Reed Smith has opened its Kazakhstan office in the capital Astana and also hired corporate partners Vladimir Shuster and Arman Tastanbekov, from Morgan Lewis and White & Case respectively, for the same.

The firm recently acted for Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice in successfully challenging two arbitrations brought before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. The first, a $1.29 billion claim brought by The AES Corporation and its related companies, and the second, a $1.5 billion claim brought by KT Asia Investment Group.

The firm also advised the government on its participation in a consortium on the three-billion-pound takeover of Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation.

Reed Smith’s Astana office will be led from London by international arbitration partner Belinda Paisley.

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