The Legal 500

Çakmak Avukatlik Bürosu handles commercial and administrative litigation, and arbitration. The power and energy sectors are a major source of clients for the firm, and the team is representing projects company Atam Alapi Elektrik in a series of lawsuits filed against the Republic of Turkey concerning the non-realisation of its natural gas power project due to an alleged default by the government. Other instructions include banking and antitrust disputes. Mesut Çakmak, Tugba Bayman and associate Çagdas Ergun are recommended.

Cerrahoglu Law Firm’s well-reputed commercial litigation and arbitration practice acts for clients such as Coca-Cola, Hilton, Pfizer, ING and Boston Scientific. Name partner Fadlullah Cerrahoglu is in the list of arbitrators at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the ICC Turkish National Committee’s Arbitrator Committee. Selale Kartal is also recommended.

Cosar Avukatlik Burosu is ‘top in the country for energy litigation’, but also has ‘experts available in all areas of Turkish and international law’. It has a sterling track record in multimillion-dollar ICSID arbitrations, and also recently successfully represented the Republic of Turkey in a major dispute before the ECHR. The ‘remarkably strategic, persistent, intuitive and hardworking’ litigation partners include Aydin Cosar as well as Utku Cosar, who has ‘unparalleled skill in dispute resolution’.

Akinci Law Office gives ‘exceptional levels of service’, and has extensive experience and expertise in international arbitration across the construction, power and energy sectors, among others. Ziya Akinci is ‘a master of arbitration’.

Akol Avukatlik Bürosu has a solid commercial litigation practice headed by Meltem Akol and Yalin Akmenek, as well as a labour law litigation team co-headed by Rozita Nigrin-Borden. The group is acting for Cukurova Group regarding Turkish law issues relating to its multibillion-dollar dispute with Alfa Groups concerning the ownership of Turkcell. Construction, infrastructure and capital markets disputes are also areas of strength.

Çaga & Çaga Law Firm’s ‘level of service is very high’ and its dispute resolution lawyers display ‘professionalism and excellent knowledge’. The litigation team has recently been representing clients in various billion-dollar tax disputes and is extremely active in media disputes. Idil Çaga Degerli and Erdem Degerli are recommended.

Güner Law Office’s ‘committed, client-oriented and service-minded’ group has acted in a series of high-value litigations and arbitrations. It is ‘quick to grasp key issues and gives clear and direct legal advice and does not shy away from controversy, but provides an accurate assessment of the possible outcomes’. Ece Güner is ‘extremely competent and personable’, and Nihan Kaya is ‘very good at analysing complex issues and simplifying them into understandable concepts’.

Gür Law Firm is commended for its ‘overall professionalism’, and notably acted in a number of significant multimillion-dollar arbitrations, particularly in shipping and IP. Practice head Serkan Yildirim and Zafer Bal are recommended.

Mehmet Gün & Partners has an unparalleled reputation in IP litigation, as well as a strong insurance litigation practice. The team provides ‘excellent service’, and ‘quick, clear and accurate advice’. Customs and white-collar crime cases are growing areas of practice. It continues to handle litigation in relation to more than two hundred claims arising from the Atatturk Airport fire. Mehmet Gün, Riza Gümbüsoglu and of counsel Nese Önder are recommended.

Moroglu Arseven has a solid reputation in dispute resolution, with particular expertise in distribution and regulatory issues. It acts for a number of clients in the telecoms, electronics and energy sectors, and is acting for one client in ICC arbitration. Seyfi Moroglu, Ergun Benan Arseven and Nejla Aydin Özer are recommended.

Pekin & Pekin is representing a claimant in a multimillion-dollar civil action for fraud and has attracted a number of significant matters in the financial services industry. Gökben Erdem Dirican, Ahmed Pekin, Ali Gözütok, and Ahmet Bagci are the partners in the team.

YukselKarkinKucuk’s ‘always very professional’ dispute resolution team is representing telecoms operator Turkcell in three major ICC arbitrations totalling over YTL210m, and is also advising Ashmore in a $400m shareholder dispute involving fraud issues. Labour law disputes constitute another area of expertise. Practice head Murat Karkin is ‘a shrewd strategist who knows the Turkish legal system inside out’, and Cüneyt Yüksel is also recommended.

Ariemre Law Office provides ‘robust advice with a reliable risk assessment and at a good value for money’. The litigation department, headed by Murat Bozkurt, handles commercial litigation, arbitration and ADR, as well as enforcement and insolvency work. Founding partner Rezan Ariemre is ‘a reputable figure before all judicial platforms’, and is recommended for ‘setting strategy in the litigations’.

Özgür Akman heads Balcioglu Selcuk Akman’s litigation team has extensive experience in the energy sector, and is acting for LPG distributor Ipragaz in various claims totalling €3.4m. Barlas Balcioglu is recommended for arbitration, and the firm has a niche practice in commodities arbitration. In January 2012, the firm announced its new co-operation with Salans.

Birsel Law Offices represents clients before civil, commercial and administrative first instance and appellate courts, and is notable for banking litigation. The accessible Serkan Pamukkale is recommended, as is Mahmut Birsel for arbitration.

ELIG, Attorneys-at-Law provides comprehensive representation in administrative law, labour law, IP law, real estate and antitrust. It is representing Digicom Elektronik Pazarlama against LG Electronics in litigation over a distribution agreement. Other clients include ExxonMobil, 3M and L’Oréal. Gönenç Gürkaynak and Tunc Lokmanhekim are recommended.

