Walter Daniel

Walter Daniel

Partner

walter@gaillelaw.com

Prior to joining GAILLE PLLC, Walter served as Vice President of Paradox Resources, a company engaged in the development, transportation, and processing of helium and hydrocarbon resources in the Four Corners region of the United States, where he was responsible for Paradox’s legal matters. From 2016 to 2020, Walter was the Vice President and General Counsel of Stewart Engineers, a world leader in architectural, appliance and automotive glass manufacturing and coating technology. Over the period 2007 – 2016 Walter lived in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where he worked for international law firms and was recognized as a leading lawyer in:

• Chambers Asia Pacific 2016 for “great experience in the areas of M&A and private equity”;
• Chambers Global 2015 and Chambers Asia Pacific 2015 for corporate and finance, with clients citing his “broad professional expertise, communication skills and immense work ethic. [Walter] earns particular recognition for his international experience”; and
• Legal 500 EMEA 2016 legal market overview for Kazakhstan: “Texas and England-qualified Walter Daniel . . . does a great job of looking out for client’s interests . . . his leadership, presence and language skills are instrumental”.

During the period 2002-2007 Walter worked as in-house counsel for Occidental Petroleum Corporation resident in Dubai, UAE and Tripoli, Libya. Walter started his legal career in 1998 as an Associate with Vinson & Elkins LLP working in its Moscow, Russia and Houston, Texas offices.

CREDENTIALS:

Walter is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is an English Solicitor. He graduated from Duke University (A.B. in History and Russian, 1994), the University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1997), and the Russian Academy of Sciences (Master of Law, 1998). 

SELECTED REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE:

Oil and Gas:

• US oil and gas company on the negotiation of pipeline rights of way, master services agreements, and gas sales and processing agreements;
• US oil and gas company on the acquisition of gas gathering and pipeline assets;
• National oil corporation on the investment, joint venture and subsurface use contract negotiations for the joint hydrocarbon exploration and development of the N Block in the Kazakhstan sector of the Caspian Sea;
• International oil corporation on the acquisition of two distressed oil and gas exploration assets in Kazakhstan;
• Kazakhstan national oil and gas company on the proposed acquisition of a Russian oil and gas company for approximately US $175,000,000;
• Kazakhstan national oil and gas company on the US $165,000,000 acquisition of a majority interest in an offshore holding company with oil and gas acreage in Kazakhstan;
• Kazakhstan national oil and gas company on the US $59,000,000 acquisition of the ownership of a Kazakhstan oil and gas exploration company;
• Chinese oil and gas exploration and production company on the US $160,000,000 acquisition of a Kazakhstan oil and gas company;
• Private equity firm on the acquisition, via convertible loan, of an interest in a Kazakhstan oil and gas exploration company;
• Kazakhstan conglomerate in the partial sale and related joint venture arrangements in respect of legal entities holding hydrocarbon subsurface use rights in Kazakhstan;
• International oil corporation on its Libyan Exploration and Production Sharing Agreements (EPSA-IVs and EPSA-IIs) exploration program – covering a 30+ million acre combined contract area; responsibilities also included oversight of non-operating interests in four offshore EPSA-IV blocks and FCPA compliance;
• International oil corporation on its re-entry agreement with the Libyan National Oil Corporation governing the restoration of pre-US-sanctions Libyan assets;
• International oil corporation on its joint venture negotiations for and bidding in the 2005 Libyan Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement – IV (“EPSA-IV”) Bid Round 1, culminating in the award, as operator, of five onshore and four offshore EPSA-IVs;
• International oil corporation on its joint venture and subsurface use contracts in relation to the Syria Palmyra and Kuwait Northern Oil Fields projects;
• International oil corporation on its Yemen and Oman oil and gas exploration programs.

Projects / EPC:

• Prepared proposals and business plans, and drafted and negotiated EPC contracts, technology licensing agreements and other transaction agreements, for international float glass manufacturing facility business development opportunities;
• Contractor in the EPC contract, financing and joint venture negotiations for the Orda Glass float glass manufacturing facility project in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan;
• Contractor in the Pavlodar Refinery upgrade EPC contract;
• International oil corporation on the Northern Oman Gas Project facilities expansion and gas pipeline EPC contracts;
• Consultation on the tender of subsurface use rights to the Kalon Konimansuri silver mine in Tajikistan;
• Advice on the project finance bankability of a Kazakhstan concession contract relating to a proposed railway to China; 
• Bahrain-based Islamic investment bank on the structuring and financing of a mixed-use real estate development in Aktau, Kazakhstan;
• Kazakhstan real estate developer in the joint-venture negotiations and related partial divestiture to a Dubai-based investor of an interest in a mixed-use real estate development in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

M&A:

• Representation of management in the amendment and restatement of an international media company’s CIS shareholders agreement including the related sale of a Kazakhstan media planning business;
• Kazakhstan national telecommunications company on the merger of its mobile telecommunications assets with a large European mobile provider;
• Kazakhstan investment holding company on the divestiture of its shareholding in a Kazakhstan telecommunications company to Teliasonera;
• Kazakhstani shareholders of a Kazakhstan bank, on the shareholders agreement and recapitalization negotiations among the Kazakhstani shareholders, EBRD and the private equity division of a large international bank;
• Chinese-Kazakhstan private equity fund on the acquisition of a minority interest in a Kazakhstan railway logistics and fuel trading business;
• Sellers in the divestiture of a Kazakhstan heavy equipment and crane leasing business;
• Private equity group in its acquisition of a controlling interest in a Kazakhstan movie theater business;
• Private equity group on the acquisition of an interest, via convertible loan, in a Kazakhstan pharmaceutical business; 
• Kazakhstani shareholders of a Kazakhstan pharmaceutical concern, on the partial divestiture to, and Eurasian joint venture arrangements with, a Polish pharmaceutical company;
• Kazakhstani shareholders of a Kazakhstan pharmaceutical producer on the partial divestiture to, and Kazakhstan joint venture arrangements with, a Turkish pharmaceutical company.

Dispute Resolution, Compliance & Advocacy: 

• Developed legal strategy and assisted in negotiations to resolve disputes arising in relation to a large manufacturing facility project in Kazakhstan, including preparation of potential bilateral investment treaty claim against the Republic of Kazakhstan and ICC arbitration claim against other project stakeholders;
• Developed legal strategy and managed outside counsel for an ICC arbitration under English law and AAA arbitration under North Carolina law regarding subcontract termination claims; 
• Conducted FCPA, UK Bribery Act and related Kazakhstan law anti-bribery trainings for the Kazakhstan subsidiary of an international corporation;
• Assisted a Canadian-Kazakhstan uranium mining joint venture in the preparation of its FCPA and UK Bribery Act Compliance Manual;
• Served as the Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce – Government of Kazakhstan Construction and Engineering Licensing Working Group; conducted advocacy with Ministerial-level counterparts in the Kazakhstan government leading to successful passage of investment liberalization amendments to Kazakhstani legislation;
• Member and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan (AmCham) (2010-2014).