14.3%
of organisations sustained 100% of applicable PCI DSS controls at interim validation in 2023
Sustained PCI DSS compliance2020—2023
Independent legal practice · Almaty
Law,
embedded in business
Strategic legal solutions for owners, executives and teams delivering complex projects in Kazakhstan and across jurisdictions.
25+years of legal and
management experience
management experience
Direct founder involvement
02Approach
Legal work should help business move forward
MC Advisory works at the intersection of law, strategy and operations. The aim is to understand the business context, shape a practical solution and help implement it. I engage as a strategic adviser, an external head of legal or a specialist for a complex matter, assembling and coordinating a project team when needed.
01
Direct involvement
Work directly with the founder of the practice.
02
A business perspective
Legal decisions informed by timelines, teams and project economics.
03
A clear next step
From risk assessment to documents, negotiations and execution.
03Practice
Legal architecture for business
From resolving the issue
to implementing the solution
01
External legal function
Strategy, contracts, corporate governance, compliance and executive support — without expanding an in-house legal department.
Focus of the engagement
Explore Priorities · processes · accountability
02
Transactions and corporate projects
Investment and partnership models, M&A, restructurings, due diligence, shareholders’ agreements and projects in the AIFC jurisdiction.
Focus of the engagement
Explore Deal structure · documents · closing
03
Commercial contracts and negotiations
Contract architecture, document drafting, negotiation support and management of execution risk.
Focus of the engagement
Explore Terms · negotiation position · execution
04
Intellectual property
Software, digital products, film, music, animation, trademarks, licensing and complete chains of title.
Focus of the engagement
Explore Chain of title · licences · use
05
IT, SaaS, AI and digital platforms
Licensing, terms of use, personal data, developer relationships and cross-border product launches.
Focus of the engagement
Explore Data · rights · contractual model
06
Disputes and risk management
Assessment of claims and evidence, pre-litigation and negotiation strategy, coordination of litigation counsel and crisis response.
Focus of the engagement
Explore Claims assessment · strategy · negotiations
Media+Live events+IT / SaaS / AI+Fintech+Telecom+Sport+FMCG+Investments+
03 / DATAGlobal data
RISK INTELLIGENCE / 2023–2024
Compliance is not a checkbox.
It is a living system.
International research reveals a gap between formally implementing requirements and keeping controls effective in day-to-day operations.
Source: Verizon 2024 Payment Security Report ↗
of organisations used DLP to control data sent to generative AI applications
Netskope — Cloud and Threat Report: AI Apps in the Enterprise, 2024 ↗of organisations reached a mature level of readiness for modern cyber threats
Cisco — Cybersecurity Readiness Index, 2024 ↗of organisations experienced an incident in which business data was exposed
Microsoft — State of Multicloud Security Risk Report, 2024 ↗METHOD / NOTEThe figures come from different international studies and samples. They indicate the scale of the gap but should not be read as a single comparative index.
INTERACTIVE / LEGAL RISK RADAR
Open Legal Risk Radar Check the legal architecture of your business
12 questions, a six-zone risk map and a clear next step. Answers stay in your browser.
04Our experience
Cross-sector perspective
Complex projects.
Integrated solutions.
01LIVE / EVENTSInternational concerts and live entertainment+
Contract and risk architecture for relationships with artists, promoters, venues, carriers and contractors. Negotiations, logistics, safety, sponsorship, ticketing and crisis response.
02TECH / CROSS-BORDERTechnology products in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan+
Legal audits of IT, SaaS and AI products, contract models and launch documentation: licensing, personal data, SLAs and partner relationships.
03IP / MEDIAFilm, animation and digital content+
Relationship models for investors, producers, authors and technical teams: chain of title, financing, revenue allocation and international distribution.
04CORPORATE / AIFCCorporate and investment transactions+
Acquisitions and disposals of shares and interests, restructurings, investor entry and ownership changes, including within the AIFC jurisdiction.
05LEGAL OPERATIONSBuilding legal functions+
Building and developing legal and compliance teams in telecom, fintech, media, sport, FMCG and live entertainment. Experience includes functional transformation, team leadership and scalable processes.
Founder of MC Advisory
Mariya Chechina
STRATEGIC LEGAL ADVISORPhD in Law · Strategic Legal Adviser
For more than 25 years, I have built and led legal, corporate, regulatory and compliance functions in international and Kazakhstani companies. I advise on market entry, cross-border transactions, and technology, media, sport and live entertainment projects.
This experience allows me to view law through a business lens — taking account of commercial relationships, timelines, processes, teams and reputation.
25+years in the profession
10+industries
360°view of the matter
In-house perspective
BUSINESS CONTEXT / LEGAL LOGIC / EXECUTION
Law as a system for managing decisions
Leadership experience across legal and compliance functions helps connect commercial objectives, acceptable risk and real-world execution — without unnecessary bureaucracy.
Practice from the insideNot only a legal assessment, but an understanding of how a decision will move through the team, budget, timeline, negotiations and operations.
05Ways of working
Flexible engagement
Built around the matter
and the pace of business
Strategic consultation
A focused review of the issue, options and next steps.
Project support
A transaction, product launch, event or investment project.
External legal lead
Ongoing work with the owner and coordination of the legal function.
Legal audit
An architecture review with a practical change plan.
Negotiations and crisis
Positioning and a strategy to protect the business.
06Process
How we work
Clarity at
every stage
Discovery
Context, objectives, stakeholders and constraints.
Assessment
Scope, key risks and the right engagement model.
Architecture
Recommended structure and sequence of actions.
Execution
Documents, negotiations and implementation support.
Confidential discussion
Let’s discuss
your matter
Briefly describe the business context and desired outcome. We will contact you to determine the most suitable way to work together.
maria.chechina@mcadvisory.kz Almaty, Kazakhstan