The Legal 500

Akol Avukatlik Bürosu has a strong track record in finance and capital markets work, and as part of the White & Case Müsavirlik Ltd. Sirketi network, the firm can draw on its impressive global resources. Meltem Akol is one of the main contacts. Past clients include UBS and Deutsche Bank.

Hakki Gedik and Gökhan Eraksoy are both highly recommended at Hergüner Bilgen Özeke, which continues to boast one of the market’s leading banking and finance practices. The firm regularly acts for lenders and borrowers. Recent highlights include representing Citibank on an unsecured loan facility to Turk Telecom. The firm also advised IFC on a loan to Assan Aluminyum for the modernization and expansion of its aluminium plant.

Paksoy’s broad practice comes highly recommended for capital markets and other areas of banking and finance. Ömer Çollak is the main partner on the capital markets side, which recently represented Akbank on its $1bn bond issue, the first direct bond issue by a Turkish bank. Other highlights included representing Eria Pramerica on the financing and refinancing of a $150m shopping mall. Serdar Paksoy and Togan Turan have an excellent track record on the straight finance side, which remains strong despite the loss of Halide Cetinkaya to Kinstellar Danismanlik Hizmetleri Avukatlik Ortakligi’s new Turkish affiliate CCAO.

Pekin & Bayar Law Firm’s well regarded practice is a referral favourite for major international law firms, and acts for an impressive range of borrowers and lenders. Recently, the firm advised Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company as lender on a multimillion-dollar Murabaha Islamic financing. Other clients include Standard Bank, ABN AMRO and Nordea Bank. Highly rated senior partner Selin Bayar heads the four-partner team, which also includes Sila Yavuz.

Pekin & Pekin’s excellent standing in the market is reflected in its clientbase, which includes most of the big names in the international banking sector. Senior partner Ahmed Pekin heads the team, which also includes Sezin Çaliskan. Recent highlights include advising the lenders on three separate billion-dollar Loan Participation Notes transactions, as well as on a $1.7bn project financing of a major steel plant.

Verdi & Yazici’s superb three-partner team includes name partners Can Verdi and Hakan Yazici, as well as Akin Ekici who arrived at the firm in 2009 after four years as Chief Legal Counsel at Garanti Bank. The firm has an excellent reputation for all aspects of banking, finance and capital markets law, regularly advising banks on the full range of regulatory and transactional matters.

ASC Law Office has a very good track record advising on sophisticated products such as derivatives, where it advises providers and end-users. The firm is also recommended for project finance. Murat Aksu and Okan Beygo are the key contacts.

Birsel Law Offices is recommended for its broad practice that advises borrowers and lenders on contentious, non-contentious and general regulatory matters. Mahmut Birsel and Begüm Özaydin are all extremely experienced banking and finance lawyers.

Çakmak Avukatlik Bürosu’s highly experienced banking team has an excellent reputation for project finance where it regularly advises borrowers and lenders. The four-partner team includes Mesut Çakmak, Zeynep Çakmak, Sebnem Onder and Mehtap Yildirim Öztürk. Clients include HSBC, Commerzbank, Visa Europe and E.ON.

ELO | Eryürekli Law Office is highly recommended for capital markets work, and Mustafa Unal has ‘always been responsive and displayed a strong grasp of our business objectives and needs’. The ‘cost effective’ practice has been involved on several major offerings, and advised the brokerage firm UniCredit Menkul Degerler on Koc Fiat Tuketici Finansmani’s bond offering. Managing partner Murat Eryürekli is also highly recommended.

Ersoy Bilgehan Lawyers & Consultants has a good reputation for regulatory advice and is extremely experienced in ship and real estate finance. Among the partners, Zihni Bilgehan and Gulistan Baltaci Hatay have established good names in the market.

Güner Law Office represented several major lenders, including West LB, Wells Fargo, Commerzbank and Standard Chartered Bank, on syndicated term loan facility agreements (often to Turkish banks). The firm also has an excellent reputation for project finance. Managing partner Ece Güner heads the quality team.

Taboglu & Demirhan Attorneys-at- Law has a cutting-edge practice, with a particularly good reputation for capital markets and structured finance. The firm is also recommended for regulatory advice and Islamic finance. Name partners Esin Taboglu Yurtal and Ebru Demirhan are recommended.

YukselKarkinKucuk has an excellent reputation for capital markets work, particularly on the equity side. Recently, it advised a real estate company on its IPO. In banking and finance, the firm advises among others, JPMorgan, Bank Asya and TBC Bank, on the full range of matters, including loans and regulatory issues, as well as project finance, where it is very well regarded. Name partners Muharrem Küçük and Cüneyt Yüksel are recommended.

