Batuhan Eser

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Leaders in Law endorses Batuhan Eser as our exclusively recommended Arbitration Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Batuhan, please use the contact information provided above.

After graduating from Başkent University Faculty of Law in 2004, Batuhan Eser concluded his lawyer internship subsequently. Following his master’s degree in International Commercial Dispute Resolution at London Westminster University in 2009, Batuhan Eser has been working at Kurucu Law Offices of which he is a founding partner since July 2015 and registered to Ankara Bar Association since 2005.

His expertise has mainly focused on (i) Arbitration, including International Commercial Arbitration and Domestic Arbitration, and (ii) Energy Law, specifically Petroleum and Natural Gas. On the arbitration side, Mr Eser has successfuly represented his clients in numerous ICC, LCIA and ISTAC arbitrations. Among these arbitrations were included those requiring a deep technical knowledge on oil & gas, power markets and construction. Mr Eser, being involved in the disputes from the very beginning, in some cases, even in dispute notice exchange stages, served his client’s submissions and represented them at the hearings and communications with the tribunals.

Professional Memberships

  • Ankara Bar Association (2005)
  • Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN)
  • AIPN Unconventional JOA Drafting Committee
  • AIPN Model Farm-out Agreement (Revision of 2004 Model Contract) Drafting Committee
  • TED Ankara College Alumni Association

Lecture and Articles

  • Financial Inclusion for Refugees and Host Communities Project in Turkey – Specialist in Labor and Commercial Law Module- March 2021
  • Turkey Scientific and Technical Petroleum Congress “Petroleum Law Amendment and Revision Proposals” – December 2020
  • Gathering Integration of Refugees – Law Module Specialist 2017/2018
  • “Evaluation of License Adaptation Process under the New Turkish Petroleum Law” EIF International Energy Congress – October 2014
  • “Evaluation of Geothermal Law” Yazıcı Law Journal – 2014
  • “Bringings of Turkish Petroleum Law No. 6491 and Potential Contributions to Oil Exploration Sector” EIF International Energy Congress – October 2013

Languages

  • Turkish (Native)
  • English (Advanced)

Firm Description:

The firm: KURUCU is an independent and distinguished law firm formed in 2015 by three lawyers whose names are Batuhan Eser, Serdar Can Özaltınlı and Serkan Çatalpınar, each with its own renowned expertise. It is an Ankara-based law firm committed to provide its superior legal services with its team of lawyers who are highly specialised in their fields.  KURUCU, always meticulous in meeting its clients’ needs, takes pride in deservedly being one of the most successful law firms in Turkey despite its young age. The dynamism of KURUCU originating from its young age is a great help in its success as well as the team’s business-minded approach.

KURUCU’s main area of practice may be described as claim management and dispute resolution services under cross-border projects and disputes, consultancy services with respect to energy investments and legal relations with related regulatory bodies, commercial counselling in corporate matters including various M&As. Not only that, KURUCU’s private litigation consultancy which has enabled many of its clients to reach and/or retrieve their entitlements is its another focal point.

It is also worthwhile to mention that KURUCU has consistently grown both in terms of scope of works undertaken and personnel size. Initially having 3 of its founding partners, it now has a team of lawyers each having extensive knowledge and skill in their respective field of activity. This growth is resulted in establishing another liaison office in Istanbul, Turkey.

Areas of practice: Being primarily energy law, construction law and infrastructure law, FIDIC and FAR contracts and agreements law, M&As, project financing, international commerce, international arbitration and commercial cases. In provision of its services, KURUCU aims to help in all aspects of clients’ needs from the very start of the relevant project and/or legal process until they are completed, to be available at all times, and treat the needs of the clients as if they are KURUCU’s own needs, and to keep these aims in the foreground at every stage of KURUCU’s services. While carrying out its services, in addition to their viewpoint as lawyers, KURUCU team make a point of conducting them as a businessman by benefiting from their past experience and technical-specialist staff.

Energy and natural resources: The globe has been witnessing a transition mainly driven by discussions regarding security of supply and climate change due to unsustainably high levels of CO2 emissions. This transition aspires to implement long term structural changes to energy policies with goal of decarbonization. The demand for conventional primary energy resources is nevertheless very high and it will maintain its importance for decades. This high demand is eye-catching especially in economically growing countries such as Turkey. However, energy market is by its all aspects and types a complex issue which necessitates a technical and economic background.

Abiding by regulations and conforming with legal procedures of energy market regulatory agencies require a strong knowledge in the fields of energy and natural resources. Thus, a lawyer working in this field must have a deep insight with respect to these issues.

KURUCU carries out legal procedures with related regulatory bodies in accordance with its clients’ wishes. It files, tracks and concludes necessary applications in various respects such as oil and gas, mining and electricity to surpass legal entry barriers by obtaining necessary licences. KURUCU’s cross-border experience not only allows it to meet its foreign client’s needs and but also helps acquainting them with Turkish legal practice.

