Vakhidov & Partners

Firm Details

Partner: Zafar Vakhidov.

Number of partners: 1.

International Offices: Office in Kazakhstan.

Firm Overview

Vakhidov & Partners is a leading boutique law firm in Central Asia, recognised for its strong focus on life sciences (pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare), FMCG, retail, and IT/telecommunications. The firm advises major international clients and foreign investors across Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the wider Central Asian region.

The team brings over 18 years of experience gained at top-tier international law firms, multinational companies, Big Four consultancies and government bodies. The firm provides comprehensive advice on corporate and commercial matters, pharmaceutical regulation, compliance and anti-corruption, competition law, employment, telecommunications and intellectual property.

Vakhidov & Partners is particularly noted for its deep regulatory expertise, supporting multinational clients in complex, high-risk regulatory environments and advising on M&A, corporate restructuring and manufacturing localization projects throughout Central Asia. The firm is also actively involved in legislative development and regularly engages with government authorities and industry bodies to shape the regulatory framework.

Founded in 2021, the firm’s Tashkent and Almaty offices have rapidly established a strong reputation among international clients in the life sciences, FMCG and technology sectors. The practices are led by partner Zafar Vakhidov, who chairs the Life Sciences & Healthcare Committee of the European Business Association and the Antimonopoly Experts Council in Uzbekistan, as well as Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Committee of KazBAR in Kazakhstan. He also acts as an Advisor to the Association of Representatives of Foreign Pharmaceutical Companies and Manufacturers in Uzbekistan andAssociation for the Support and Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Main Areas of Practice

Life Sciences

Vakhidov & Partners is particularly noted for its market-leading life sciences practice, advising pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare companies on complex regulatory matters, including promotion, public procurement and pricing, manufacturing localization projects, market access and healthcare policy. The team combines deep local regulatory knowledge with international best practices and is regularly involved in industry workgroups and expert committees in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Key Clients:

• Haleon
• Novo Nordisk
• AstraZeneca
• Bayer
• Major pharmaceutical company headquartered in India
• Novartis
• Stada
• Teva Pharmaceuticals

E-commerce & Data Protection

The firm advises clients on compliance with evolving e-commerce and data protection regimes, including online advertising, cross-border data transfers, and AI-based service provision. The team assists with data transfer agreements, internal policies, customer license agreements, and personal data processing frameworks, supporting clients in managing regulatory risk in fast-developing digital markets.

Key clients:

• Wildberries
• LC Waikiki

Competition Law

Vakhidov & Partners provides expert advice on antimonopoly and unfair competition matters, including risk assessments, contractual reviews, the development of commercial and compliance policies and pre-court appeals. The firm is well regarded for its proactive and practical approach, with partners actively participating in competition law expert boards.

Key clients:

• Nestle

Commercial Contracts

The team regularly drafts and negotiates a wide range of commercial agreements, including distribution, manufacturing, marketing, market research, lease, and sale purchase contracts with a particular focus on deals and regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices and consumer goods.

Compliance

The firm assists multinational clients with compliance programmes across Central Asia, including anti-corruption, competition, currency control and ethics matters. The team advises on risk assessments, due diligence and internal investigations, helping clients operate in challenging regulatory environments while safeguarding reputational integrity. The team also acts as counsel to an industry association of pharmaceutical companies.

Key clients:

• Haleon

Corporate & M&A

Vakhidov & Partners advises on domestic and cross-border M&A, corporate restructurings and establishment of local operations. The team supports clients throughout the transaction lifecycle, from structuring and due diligence to negotiation and execution.

Key clients:

• a prominent multinational FMCG company in the snack foods sector

Government Relations

The firm provides ethical and strategically focused government relations support, advising clients on regulatory and policy engagement with governmental authorities and industry bodies. The team also assists with the drafting of regulatory legal acts in the areas of pharmaceuticals and environmental protection. Leveraging its strong institutional relationships and deep regulatory insight, the firm facilitates effective dialogue and collaboration with key stakeholders.

Key clients:

• AstraZeneca
• a leading multinational soft drinks producer
• Boehringer Ingelheim

Employment

The firm advises on a full range of employment and HR matters, including employment agreements, internal policies and migration issues, delivering pragmatic and business-focused solutions.

Key clients:

• Adamed
• LC Waikiki

International Work

• Advised a biopharmaceutical company on the regulatory aspects of a multi-jurisdictional project in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, namely reviewed distribution agreements for compliance with local pharmaceutical and commercial regulations.
• Reviewed informational, scientific, and related materials for the Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan markets on behalf of a leading global pharmaceutical company.
• Advised a major pharmaceutical company through regular updates on legislative amendments and key healthcare and pharmaceutical developments in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and prepared and delivered in-person legal, political, industry, and macroeconomic overview presentations covering the Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan markets.
• Prepared and presented legal, political, industry and macroeconomic overview presentations on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and their pharmaceuticals markets for the global top management of a major international pharmaceutical company. This included market and regulatory framework of the pharmaceutical industry in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as the strategy goals the respective governments aim to achieve.
• Prepared a legal analysis of applicable legislative requirements and restrictions governing the processing of personal data of the client’s employees, applicants, customers, business partners, and suppliers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
• Advised on a multi‑jurisdictional assessment of access to unregistered orphan medicines in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Armenia, providing regulatory analysis that enabled the client to evaluate program expansion and navigate complex local frameworks.
• Assisted a global healthcare and biopharmaceutical company and its distributor in substantiating its legal right to supply an unregistered medicine to a state purchasing company.
• Supported a leading international consulting firm in assessing the regulatory and institutional framework governing international clinical trials in Uzbekistan for a government beneficiary, including a detailed legal review and a gap analysis benchmarked against international best practices.
• Delivered a focused legal assessment of the regulatory requirements and restrictions affecting the client’s proposed marketing motivational program aimed at retail pharmacies and pharmacists, identifying key compliance risks related to accumulation and the use of cashback in external payment systems.
• Provided comprehensive legal support to a marketing and distribution pharmaceutical company in launching intermediary healthcare services powered by artificial intelligence, including the development and implementation of internal personal data processing and protection policies and aligning the company’s operating model with Uzbekistan’s personal data protection requirements.

Practice Areas and Offices

• Uzbekistan, Tashkent.Address: Taras Shevchenko St., 42, Tashkent, 100060, Republic of Uzbekistan. Email: [email protected] Tel.: +998 97 727 0345. Email [email protected].
• Kazakhstan, Almaty. Address: Jurek Tau, ​5/2, ​P1 floor, The Office, office 9, Al-Farabi Avenue, Bostandyk district, Almaty, 050059, Republic of Kazakhstan. Tel.: +7 705 209 91 59. Email: [email protected].