Balcioglu Selcuk Akman has received some impressive instructions, both from borrowers and lenders. Recently, it advised Corio Gayrimenkul Yatirim on a $150.5m loan from Akbank to finance the acquisition of a shopping mall. Lender clients include Aareal Bank and Is Bank. Barlas Balcioglu is recommended.

Name partner Erim Bener heads a strong practice at Bener Law Office that acts for several international banks and export credit agencies. The firm has good expertise in asset, Islamic, project and structured finance.

Yesim Bezen of Bezen & Partners has a very strong pedigree, and the firm is highly recommended for project finance. Recent highlights for the firm include advising an international bank on a working capital loan to a Turkish corporate to finance the import and distribution of agricultural commodities.

Çaga & Çaga Law Firm has been involved in a number of recent debt restructurings, and also offers strong advice in real estate finance and regulatory matters. Barbaros Çaga and Erdem Degerli are the main contacts.

Aysegül Yalçinmani Mertler heads the experienced team at Cerrahoglu Law Firm, which is especially recommended on the capital markets front, having recently advised Akbank on the issue of $1bn worth of notes due in 2015.

Cosar Attorneys at Law has a strong banking clientbase that it regularly represents on finance and capital markets issues. Arzu Cosar heads the team.

ELIG, Attorneys-at-Law acts for banks and borrowers. Highlights included advising the joint lead managers, BNP Paribas and Standard Chartered Bank, on Yuksel Insaat’s $250m high yield senior note offering. Other clients include Credit Suisse and the National Bank of Greece. The firm will miss recently departed group head Serkan Ictem.

Erdem & Erdem Law Office acts for an impressive range of borrowers and lenders, including Emaar Properties, HSBC and EBRD. In the past year the firm has been instructed on several multimillion-dollar loans and bond offerings. Senior partner Ercument Erdem is recommended.

Özel & Özel has advised on several borrower-led deals, and represented Bainbridge Holding on its refinancing of a €240m loan from Akbank. EBRD is a client on the lender side. Managing partner Haluk Can Özel is recommended.

Somay Hukuk Bürosu is recommended for syndicated loans, Islamic finance, project finance and capital markets work. Name partner Metin Somay has ‘a very reputable name in legal circles in Turkey’.

Bircanoglu Attorneys at Law has an active finance practice that regularly represents borrowers. Erol Bircanoglu heads the team whose clients include Lombard North Central, UPS Finance and Aviva.

Cukur & Yilmaz is recommended for acquisition finance, capital markets and restructuring. Devrim Çukur and Irem Soyman are the main contacts.

Dogru Law Office is highly recommended for securitisations, securities and capital markets law, where founding partner Halil Dogru is extremely experienced, having spent 11 years working at the Turkish Capital Markets Board.

Esin Law Firm is best known for its capital markets practice where Melis Aritman Alp is well regarded. The expanding firm has also boosted its finance capabilities following the arrival of Aylin Aksun from Gür Law Firm.

Formed in 2009, GSI Meridian has made a quick impact on the market. Ali Goksu is praised for his ‘outstanding business acumen’, and his practice recently advised Katu Turizm on a $700m Islamic financing from Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company. The firm also has a good track record in energy-related financings.

Name partner Tevfik Gür is one of the main banking lawyers at Gür Law Firm, which has an active debt recovery practice. The firm will miss Aylin Aksun, who joined Esin Law Firm.

Inal Law Office’s banking expertise isn’t just confined to its excellent ship finance practice, the firm has also been involved in several major financings. Recently it advised a Turkish manufacturer on a $90m syndicated loan. Seyma Inal is very well regarded.

Arzum Günalcin is the key finance partner at Ismen Law Firm, which advises clients on a range of matters, including capital markets. It also advised Türkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi (TSKB) as both underwriter’s and issuer’s counsel in connection with an IPO of shares of TSKB Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi on the Istanbul Stock Exchange.

Kolcuoglu Demirkan acts for a number of international and domestic banks, including Deutsche Bank and Akbank. The firm is recommended for its capital markets expertise. Umut Kolcuoglu is well regarded.

Praised for its ‘flawless service’, Moroglu Arseven impresses on the back of some excellent feedback and impressive instructions. Seyfi Moroglu is praised for his ‘in-depth knowledge and mastery of the legal and regulatory framework’. The firm is particularly strong in trade and project finance.

Senguler & Senguler is recommended for project and real estate finance, where it recently advised the National Bank of Abu Dhabi on the financing of a major luxury hotel in Istanbul. Burcu Ozsevinc is the main contact.

Tekinalp Lawyers acts for some of Turkey’s largest banks, and as a former board member of Akbank, senior partner Unal Tekinalp has an excellent understanding of the industry.