Arbitration: KURUCU acted as lead counsel for multiple internal arbitrations in ICC, LCIA and ICAC. Because KURUCU represented both Claimant clients as much as Respondent clients, KURUCU has an extensive knowledge on procedures and strategies to be followed for each side. That said, KURUCU also represented its clients in domestic arbitrations, mainly in ISTAC. As part of all those mandates, KURUCU successfully presented cases of its clients, from drafting of each of the submissions to management of the hearings.

KURUCU constantly keeps itself familiar with new trends in energy. With its strong knowledge of energy policy and law, it proposes genuine solutions for its clients involved in renewables as well.

Commercial, corporate and M&A: KURUCU handles incorporation and restructuring of businesses. With its extensive commercial and corporate experience, it manages establishment processes of foreign companies in Turkey. On the other hand, it deals with its clients’ day-to-day corporate issues, provides them legal assistance in each and every respect.

In terms of M&A, KURUCU successfully combines its expertise in conducting healthy and comprehensive due diligence processes and other legal procedures. While taking a picture of the firm before the client with its proper and extensive due diligence reports, it then enables the clients to take well-informed decisions with respect to their potential transactions. Then, in accordance with clients’ decisions, KURUCU finalizes legal procedures both between the parties and before related authorities meticulously.

Recently, KURUCU has achieved two significant acquisitions in 2016 and 2017 in the areas of oil and gas law and contract law. In the scope of a recent acquisition, which was valued over EUR2m, KURUCU acted as lead Turkish Counsel for the Buyer which had enhanced the Client’s fabricated production capacities in Europe. On the other hand, under another acquisition in relation to oil and gas, which was valued over US$6m, KURUCU again acted as lead Turkish Counsel which had improved the client’s natural gas production capacities in Turkey.

Real estate and construction – project finance and projects: Construction projects necessitate a careful and farsighted approach. Keeping this in mind, KURUCU delicately drafts contracts and executes checklists with interpreting contracts in the light of its previous experiences for its clients which summarize the points that require special attention. In course of performance, KURUCU analyses conflicts and help its clients take necessary actions. KURUCU, resulting from its experience in practice on both employer’s and contractor’s side, lead construction projects and contracts to the end smoothly.

KURUCU’s practice in construction is primarily focused on projects based on FIDIC and FAR contracts. Whether the project is domestic or cross-border, KURUCU is always committed to furnish its clients with innovative solutions. KURUCU, in that works, has represented engineers, employers and contractors in a distinguished way. KURUCU has undertaken very important national and international claim management works under almost each and every FIDIC book, mostly Yellow, Red and Silver. KURUCU provides its counsel with respect to significant FAR projects mostly in Europe and Middle East.

Employment: Corporate clients face important risks once it comes to their employees. KURUCU offers its support to employers in each and every aspect of an employment relationship. KURUCU, drafts employment contracts and workplace bylaws which are suitable for protecting employers’ rights in case of non-satisfactory performance of employees or an adverse economic state. KURUCU effectively represents Turkey’s leading firms in every kind of labour lawsuits.

Data privacy and data protection: KURUCU provides legal consultancy service concerning data protection and advises its clients on the full range of data privacy and data protection issues with a focus on GDPR compliance for a mix of major local and multinational clients. It represents investigations relating to the handling of personal data and data breach issues as well as on employment-related data issues, forms personal data processing inventory, practices cross-border data transfer, data security breaches, employee privacy and monitoring.

KURUCU measures data regulatory compliance for the companies by drawing up the documents of Personal Data Retention and Destruction Policy, Personal Data Protection Policy and  Clarification text on processing of personal data of employees etc. Data protection aspects of M&A transactions, data transfer and  related  safeguarding issues are also handled by our firm.

Dispute resolution: Especially in commercial arbitration, be it national or international, KURUCU analyses the case before it elaboratively, builds a strategy to be followed throughout the case and then sticks to it. This way, KURUCU represents its clients competently. In that regard, KURUCU managed to obtain an ICC award in favour of its client whose value is over EUR2m. KURUCU also has experience in alternative dispute resolution methods, most importantly : mediation.

Competition: KURUCU acts in a client-focused way and advises on a broad range of merger control issues, aspects of mergers and acquisitions, competition compliance matters, handles merger filing relating to sizeable M&A transactions, as well as state aid and abuse of dominance cases.

Private litigation and enforcement:  In terms of private litigation, our firm is dealing with various type of cases and represents its clients successfully. Recently, KURUCU managed to obtain a judgment in favour of its well-known client under a multi-million case related with energy law. This success repeated itself in another case under which KURUCU represented its client who is a contractor against a powerful employer. Private law set aside, KURUCU advises its clients in respect of disputes under administrative law. In that regard, KURUCU managed to recover a considerable tax penalty paid by one of Turkey’s major firms.

