Joel Benjamin is the Managing Partner of the Almaty and Tashkent offices.

Joel has extensive experience in M&A and corporate, and in banking, finance and capital markets transactions in various industries, including oil and gas, mining, banking, telecommunications and media.

Joel has a wealth of knowledge for solving difficult legal issues.

He is a very respected professional in the market. He combines foreign experience with deep local knowledge.

He has a lot of wisdom.

Chambers Asia-Pacific, 2025 & 2023

RECENT ENGAGEMENTS INCLUDE ADVISING

M&A and Corporate

• VENUS AIRPORT HOLDINGS B.V. on the proposed sale of 100% of the share capital of International Airport Almaty JSC, which is deemed to be a strategic asset under Kazakhstan law, to entities representing a consortium of TAV Airports, a member of Groupe ADP, and VPE Capital
• HALYK BANK JSC, the leading Kazakhstan bank, on the sale of a 60% stake in the share capital of its subsidiary bank Altyn Bank JSC to China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited and China Shuangwei Investment Co.
• TELE2 SVERIGE AB on its joint venture with Kazakhtelecom JSC, the national telecoms operator and the combination of their cellular operations of their subsidiaries JSC Altel and Mobile Telecom-Service LLP (Tele2 Kazakhstan)

Banking, Finance & Capital Markets

• AN INTERNATIONAL BANKING SYNDICATE comprised of JP Morgan, Citibank and Gazprombank on a USD 1 billion Eurobond issue by the Republic of Uzbekistan—the country’s first-ever foray into international debt markets
• HALYK BANK and its controlling shareholder JSC Holding Group Almex on the documented fully marketed follow-on secondary offering made on the basis of Regulation S outside the US and 144A in the US. As part of the offering, all existing shares and GDRs were also admitted to listing and trading on the Astana International Exchange (AIX)
• CATARA CONSULTING EUROPE on the structuring of the USD 50 million 3-year local currency unsecured Loan Participation Notes of the Joint-Stock Commercial Bank “Uzbek Industrial and Construction Bank” (PSB). This is the second international debt placement for UzPSB following its debut USD 300 million Eurobond issue on the London Stock Exchange in late 2019
• EBRD and UNICREDIT BANK on the USD 260 million project financing of Voskhod Oriel and Voskhod Chrome

EDUCATION

• 1984: University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, USA, J.D.
• 1984: Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, MBA in Finance
• 1977: Cornell University, Ithaca, USA, B.A. in Economics

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION

State Bar of California

LANGUAGES

English, Russian