Ms. Manayenko's areas of specialization are corporate and commercial law, subsoil use law, construction, infrastructure and antitrust legislation.

Ms. Manayenko's experience in the subsoil use sphere encompasses support of major transactions and projects, including production, processing and transportation of oil and gas, mining production, construction of large production, recreation and infrastructure facilities.

Yelena advises clients on the issues of structuring local and international transactions, drafting and coordination of commercial contracts, including sale and purchase agreements, as well as services, supply, construction, lease, franchise and distribution agreements, and represents clients' interests in relations with counterparties and governmental agencies.

Yelena has many times participated in the support of M&A transactions and due diligence of major Kazakhstan companies from different sectors of economy.
 

• 2009-2011         University of Dundee, LLM, Scotland
• 1994-1998         Higher Law School Adilet, LLB, Kazakhstan

• 2026-present     AEQUITAS Law Firm – Managing Partner
• 2016-2026         AEQUITAS Law Firm – Partner
• 2012-2016         Norton Rose Fulbright – Senior Associate
• 2003-2011         AEQUITAS Law Firm – Senior Associate
• 1998-2003         Hurricane Overseas Services Inc. – Lawyer

Leading Partner in Commercial, Corporate and M&A (The Legal 500 2026);
Band 4 in Corporate & Finance (Chambers 2026)
Highly Regarded Lawyer in Banking and M&A (IFLR1000 2025)
Recommended Lawyer in Energy (Lexology Index 2024) Notable Practitioner in Energy (asialaw 2025)

Construction & Real Estate

• Advice on port capacity increase under project "Construction of Marine North Terminal in Aktau (Kazakhstan)."
• Support of project involving Rahat Palace Hotel (Almaty, Kazakhstan) renovation, including drafting of respective contractual documents under FIDIC principles.
• Advice to JP Morgan Chase & Co. on coordination and conclusion of a services agreement on renovation of an office building subject to primary FIDIC principles.
• Advice to BAZIS Group LLP, Kazakhstan's largest construction company, on potential acquisition of a participatory interest in another construction company, including due diligence.
• Support to the project involving acquisition of land plots to construct and operate a recreation zone on the Kapchagay reservoir coast in favor of a Singaporean company.
• Advice in connection with project "Construction of a mini-oil refinery" in Algabas (West Kazakhstan Oblast) in favor of West Hydrocarbons Commercial Investments LLC.
• Advice in connection with project "Construction of a chemical phosphate processing plant," including drafting of a construction contract under FIDIC standards for Eurochem LLP.  

M&A

• Project support, including due diligence, drafting and coordination of sale and purchase agreements with counterparties, as well as obtainment of approvals from the competent governmental agencies with respect to the sale of a number of local gold ore fields to Polymetal International Plc.
• Advice to a group of companies affiliated with ALMEX holding company on different issues in the sphere of construction, subsoil use, medicine, chemical industry, licensing, and issues related to the sale of a petrochemical complex.
• Project support, including due diligence of a group of local subsoil user companies as part of contemplated restructuring and preparation to sale in favor of Sinopec.

Business Law

• Advice to G4S, an international company, on organization of security activities and a number of corporate issues.
• Advice to National Company ROSNEFT OJSC with respect to a joint oil project with the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• Advice to Zhetysu Volframy LLP, local subsoil user company, on structuring of participatory interests in the company as part of compliance with the subsoil use legislation requirements.
• Advice to Marks & Spencer PLC., an international company, in the framework of entering into a franchise agreement.