KURUCU’s renowned background is not limited to commercial and administrative cases. The firm also includes other areas of law, such as labour law, intellectual property law, law of execution, enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and foreign court decisions in Turkey. On the other hand, KURUCU specialises and has very important expertise in debt enforcement. KURUCU has significant practices in different areas of enforcement.

 

Mustafa Tırtır

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Leaders in Law endorses Mustafa Tırtır as our exclusively recommended Criminal Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Mustafa, please use the contact information provided above.

Mustafa Bey graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 1999. He completed his legal internship with Prof. Dr. Köksal Bayraktar who was also his criminal law professor from the university. He registered at the Istanbul Bar Association in 2000 and did his military service as a soldier assigned to the military disciplinary court in Balıkesir. Then, he worked as a criminal lawyer with Prof. Dr. Köksal Bayraktar until 2011, when he founded his own law firm. He was admitted to the Istanbul Commerce University master’s program on public law. He graduated from the programme by submitting his thesis on criminal law in 2015. Just after his graduation from LL.M., he was admitted to the Ph.D. on public law at the Istanbul Medipol University. Currently, he is a lecturer in Istanbul Medipol University and the Police Vocational School of Higher Education. Also, he is a member of the European Criminal Bar Association.

Mustafa Bey has been also working as a legal counsellor at Aksan Law Firm as the head of the criminal law department since 2012. He is certified as an attorney of trademark and patent law. He has written over 30 articles on criminal legislation in both Turkish and English, as well as criminal law in relation to the press and visual media. He attended many conferences as a speaker. His legal opinions took place in numerous magazines and newspapers. Mustafa Bey has been practising in the field of criminal law for 21 years, especially on white-collar crimes. Today, he and his elite team in Mustafa Tırtır Hukuk Bürosu (Mustafa Tırtır Law Firm) take on numerous such cases.

Firm Description:

OVERVIEW

Mustafa Tırtır Law Firm was founded in 2011 by Avukat Mustafa Tırtır. Mustafa Bey began his career in 2000 and practised criminal law with his professor, Prof. Dr. Köksal Bayraktar for 11 years. Mustafa Bey has been and still is focusing solely on criminal law, now with his elite team in Mustafa Tırtır Law Firm.

FIELDS OF EXPERTISE

Our firm works solely on criminal law. We pride ourselves with our skills and experience in dealing with criminal cases, both as the defender of the accused/suspect or as the representative of the victim. However, our firm deals mostly in specific cases in particular:

Organisational and White Collar Crime

Organisational crimes are crimes committed within, because of, or against legitimate organisations, such as the state apparatus or private companies. This is not technically organised crime in a criminological perspective because these entities have not been founded in illegitimate ways to commit crime.

White collar crime is a branch under organisational crime. In general, this type of crime is committed by private sector employees or shareholders against the customers, the public, or the company itself. Our firm has experience representing each of these actors.

Our firm, since its inception, has taken on cases where it successfuly defended employees and boards of directors against criminal allegations. There are a few tricks in the book to make sure companies and their people leave criminal investigations unscathed, and we provide them.

We have also been taking on cases in the name of companies against employees who  have committed crimes, such as abuse of trust and aggravated fraud against them. The key point in this position, the position of the complainant, is to understand how the crime was committed. Perhaps the most difficult part is, however, is making public prosecutors and judges understand what took place. This is due to the complicated nature of white collar crime. Thanks to our vast experience in the field and our skills to communicate with judicial authorities, we understand cases that come to us well, and use the correct channels and petitions to have the matter solved.

Fraud

Everyone may face fraud. Perpetrators of fraud always refresh their practice to be one step ahead of the guardians. The fraud can take the form of an elaborate, multiple steps Ponzi scheme. It may also take the form of a simple phishing scam, or an advance fee scheme through e-mails.

Anti-Fraud Advisory

We provide advisory overwatch services to protect our clients from fraud. Perpetrators of fraud usually attempt to eliminate any overwatch opportunities by making their victim hurry. They do so by stating that the benefit they promise in return of money will no longer be available if they are made to wait. This is because they know their attempt may get detected by a guardian, should the victim gets advice.

Criminal Dispute Resolution and Litigation

When an individual, real or legal, gets victimised by fraud, it is now time to engage proper channels of litigation to deliver justice and restore what was lost. We provide our clients with the strong arm of justice by filing the necessary criminal complaint and follow up on the case until all is restored.

Internet, Journalism and Social Media Law – Criminal Limb

Protecting freedom of speech

There are many cases where political figures file criminal complaints for social media posts made by individuals who simply criticised them. Criticisers face criminal prosecution over charges of insult. We defend the rights of our clients with an outlook of law as well as the facts. The Turkish codes, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Turkish constitution protect freedom of speech. We utilise these shields to protect your freedom.

Removing smearing campaigns

Freedom of speech is at the core of our practice in social media and internet law. However, it is set by the European Court of Human Rights and the Turkish Constitutional Court that freedom of speech has limits.

