GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Kazakhstan Office is based in the core legal district of Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, with coverage across the two major economic hubs of Almaty and Shymkent. It is a professional cross-border legal service provider aligned with the rules of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and specialising in China-Kazakhstan bilateral investment. The office operates a full-time team of Chinese foreign-related lawyers, locally registered Kazakh lawyers and EAEU cross-border compliance experts, with core personnel holding practising experience in both Chinese and Kazakh legal jurisdictions. Focusing on pillar industries of Kazakhstan including uranium energy, non-ferrous metals, cross-border logistics, agricultural exports and the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), it delivers full-cycle localised legal services covering market access, daily operation and rights protection for Chinese-funded enterprises and individuals.
This document sets out the official standardised fee benchmark of GUOZUN Kazakhstan Office for 2026. All quoted prices are exclusive of value-added tax (the current VAT rate in Kazakhstan is 12%). Settlement is available in Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT), Renminbi (RMB) and US Dollars, and all fee arrangements fully comply with the Lawyers Act of Kazakhstan and the practising supervision requirements of the local bar association.
I. Compliant Fee Models of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Kazakhstan Office
In strict adherence to the norms of the Kazakh judicial system and EAEU cross-border service rules, and tailored to the localised service needs of Chinese clients, we provide 5 standardised fee models with full traceability and auditability:
1.Fixed package fee: Applicable to services with quantifiable workloads, such as standardised government affairs agency and basic compliance review. The total price is fixed upon contract signing, covering high-frequency matters including company incorporation, basic document review and qualification application agency.
2.Hourly billing: Applicable to complex cross-border projects, special compliance verification and full-process litigation and arbitration services. Charges are calculated based on billable working hours, with detailed timesheets issued on a monthly basis, suitable for customised legal requirements.
3.Tiered fee by subject matter value: Applicable to property-related disputes, equity mergers & acquisitions, asset transactions and similar cases. Fees are charged on a descending tiered scale according to the value of the dispute or transaction, in line with the industry practice of commercial legal services in Kazakhstan.
4.Success-based contingency fee: Only available for compliant property recovery cases (debt collection, tort compensation, construction payment recovery). Fees are charged at an agreed proportion after the funds are recovered, with the maximum ratio not exceeding 25% of the recovered amount.
5.Annual legal retainer: An all-inclusive annual compliance service for enterprises, charged at a fixed annual fee. Clients are assigned a dedicated bilingual (Chinese-Kazakh) team with 48-hour rapid response, covering daily compliance, risk early warning and document review scenarios.
II. Hourly Rate Standards for Lawyers of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Kazakhstan Office
All lawyers on the team hold valid practising registration with the Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan. Core personnel are proficient in Chinese, Russian and Kazakh, and possess practising qualifications for the AIFC special economic zone as well as EAEU cross-border compliance experience. A tiered pricing system is implemented across the team.
For 2026, the hourly rate range of GUOZUN Kazakhstan Office is 20,000 KZT – 100,000 KZT per hour, covering all levels: practising lawyers, senior lawyers, local partners and cross-border experts seconded from the head office. The final rate is comprehensively determined based on case complexity, area of specialisation and team configuration.
1.Supplementary rate rules
(1)A 25%–50% travelling allowance surcharge applies for off-site case handling outside Nur-Sultan / Almaty
(2)A 50% urgent service fee applies for 72-hour rush services or services delivered on public holidays
(3)A 20% surcharge applies to AIFC common law specialist services
(4)A 15% surcharge applies to cross-border cases involving multiple EAEU member states
(5)A 10% surcharge applies to statutory document services in Kazakh / Russian
III. Fee Standards for Core Practice Areas of GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES Kazakhstan Office
1.Enterprise Incorporation and AIFC Special Zone Compliance: 300,000 KZT – 13,500,000 KZT
(1)Full-process agency for the incorporation of limited liability companies, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and representative offices, as well as filing formalities with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
(2)AIFC enterprise admission, financial licence application and tax exemption compliance handling
(3)Special compliance services for foreign investment access filing and strategic industry investment permits (minerals / energy / telecommunications)
(4)One-stop legal services for enterprise equity structure adjustment, business scope change and deregistration & liquidation(5) EAEU enterprise filing and cross-border business qualification compliance review
2.Uranium / Oil & Gas / Non-ferrous Metals Mining Compliance: 2,200,000 KZT – 42,000,000 KZT
(1)Application and renewal of exploration & mining licences and mining rights for uranium, petroleum and copper-zinc deposits
(2)Drafting of agreements for mining right transfer, mortgage and joint venture cooperation, plus agency for government approval procedures
(3)Special review of mineral resource tax, environmental compliance and work safety permits
(4)Mining project M&A due diligence, investment risk assessment and compliance system establishment
(5)Legal services for mineral product export quotas and cross-border transportation compliance
3.EAEU Cross-border Trade and International Logistics: 800,000 KZT – 18,000,000 KZT
(1)Drafting of China-Europe Railway Express and cross-border road logistics contracts, and resolution of transportation disputes
(2)EAEU Customs Union compliance, customs declaration and anti-dumping & countervailing response
(3)Export compliance for agricultural and energy products, and special handling of certificates of origin
