Merger Control

After the fall of Soviet Union, the Central Asian countries have introduced free market economies flanked by the introduction of competition laws in general and merger control regimes in particular. Today, Merger control rules exist in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The merger control regimes in these countries largely follow the western models, i.e., concentrations of a certain size or dimension require approval by the respective national competition authorities. All Central Asian merger control regimes require a mandatory pre-merger notification and they all foresee sanctions for non-compliance with the respective notification obligations including fines. Most law firms handling global transactions are very well aware of this. However, in many cases these law firms and their clients are reluctant to notify their transactions in Central Asia. The fear of unpredictable (if not arbitrary) decisions and of sluggish procedures as well as the language barriers seem to be the main deterrents in this respect. In addition, there is only a small number of law firms in Central Asia that have the necessary knowhow and experience in the field of merger control in order to provide international clients with a service that meets the highest professional standards.

We offer our clients seamless merger control services in all Central Asian countries. Combining its local presence with its international standards, Lorenz is in a position to provide its clients with truly unrivalled services. Centrally managed by our office in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and assisted by our network of branches and partner firms in other Central Asian countries, we have the capacity to handle all your merger control needs in the region. Our services range from the assessment of notification requirements to the preparation of the respective merger control notifications and the negotiations with the competent competition authorities. We are well aware that our services need to be smoothly integrated into the global merger control context and adapted to the transactional timelines as set by the client. Efficient, swift, and reliable performance is therefore our highest commitment.