One of the main issues regarding social media and internet law is posts on social media pages and from news websites. We actively work with our clients to identify insults, smearing campaigns and articles infringing on personal rights. We then immediately get to work on having these pieces removed from the internet by filing the requests with the authorities.

Intellectual Property Law – Criminal Limb

We have significant experience in taking on cases involving intellectual property, trademark and patent. These types of cases tend to be difficult to understand for lawyers, which makes communicating with judges and prosecutors regarding these cases difficult. With our experience under our belt, we understand the technical aspects of these types of cases well, and work tirelessly to make your case.

Tax Crimes

Turkey is a country with heavy and sometimes confusing taxing regulations, which may lead to criminal implications, whether an individual intended criminal activities or not. In this regard, we represent our clients in defending against accusations of tax crimes.

Preventive Criminology

Years of practice in criminal dispute resolution allows us to see what goes wrong and when. We combine our experience in criminal disputes and cutting edge organisational criminological studies to form our preventive criminology practice.

It is always more economical and fruitful to not have issues. This much is obvious. However, effort must be spent to identify the errors, shortcomings and policy implications within an organisational structure, also known as the meso level. We find the holes and failures within a system that can lead to the abuse of the organisation, and advise our clients on how to strengthen their organisational system to be virtually impregnable.

Essentially, this practice is anti-corruption and anti-fraud for companies.

International Capability

“Criminal law is not generally known for its transnational character.” This statement is changing every passing year due to the world ever-becoming a global village. We provide legal services to clients on different continents in cases that span multiple jurisdictions.

Thanks to our internationally experienced staff, we can directly communicate with our clients in the languages of Turkish and English. We are also follow through with paperwork that originate from different jurisdictions.

Business and Human Rights

We know that our clients hold themselves to the highest standard when it comes to human rights. This leads them to make sure that companies they work with, or their subcontractors also comply with human rights to the same level. As experts in criminal law that can identify abuse when we see them, we work to research whether there is abuse, or the structure allows such abuse.

Diversity Statement

Our firm seeks diversity in all areas. Diversity is wealth. We therefore present equal opportunity to each and every gender.

Due respect is given to freedom of consciounce and religion. Our firm is a workplace where every individual, from the student intern to the founding partner, can freely speak their mind. No discrimination is made for any individual for what they believe in and what they thin.

Responsibility and Integrity

Criminal law is a field which can have dire consequences against those who find themselves being prosecuted. Any mistake or wrong move, any ommission when dealing with the judiciary may lead to incarceration-the removal of individual freedoms. We make moves with this in mind, always calculating and never missing judicial deadlines.

We are also aware of possible corruptions in the legal system as a whole. As our value, we keep integrity to the heart. Darkness may lead to pitch blackness, but it only takes a little light to make it go away. With this state of mind, we stick to honesty.

Confidentiality

We know that each and every bit of information we are given is vital for the privacy of our client, and any leak may adversely affect our client, and also the ongoing case. We make sure that all data and information from our clients remain secure and confidential.

Network

We realise that sometimes, private law cases can complement criminal ones. Therefore, if it is required, we work with our skilled acquaintances and network to follow the case in a private law perspective.

Practice Areas

  • Criminal Law
  • White Collar Crime
  • Organisational Crime
  • Tax Crime
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Compliance
  • Mediation
  • Negotiation
  • Press, Media & Social Media Law
  • Human Rights Law
  • Preventive Organisational Criminology

 

Dogukan Berk Aksoy

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Leaders in Law endorses Dogukan Berk Aksoy as our exclusively recommended Intellectual Property Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Dogukan Aksoy please use the contact information provided above.

Dogukan Berk Aksoy, LL.M., a registered attorney-at-law, trademark and patent attorney and court expert in IP matters in Turkey, is the founder of Aksoy IP.

Prior to founding Aksoy IP in Ankara, Dogukan had worked at the Istanbul office of an international law firm with respect to the filing and prosecuting of intellectual property rights.

At Aksoy IP, Dogukan now advises his local and international clients from various sectors on a wide range of intellectual property matters, files their registration applications and oppositions against third party applications before the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and negotiates assignment and license agreements with counter-parties on behalf of his clients.

Apart from the services mentioned above, with his extensive experience in litigation, Dogukan regularly represents his clients before the Turkish Courts in all kinds of disputes related to trademarks, patents and designs. He also carries out seizure proceedings and customs measure applications against counterfeit goods.

Firm Description:

Aksoy IP is a boutique and dynamic intellectual property firm in Turkey.

With our team composed of trademark and patent attorneys and lawyers, we are a one-stop-shop when it comes to the protection of intellectual property rights in Turkey.

We represent our local and international clients before the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in registration and opposition procedures and before the Turkish courts in lawsuits and advise them in their intellectual property-related contractual relationships.

We are committed to offering to our clients high-quality work with our local expertise and always being very responsive.