Erçin Bilgin Bektasoglu not only ‘presents a very knowledgeable and detailed legal opinion, but also points out the dangers or disadvantages of taking different paths in a case’. The firm has a particularly strong reputation in insurance, shipping and aviation disputes, as well as being ‘well experienced and reputable in real estate law, administrative law and commercial law’. Mehmet Feyzi Erçin is ‘the first one to go to for complicated cases’, and Dilek Bektasoglu-Sanli has ‘deep understanding of a case and the possible outcomes’. Burcu Bilgin is also recommended.

Erdem & Erdem Law Office has seen a steady flow of disputes work, particularly in significant labour law cases. In addition, it recently represented a company in a high-value shareholder dispute. Süleyman Sevinç is recommended. Clients include Çelebi Holding, Emaar Properties and Finansbank.

Ersoy Bilgehan Lawyers & Consultants’ ‘hands-on and proactive’ team includes Ergun Ersoy, Ilknur Peksen and Gulistan Baltaci Hatay. Shipping and insurance disputes are key areas.

Esin Attorney Partnership, a Member Firm of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein’s commercial litigation practice has a particular strength in securities and financial markets disputes. Ismail Esin, Murat Canyürek and associate Seda Ozbay are recommended.

Ayse Bilgen and Tolga Danisman are Hergüner Bilgen Özeke’s main contacts for disputes work. The group has acted for Imperial Tobacco and Lehman Brothers, and counts LG Electronics and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline Company as key clients.

Kolcuoglu Demirkan ‘shows good knowledge of legal issues but is equally able to communicate them clearly, and always has a good overview of the commercial strategy’. This ‘excellent’ litigation practice has gone from strength to strength since Okan Demirkan and Kazim Kolcuoglu united in 2010. Clients include Goodrich Corporation, Raimondi and Panasonic.

Özel & Özel’s broad-ranging litigation practice has recently handled disputes spanning general commercial matters, employment, administrative law and labour law. It is advising DiaSia, the Turkish affiliate of Dia supermarkets (part of the Carrefour group), in a dispute arising from a construction project. Shell and Voxtronite are also clients. Team head Haluk Can Özel is praised as ‘the best’.

Erhan Kaya now leads Pekin & Bayar Law Firm’s litigation group after the departure of Can Oguzer in 2010. The team is acting in a number of multimillion-dollar actions, particularly in the financial services sector.

Senguler & Senguler’s commercial litigation team acts for clients such as the Turkish subsidiaries of Orange and Transatlantic Worldwide. The group’s service combines ‘prompt responses, pragmatic advice and good all-round knowledge’. Jonathan Blythe and Seda Demirsar are recommended.

Asli Isik heads Turunç’s broad litigation practice, which is ‘responsive and provides well-thought-out advice at reasonable costs’. It has been extremely busy in relation to consumer protection and product liability cases, as well as general commercial disputes. Clients include General Motors Turkey, Chevrolet Turkey, Cargill and British American Tobacco. Isik and Noyan Turunç are recommended.

Yamaner & Yamaner Law Offices is particularly good for maritime disputes. Cihan Yamaner and Ahmet Berker are recommended.

Duygu Alkan and Orhan Mavioglu of ADMD Law Office are ‘excellent lawyers’. The practice has filed a significant number of commercial lawsuits for clients and also seen an increase in tax-related work.

Bezen & Partners is ‘a trusted pair of hands in the Turkish market’ for litigation and arbitration, and meets ‘the right balance of understanding of both the local and international market’. It represented a French international bank regarding the misappropriation of gold bullion, and acted for an international insurance company in arbitration over exclusion provisions. Serdar Bezen and the ‘excellent’ Yesim Bezen are recommended.

Bircanoglu Attorneys at Law’s clients include Aviva, construction company Garanti Koza, and Lombard North Central. It is also representing a multinational IT company in a complex software dispute. Erol Bircanoglu is the main contact.

Cukur & Yilmaz’s comprehensive practice encompasses commercial, corporate, labour, insurance, real estate, product liability and consumer disputes. It is advising a British insurance company in a €10m insurance fraud case. Evrim Tunçer is recommended for labour and employment cases, and Mustafa Yilmaz has particular expertise in IP disputes.

Inal Law Office is well regarded for shipping litigation. It advised a major Turkish shipping company in a shipbuilding dispute with an Italian company. Seyma Inal is recommended.

Karaman Law Firm’s core expertise lies in shipping and insurance litigation and arbitration, as well as engineering disputes. Mahmut Karaman is recommended.

Paksoy handles disputes both domestically and internationally across a broad range of sectors including, but not limited to, financial services, technology, construction and real estate. Serdar Paksoy is the main contact.

Etem Postacioglu is the standout figure at Postacioglu Law Office, being included on the list of Turkish ICC arbitrators.

Aksan Law Firm’s practice head Sevgi Toluay is recommended along with Muhammet Aksan, who is a member of the arbitration tribunal at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce.

The ‘reliable, responsive and flexible’ Bener Law Office has represented clients in tax and IP disputes, enforcement actions and employment arbitrations. It recently absorbed Kucuk & Kucuk, a move which strengthened its dispute resolution team. Erim Bener is recommended; senior associate Sezai Sur is acting practice head.

Çelen Law Office is ‘a boutique law firm with an excellent overall level of service’. Its expertise in the pharmaceuticals industry has led the group to be involved in successfully settling a number of multimillion-euro distribution contract disputes. The scope of its contentious services also includes other corporate cases and employment disputes. Clients include Novo Nordisk, Gilead Sciences, Fresenius Kabi, Barilla and Gambro Credit. Gökce Celen is recommended.