(4)Legal services for cross-border e-commerce customs filing and foreign exchange settlement compliance
(5)Dedicated resolution for international trade contract breaches and payment arrears disputes
4.Agricultural Investment and Agricultural Product Export Compliance: 500,000 KZT – 12,000,000 KZT
(1)Compliance review of agricultural land leasing and land use right acquisition
(2)Agency for export quarantine and customs compliance formalities for grain, oilseeds and livestock products
(3)Drafting of agricultural joint venture cooperation agreements and government subsidy applications
(4)Legal services for agricultural machinery import and agricultural technology transfer compliance
(5)Environmental compliance for agricultural enterprises and response to land use supervision inspections
5.Labour Employment and Foreign Labour Quota Compliance: 120,000 KZT – 9,500,000 KZT
(1)Drafting and review of statutory labour contracts and employee handbooks in Russian / Kazakh
(2)Full-process handling of work permits, labour quotas and residence visas for foreign employees
(3)Enterprise redundancy, labour dispute mediation and labour arbitration & litigation representation
(4)Design of compliance schemes for the local workforce ratio requirement in Kazakhstan
(5)Wage and social security compliance, and emergency response plans for surprise labour inspections
6.Data Compliance and Digital Economy Regulation: 150,000 KZT – 16,000,000 KZT
(1)Establishment of compliance systems under Kazakhstan’s Personal Data Protection Law
(2)Agency for data localisation storage and cross-border data transmission filing
(3)Compliance filing and regulatory response for internet platforms and payment institutions
(4)Domain name disputes, online infringement and trade secret protection & enforcement
(5)Specialist consultation on digital services tax and cross-border data compliance
7.Real Estate and Land Interest Legal Services: 400,000 KZT – 15,000,000 KZT
(1)Compliance review of commercial property and industrial workshop purchase & leasing
(2)Land use right acquisition and long-term lease filing for foreign-invested enterprises
(3)Real estate mortgage, title transfer and ownership dispute litigation representation
(4)Industrial park land admission and construction land compliance approval
(5)Real estate tax planning and full-process agency for property title registration
8.Dispute Resolution and Cross-border Judgment Enforcement: 600,000 KZT – 230,000,000 KZT
(1)Full-process local litigation representation for civil and commercial contract disputes and equity disputes
(2)AIFC international arbitration and EAEU commercial arbitration services
(3)Cross-border recognition and enforcement of China-Kazakhstan bilateral judgments and arbitral awards
(4)Administrative reconsideration, administrative penalty disputes and government licence dispute representation
(5)Dedicated services for debt collection, property preservation and compulsory enforcement
(6)Criminal compliance review, economic crime defence and consular assistance
9.Investment Protection and Government Relations Compliance: 1,000,000 KZT – 28,000,000 KZT
(1)China-Kazakhstan bilateral investment treaty protection and investment risk early warning
(2)Application and compliance maintenance of government subsidies and preferential tax policies
(3)Regulatory interview attendance and administrative compliance rectification agency for foreign-invested enterprises
(4)Cross-border investment political risk assessment and emergency plan formulation
(5)Industry association liaison and standardised compliance system establishment
Special Note: For major cross-border economic crimes, serious illegal cases in the mining sector, and criminal defence for offences carrying a sentence of over 10 years, there is no fixed upper fee limit. Bespoke quotations will be provided on a one-to-one basis according to case complexity.
IV. Core Factors Affecting Legal Fees
1.Jurisdictional complexity: Cases involving the dual-track legal system of the AIFC special zone, EAEU cross-border rules, or coordination between Chinese and Kazakh legal frameworks will incur a surcharge proportional to complexity.
2.Industry specialisation: Fees for regulated industries such as uranium mining, energy and AIFC financial services are higher than those for general civil and commercial matters.
3.Urgency: Rush case handling, holiday services and projects with tight deadlines will attract an urgent service fee in accordance with standard rates.
4.Service scope: Annual legal retainer packages enjoy a comprehensive discount of 15%–25% compared with ad-hoc single services.
5.Cross-border collaboration: Projects requiring joint work by China-based and Kazakhstan-based teams, or multi-jurisdiction evidence collection, will have corresponding fee adjustments.
6.Language and qualifications: Fees for statutory Kazakh / Russian documentation and services delivered by lawyers with exclusive AIFC qualifications are priced on a differentiated basis.
V. Reimbursable Third-Party Expenses
The following expenses are not included in legal service fees. They are settled strictly in line with official Kazakh standards or actual disbursements, and the firm charges no management fees or mark-ups:
1.Government administrative fees: Company incorporation fees, licence application fees, court fees, arbitration fees, official mining right charges, visa fees and similar charges
2.Notarisation and authentication fees: Local notarisation, Hague Apostille and China-Kazakhstan consular authentication, reimbursed at official published rates
3.Professional translation fees: Translation of legal documents between Kazakh / Russian / Chinese and courtroom simultaneous interpretation, settled by volume at industry standard rates
4.Professional service fees: Third-party charges for judicial appraisal, environmental assessment, financial due diligence, mining exploration reports and similar specialist services
5.Travelling expenses: Transport, accommodation and fieldwork allowances for off-site case handling, reimbursed against valid receipts
6.Other expenses: Actual disbursements including cross-border bank handling charges, document storage fees and government affairs administrative charges
VI. Important Notice
All fee standards in this document are official reference benchmark prices for 2026 and do not constitute a binding offer for services. The final fees, service scope and allocation of rights and obligations for all legal services will be specified in writing in the Legal Services Entrustment Contract, based on the client’s specific requirements, actual case circumstances and project complexity.