Aksoy IP is located in Ankara, where the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office is established, and lawsuits against the decisions of the Office shall be exclusively settled.

 

Serkan Çatalpınar

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Leaders in Law endorses Serkan Çatalpınar as our exclusively recommended Construction Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Serkan please use the contact information provided above.

After completing his bachelor study (LLB) at the Başkent Universitiy Faculty of Law in 2005, Serkan Çatalpınar served as an intern lawyer then as a lawyer at the Kasaroğlu Law Offices until 2007, before settling in Brussels in 2007 and serving for the PECO desk at the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe as a representative of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations. After practising as a self-employed lawyer, he later served as a contract specialist at Aydın Yazılım ve Elektronik Sanayi Ltd, which is partnership of the American L3 Communications and Vestel Holding, and as a lawyer at the Yazıcı Law Offices. Since 2012, he has served as the Chief Contract Administrator of the FIDIC-based Cairo International Airport Project, of which Limak Construction Industry and Trading Co. is the main contractor. As of July 2015, he has been working at the Kurucu Law Offices, of which he is a founding partner.

His specialities are particularly concentrated on the fields of Construction Law (primarily FIDIC), International Commerce, Defence Industry, and Companies Law. Since the beginning of his professional life, Mr Çatalpınar has provided legal support to many local and foreign clients.

Firm Overview:

Kurucu Law Offices (“KURUCU”) has been established in Ankara at the beginning of 2015 by three founding partners, each specialised in their own practice area. KURUCU is an Ankara-based law firm which provides services with its team of lawyers who can speak English at high level and are specialised in their fields, being primarily energy law, construction law and infrastructure law, FIDIC and FAR contracts and agreements law, mergers and acquisitions, project financing, international commerce, international arbitration and commercial cases. KURUCU has a liaison office in Istanbul, Turkey.

KURUCU provides legal consultation and advocacy services based on the principles of high quality, sincerity and honesty, in conjunction with various law offices and specialist technical service providers in its network, to local and foreign clientele in their projects and activities both in Turkey and abroad.

In provision of its services, KURUCU aims to provide assistance in all aspects of clients’ needs from the very start of the relevant project and/or legal process until they are completed, to be available at all times, and treat the needs of the clients as if they are KURUCU’s own needs, and to keep these aims in the foreground at every stage of KURUCU’s services.

While carrying out services, in addition to their viewpoint as lawyers, KURUCU team make a point of conducting them as a businessman by benefiting from their past experience and technical-specialist staff.

 

Burçin Gözlüklü

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Leaders in Law endorses Burçin Gözlüklü as our exclusively recommended Tax Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Burçin please use the contact information provided above.

Burçin Gözlüklü is the founder of Centrum Sworn-In Financial Advisory and Consulting Inc. and he serves as the managing partner. He also serves as the chairman of ETL Turkey Office, which is a part of Germany based ETL Group, one of the top Tax and Audit companies in worldwide. Centrum has been listed as Best Tax Firm in Turkey for 2018 by International Tax Review, a leading International Publisher in tax world.

Before establishing the Centrum Group, Burçin has worked as a tax inspector within the Turkish Ministry of Finance Tax Inspectors Board for 10 years.

Beginning from the mid-2008, he was appointed as the Secretary General of the Turkish Accounting Standards Board (now named as Public Oversight Board), and took the leadership role of adopting the international accounting standards (IFRS/IAS) into Turkish legislation for 3 years. During this period, he participated as a member in the Asian – Oceanian Standard Setters Group (AOSSG) and as an observer member in the World Standard Setters (WSS) Group.

During his duty as Secretary General, he actively participated in the preparation of the New Turkish Commercial Code (TCC) as well as he represented our country regarding accounting and audit legislations of new TCC during the negotiation process of EU Acquis’ Company Law Chapter with EU Commission.

The European Union acquis represented our country in terms of accounting and auditing regulations of the new TCC during the negotiation of the Company Law chapter with the EU Commission.

After he left public sector in 2010, he became the Group Audit Coordinator of Koç Holding Inc., which is the biggest conglomerate and the only Top 250 Fortune’s Global Listing company in Turkey. For three years before establishing Centrum, Burçin served as the Tax Management Coordinator of Koç companies responsible from the tax advisory and management of the group firms.

Burçin Gözlüklü has received his BA degree in Business Administration from the Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences. He has a Ph.D. degree in finance and accounting from Başkent University.

Between the 2011 and 2014 years, he served as the member of Turkish Industry and Business Association (TĂśSÄ°AD) intellectual rights sub-study group. Between 2011 and 2013 years, he represented TĂśSÄ°AD in the Commissions of Public Oversight, Accounting and Auditing Standards Authority.

He has been the executive board member of the International Financial Management Association of Turkey since 2013.

In 2020, he was elected as the executive board member of the Istanbul Economy Summit and as the independent member of the board of director of a listed company, Yeni Gimat GYO A.Ĺž.

