central Asian legal experts to build a direct bridge.
GRATA International is proud to have contributed to this significant event, further strengthening its position as a key legal advisor in the region. The firm expresses its sincere appreciation to Boss & Young Attorneys-At-Law for their warm welcoming of GRATA delegation, support of the event and for the opportunity to contribute to this important initiative. Such collaboration underscores the value of international partnership in advancing legal practice and facilitating cross-border investment.
Footnote
1 Currently on a study sabbatical until 2026, not an employee of GRATA.