Jakhongir Azatov is a Senior Associate in the Tashkent office. He focuses on banking & finance and corporate and M&A.

Jakhongir has extensive experience advising on complex project financing transactions, including various project development instruments and security documents. His expertise also compasses capital market instruments and securities, such as sovereign and corporate bonds, as well as regulatory matters in the banking and financial sectors.

Jakhongir has supported local and international companies in acquisitions, restructurings and day-to-day corporate matters, playing a key role in comprehensive due diligence exercises for both share and asset deals.

In addition, he has broad experience in energy law matters, particularly in renewable projects. He has advised sponsors on drafting and negotiation of project implementation documents, such as investment agreements, power purchase agreements, O&M agreements, land lease agreements, and others.

RECENT ENGAGEMENTS INCLUDE ADVISING

Banking, Finance & Capital Markets 

• JOINT LEAD MANAGERS on all Uzbek matters arising in connection to UZS-denominated Eurobonds, the first green sovereign bonds issued in the CIS region, as well as the tender offer extended by the Republic of Uzbekistan
• LENDERS on the project financing of a battery storage facility in Uzbekistan, including due diligence and bankability review on the project documentation such as battery storage service agreement, investment agreement, land lease agreement, EPC contracts and O&M agreement, advising on finance documents and matters arising as a matter of Uzbek law and drafting and negotiation of the security documents (on-going project)
• ACWA POWER COMPANY (as sponsor) on project development and financing of a pilot Green Hydrogen project in Uzbekistan (encompassing a wind farm project), including on all project documents, governmental authorisations, regulatory matters, as well as financing and other matters arising as a matter of Uzbek law

M&A and Corporate

• OTP BANK (Hungary) on all matters relating to the acquisition of a majority stake in the state-owned IPOTEKA bank, including on regulatory matters (approval from the Central Bank of Uzbekistan; antimonopoly matters; mandatory purchase of minority shareholders’ shares), transactional and corporate governance matters and etc.
• AN INVESTMENT FUND on the acquisition of a 100% stake in an LLC owning a hotel in Uzbekistan operated by a major international hotel chain, including drafting and negotiating transaction documents, undertaking due diligence review, advising on corporate governance, privatisation law, and regulatory matters

EDUCATION

• 2020: University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, LL.B. in International Law

LANGUAGES

Russian, Uzbek, English