He holds Sworn-in CPA and independent auditor degrees and he is fluent in English.

Specialty Areas

Firm Description:

Centrum provides services to many international and domestic companies in the fields of tax, independent audit, corporate finance, internal audit, corporate risk, management consultancy. In addition to the corporate services that it specializes in, it also offers comprehensive tax consultancy and tax compliance services.

Since its establishment in 2015, with more then 400 customers and 50 employees, it has become just one of Turkey’s fastest growing consulting firm within 5 years. It provides consultancy services to a large number of corporate firms, with partners consisting of 5 people, each of whom are experts in their fields, and a staff, 40% of whom hold a master’s degree. Centrum has achieved a unique place in sector since It is Turkey’s first firm specializing in international consulting and transfer pricing.

Centrum has received the “European Tax Awards of the Year: Tax Firm of the Year 2018” award by the International Tax Review, which is considered as the most reliable international publication in terms of evaluating tax firms. It is also listed as “Top Tier Transfer Pricing Firm” and “Top Tier Tax Firm” in the World Transfer Pricing 2019 and World Tax Guide 2019 issues published by International Tax Review.

At the beginning of 2019, Centrum has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Germany-based ETL Global in order to strengthen its activities worldwide, and has received the status of Turkey Office of ETL Global. ETL Global operates in more than 50 countries with more than 40 years of history and more than 1000 offices. ETL Global is ranked among the top 5 tax and audit companies in Germany and has an income more than 810 million Euros only in Germany. Its combined worldwide income is at the level of 1.3 Billion Euros. The company has around 850 offices in Germany. ETL Global operates worldwide with more than 9,000 employees and more than 200,000 customers.

 

Okan Or

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Leaders in Law endorses Okan Or as our exclusively recommended Competition and M&A Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Okan please use the contact information provided above.

Prior to founding SEOR Law Firm, Okan was a partner in Pekin & Pekin Law Firm.

Okan advises clients on a wide range of corporate transactions. He has extensive experience on various forms of merger & acquisition transactions, including formation of joint ventures, asset transfers, privatizations and various types of public private partnerships. Okan advises a number of multinational corporations, private equities and local entities at all phases of merger & acquisition transactions.

Having made 10s of filings before the Turkish Competition Board, Okan is among the leading attorneys of the jurisdiction in the Competition Law area, assisting his clients in investigation processes, implementation of pre-emptive measures and training programs as well as merger control filings.

In addition, Okan advises his clients in matters concerning real property development, sale and mortgages. He has assisted structuring and implementation of various high ticket and complex real property transactions involving construction right, mortgages, right of first refusal and promise to sell arrangements.

Okan also leads personal data protection practice of the firm and has led numerous compliance projects on privacy matters.

Practice Areas

  • Merger & Acquisitions
  • Corporate and Commercial Law
  • Competition
  • Real Property
  • Data Protection,

Education

Istanbul Bilgi University (LL.B. 2007)

Bar Admissions

Istanbul Bar Association (2008)

Languages

English

Firm Description:

SEOR Law Firm is a full service Turkish law firm established in Istanbul. We have a highly experienced and dynamic team of legal experts dedicated and well capable of distinguishing SEOR Law Firm through the quality of its legal services, responsiveness, reliability and strict compliance with high ethical and professional standards.

Our diverse practice areas mainly include all aspects of corporate and commercial law, mergers & acquisitions, banking and finance, competition, real estate and construction, dispute resolution and capital markets.

Our team has in depth knowledge across many sectors and assists publicly traded and privately owned multinational companies, private equities, financial institutions, local entities, startups and individuals.

Our lawyers leverage their long-term work experience in advising on and handling cross-border transactions and disputes within their respective areas of specialization and work as a team in order to offer commercially focused and top quality legal services that are tailored to the particular needs of the client.

We aim to act as a business partner of our clients providing services that add value to their businesses and proactively supporting them in an efficient manner.

All lawyers in the firm are bilingual and are qualified to practice law in Turkey.

 

Burçak Sercan Sarıkaya

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Leaders in Law endorses Burçak Sercan Sarıkaya as our exclusively recommended Commercial Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Burçak please use the contact information provided above.

Burçak Sercan Sarıkaya is the founding partner of Sarıkaya + Şahin and is a qualified lawyer admitted to the Istanbul Bar Association with experience in commercial litigation/contracts, cross-border transactions, maritime and admiralty disputes. He has notable experience in litigation and dispute resolution cases, breaches of contract and especially disputes where multinational companies are involved including but not limited to employment and labour law.

