Dr. Chentsova's areas of specialization are civil law, investment, environmental, oil and gas and mining legislation, private international law and construction.
Ms. Chentsova has been advising major global oil and mining companies and leading local companies on issues pertaining to civil, corporate and environmental legislation, investment, subsoil use, litigation and arbitration for more than twenty-seven years.

Ms. Chentsova was on several governmental working groups to develop important commercial legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan (including the Civil Code, Foreign Investment Law, Petroleum Law, etc.). When engaged by the Scientific Private Law Research Institute under the Kazakh State Law Academy (Private Law Center), she participated in the discussion and preparation of proposals to improve the civil legislation, including the Civil Code, Subsoil and Subsoil Use Law and Petroleum Law and a number of other statutes and regulations.

During the recent years, Ms. Chentsova has been actively providing pro bono advice to animal protection organizations and lawmakers on the issues of regulation of relations between humans and animals. Moreover, she participated in numerous discussions and preparation of the Law on Responsible Animal Treatment.   

• 1990                  Kazakh State University, LLD, Kazakhstan
• 1976-1981         Kazakh State University, LLB, Kazakhstan

• 2026-present     AEQUITAS Law Firm – Chairman of the Board of Partners
• 1993-2026         AEQUITAS Law Firm – Managing Partner
• 1991-1993         Kazmetallexport – Head of contract and legal department
• 1990-1991         Supreme Arbitration Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Advisor
• 1981-1990         Kazakh State University – Lecturer of civil, economic and Roman law

Hall of Fame in Energy & Natural Resources (The Legal 500 2026)
Eminent Practitioner (Energy & Natural Resources and Dispute Resolution (Chambers 2026)
Elite practitioner in Energy (asialaw 2025)
Recommended in M&A (Lexology Index 2025)
Global Elite Thought Leader in Energy (Lexology Index 2025)
Highly regarded in Energy and Infrastructure, Project Development, Mining, Oil and Gas (IFLR1000 2025)
Women Leaders (IFLR1000)
Lawyer of the Year in Energy & Natural Resources, Arbitration and Mediation (Best Lawyers 2017-18, 2014-16)

Natural Resources

• Advising major oil companies – ExxonMobil, Chevron Munai Gas, Tengizchevroil LLP – on different subsoil use issues.
• Advice to a foreign investor (Hong Kong) on various subsoil use issues and local investment legislation in connection with the acquisition of a Kazakhstan oil and gas company.
• Advice to Bogatyr Komir LLP, Kazakhstan's largest coal mining company, on a range of local law matters.

Investment

• Advice to the Russian Federation in connection with the acquisition of participation interests in the CPC-K JSC and CPC-R CJSC (owners of Tengiz-Novorossiysk oil pipeline) from the Sultanate of Oman.
• Local law advice to Russia's largest oil company and its subsidiary in connection with International Financial Corporation's (IFC) secured loan for the development of a major gas field in Kazakhstan.
• Advice to China ZhenHua Oil in connection with its transaction to acquire Kuat Holding Company JSC controlling a local oil company.
• Advice to a foreign investor in connection with its acquisition of Kazakhaltyn Mining Concern JSC (a group of local gold mining companies).
• Advice to ShalkiyaZinc Ltd., one of Kazakhstan's largest zinc mining companies, regarding lawfulness of Kazakhstan authorities' position in connection with a number of company's transactions in the period after its IPO on the London Stock Exchange.
• Advice to Atomredmetzoloto OJSC, a Russian atomic company, in connection with a transaction to acquire local companies active in atomic industry.
• Advice to Magnitogorsky Metallurgical Plant OJSC in connection with its business restructuring in Kazakhstan.
• Preparation of expert opinion involving interpretation of Kazakhstan investment legislation for an investment arbitration.

Environmental

Advice to Tengizchevroil LLP and other major subsoil user companies on different environmental legislation issues.

Construction

• Advice to a large Swiss oil service company in connection with the preparation of a contract for the construction of facilities at a major Kazakhstan's oil and gas field and adjustment of the FIDIC model contract "Conditions of Contract for Construction" (Red Book 1999) to the local legislative requirements.
• Advice to Bazis-A, Kazakhstan’s largest construction corporation, and its subsidiaries on a number of projects over the past several years.
• Advice to a major foreign investor on complicated local law issues in connection with the construction of main and process pipelines (EPC – Construction of "Trunklines and Production Flow Lines") at a large Kazakhstan field.

Law-Making

• Participation in working groups to draft the Law on Responsible Animal Treatment (2019-2020).
• Participation in the development of the concept of reforming local environmental legislation, including with a view to environmental emissions, pursuant to a Chevron's assignment.
• Participation in discussions and preparation of proposals on how to improve the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (General and Special Parts).
• Participation in working groups elaborating on the Kazakhstan Law on Production Sharing Agreements (Contracts) in Offshore Petroleum Operations
• Work on such fundamental acts of the civil and economy legislation of the new Kazakhstan as the Civil Code (General and Special Parts), Foreign Investment Law, Privatization Law and Petroleum Law (1990s).