Education

  • Atılım University Insitute of Social Sciences (Ph.D in Business Administration, present)
  • BahçeĹźehir University Institute of Social Sciences (LL.M in Private Law – Full Scholarship)
  • Ankara University Faculty of Law (Law Diploma)

Memberships & Admissions

  • ELSA

Other Languages

  • English

Firm Description:

Today, the impact of rapid changes in technology and economy is also manifested in the field of law. Therefore, these changes bring the necessity for dynamic, open-minded and professionally up-to-date lawyers more than ever. Sarıkaya + Şahin aims to respond to these necessities while enhancing its services to come along with the best possible solutions.

Sarıkaya + Şahin focuses on providing high level advice and expertise to its clients for their legal obstacles in various commercial areas in order to materialise their business strategies and assist them to achieve their goals. Sarıkaya + Şahin counsels clients of all types – individuals, entrepreneurs, small businesses and start-ups and international and global entities.

By putting forward solution-oriented and interest efficient approaches, Sarıkaya + Şahin is dedicated to provide excellence in client service.

In matters of relations with administrative body and institutions, pursuing and concluding licence, authorization and permit procedures, Sarıkaya + Şahin collaborates with a Law Firm based in Ankara with 20 years of experience.

 

Selcuk Esenyel

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Leaders in Law endorses Selcuk S. Esenyel as our exclusively recommended Dispute Resolution Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Selcuk, please use the contact information provided above.

Selcuk S. Esenyel is the founding partner of Esenyel&Partners and is a qualified lawyer admitted to the Istanbul Bar Association after completing his LL.B. Law degree in Turkey and studying for an LL.M. in the United Kingdom.

He primarily focuses on maritime, admiralty, dispute resolution, banking and finance and asset finance and securitisation. He has acted for a wide range of clientele, from P&I Clubs to H&M insurers, to international banks, to ship charterers and owners. He is currently in charge of the Shipping, Finance and Litigation team at Esenyel&Partners.

Practice Areas

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Maritime
  • Litigation
  • Bankruptcy and Execution
  • Intellectual Property
  • Employment

Significant Clients

  • Cosco Shipping
  • Turkish Chamber of Marine
  • Turkish Shipbuilders Association
  • Spliethoff’s
  • Hyundai
  • London P&I
  • ITIC
  • Omsan Logistics
  • Kiran Holding
  • Fedcom Invest
  • Zeller Associates

Firm Description:

ESENYEL & PARTNERS is Turkey’s leading law firm based in Istanbul having correspondent lawyers and offices all over the country in cities such as Izmir, Canakkale, Kocaeli, Samsun, Trabzon, Mersin, Iskenderun and Ankara and worldwide.

As a law firm that always aims to grow, we owe our success to the fast, practical and high-quality service we provide to our clients. Our highly experienced lawyers take a hands-on approach to the practice of law and provide both legal and technical assistance in favour of our dedication to understanding specific sectors of represented clients.

We have used the highest ethical and professional standards, combined with the firm’s reach and depth of understanding of the law, to help it deliver better and more innovative solutions. Our solution-driven approach combines the excellence of legal assistance with commercial awareness and counsel to advise the world’s leading companies in extensive fields of law. Besides our deep expertise in shipping, logistics and trade, we have an effective commercial practice specialized in commercial disputes, contractual claims and international arbitration especially in LMAA, FIDIC, GAFTA and FOSFA arbitration. From the beginning, we aim to consistently develop a trustworthy relationship with our Clients by advising them on their most significant transactions and disputes.

Our highly trained and experienced lawyers are qualified to work in an internationally challenging environment, furthermore, we also have partners admitted to English Bar, Lincoln’s Inn, the Russian Bar, Ukrainian Bar and the Cypriot Bar. We believe in good work ethic, team harmony and appreciation of hardworking people is what makes us who we are.

 

Ersin Nazali

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Leaders in Law endorses Ersin Nazali as our exclusively recommended Tax Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Ersin please use the contact information provided above.

Ersin Nazalı, who has worked as tax inspector for nine years under Revenue Administration, is expert and has a considerable knowledge in several tax areas especially tax inspections, tax litigation, transfer pricing and tax free re-structuring of companies.

He was born in Denizli in 1979. He has graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences and also Dicle University, Faculty of Law. He has master degree from Istanbul University in Fiscal Law (MSc) and also from King’s College London, School of Law in International Tax Law (L.L.M.). He is currently working on his PhD Thesis named, “Transfer Pricing from Tax Perspective” in İstanbul University, Fiscal Law Department.

After his graduation from university in 2001, he worked as tax assistant in Arthur Anderson and then as deputy inspector in Prime Ministry Board of Inspection. In 2004 he has been assigned as Deputy Tax Inspector upon his success in the entrance exam, in 2007 he has been assigned as Tax Inspector.

In academic year 2008-2009, he served as part time lecturer in Aydın University and he attended as both debater and instructor in several conferences and seminars organized by various institutes and organizations.

He has played role in legislation of tax laws as of March 2009 after having been assigned in Tax Council. He also played role in Consultancy Commission which is an organ of Tax Inspectors Board as member and reporter. He is one of the founders of “Tracking of Tax Disputes” Department within Tax Inspectors’ Board.

There are more than eighty articles published in several tax journals.

Ersin Nazalı who is married and father of one child, has a very good command of English.

Publications

  1. Liquidation, Merger, Acquisition, Spin-off and Conversion of Joint Stock and Limited Liable Companies in respect of Tax and New Turkish Commercial Code (3rd Eddition, 2013)
  2. Work Place/Permanent Establishment in respect of Tax Treaties and Turkish Tax Law
    (About to be published)
  3. Tax of Law (Selected Articles)
    (About to be published)
  4. Taxation of Securities within the Scope of European Union Harmonization
    (Unpublished, Proficiency Study-Tax Inspectors’ Board, Istanbul, 2007)
  5. Criminal and Tax Liability of Company Directors
    (Unpublished, Proficiency Study-Prime Ministry Inspectors Board, Ankara, 2003)

 

Arzu Ongur

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Leaders in Law endorses Arzu Ongur as our exclusively recommended Litigation Law expert in Turkey. If you wish to get in touch with Arzu please use the contact information provided above.

Arzu ONGUR is the managing partner of ONGUR&PARTNERS International Law Firm. She is a well-recognized lawyer based in Turkey, with expertise in international law, arbitration and litigation. She has wide range of professional work experiences in Turkey and abroad, including Italy, Brussels and New York City. She represented many large-scale local and international clients and government authorities, as well as embassies, before national courts and international arbitrations. Some selected projects and cases where she acted as attorney are provided in the “Selected Cases” section. She has training and legal degrees from Turkey, and Italy. Arzu ONGUR’s focus is on ICC& ICSID Arbitration, Public Procurements and Projects, Energy Oil & Gas Law, Mining Law, Foreign Direct Investments, Privatizations, Litigations, International Contracts, Administrative Law, Defense Industry, Banking Law, Competitions, Defense Industry, Aviation, Transportations, Public Tenders and PPP. She has vast experience in multinational and complex legal disputes.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:  English (fluent)  / Italian (fluent) / Turkish (native)

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

POST-GRADUATED STUDIES

PHD ON ADMINISTRATIVE LAW &COMPETITION LAW

2005 October-Ankara University Faculty of Law Department of Administrative Law GPA 90/100 Ankara /TURKEY

MASTER ON EUROPEAN UNION STUDIES AND LAW

2006 October- 2007 June European College of Parma, Advanced Diploma on European Studies and Law, (She granted Full Scholarship from Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.) GPA 24/30 Parma/ITALY

MASTER IN DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION AND CHANGE

2004 October-July 2005 Master in Development Innovation and Change Bologna University Alma mater, Faculty of Law. She completed this programme as Erasmus exchange student. GPA 23.3/30 Bologna/ITALY

LAW DEGREE

ANKARA UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF LAW

1996-2000 Ankara University Faculty of Law, Bachelor Degree in Law

ONGUR&PARTNERS International Law Office:

ONGUR&PARTNERS International Law Office provides a spectrum of top quality legal services to international businesses, corporations, governments and investors. The firm’s experienced team of lawyers has represented clients from throughout the European Union; particularly in the United Kingdom and Italy, as well as United States and Turkey. It built a strong reputation for professionalism, rigor, and appreciation of complexities of international business law.

We are proud to provide legal services to a broad range of clients from all over the world, to prominent industries in Turkey as well as significant projects, while working as trusted legal advisors in Turkey for over 13 years. In depth experience we gathered from distinguished clients, being part of unique projects and dealing with multinational complex legal issues provided us with the framework and opportunity to demonstrate our legal skills at the highest level.

ONGUR&PARTNERS International Law Office expertise covers all aspects of state, commerce, business and investment laws in Turkey, and all aspects of litigation and arbitration. The office in Ankara provides local services to surrounding cities, as well as Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Alanya, and employs consultants overseas to provide service in excellent standards. Clients are served with diligence, and the firm’s language fluency in Turkish, English, Italian and Russian guarantees that an interpreter is rarely needed for close communication. Lawyers and staff at Our firm is considered among the top trusted international legal service providers and law firms in Turkey by international legal networks and authorities. Our special focus on client expectation and our approach to design best legal strategy for successful and effective results separate us. The firm’s close client interaction, support and international network render its services solution-oriented.

Our lawyers aim to:

-Understand the needs of local and foreign clients,

-Multi-dimensionally analyze and provide the best solutions to meet legal requirements and satisfy client needs,

-Bring professionalism and timely execution for each steps of legal processing for clients.

ONGUR&PARTNERS’s vision is to provide clients with legal advice that helps them achieve their long-term objectives in Turkey and across the globe with the greatest efficiency. This vision is attained by a strategy of steady expansion, allowing us to retain a boutique character and to provide excellent standards of service.

More information about our firm is available upon request. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any question and/or inquiries through contact@ongurpartners.com or to call us from +90 312 426 39 94