The Legal 500

Based in Ankara, Çakmak Avukatlik Bürosu has a superb reputation and is praised for its ‘very good network of experts’ and ‘prompt, knowledgeable lawyers’. Among the partners, Mesut Çakmak is considered ‘a great strategist and organiser’, while Tugba Bayman is ‘very precise and knowledgeable in her area’. Clients also single out the ‘diligent and intelligent’ senior associate Çagdas Ergün, who has an ‘excellent grasp of law’. The firm is highly recommended for international arbitration, commercial and administrative litigation. Recently it successfully represented Andas in an ICC arbitration against the Republic of Turkey regarding electricity distribution privatizations.

Managing partner Selale Kartal heads Cerrahoglu Law Firm’s esteemed disputes practice. The group also includes founding partner Fadlullah Cerrahoglu who remains one of Turkey’s foremost lawyers, with an excellent track record in international arbitrations. Highlights included advising on a major telecoms arbitration regarding the termination of a distribution contract.

‘The overall level of service is absolutely outstanding’ at Cosar Attorneys at Law, whose lawyers ‘leave no stone unturned while at the same time bringing creative strategic and advocacy ideas to the table’. The ‘master strategist’ Aydin Cosar ‘is exceptional in terms of his knowledge and his strategic sense’ and highly recommended for both domestic litigation and international arbitration, while the ‘extremely bright’ team head Utku Cosar ‘has a sixth sense for strategy’ and ‘will be the leading international arbitration lawyer of her generation in Turkey’. The firm has been on several major ICSID disputes on behalf of the Republic of Turkey, including its $10bn Energy Charter Treaty dispute with Libananco Holdings.

Çaga & Çaga Law Firm’s ‘10 out of 10’ disputes practice impresses on the back of some excellent feedback from clients and peers alike. The firm is especially strong in the media and entertainment sector, but regularly represents clients from all corners of the market, both in litigation and arbitration. Overall, the firm is ‘run very professionaly and I have my full trust in it in all respects’, reports one international client. Idil Çaga Degerli heads the team, which includes Omer Yigit Aykan, who is ‘an action taker and has also the ability to influence his opponents’ mentality and actions. If one needs a lawyer who is a warrior and a mediator at the same time, he is the one’.

Ismail Esin and Murat Canyurak of Esin Law Firm both have excellent reputations for litigation and international arbitration. The firm is highly experienced in securities-related disputes and advises several major clients in the aviation, media and financial services sectors.

Ayse Bilgen heads Hergüner Bilgen Özeke’s well regarded dispute resolution team, which also includes Tolga Danisman. The firm has been very active on the arbitration front and has been representing Telia Sonera in its high profiled dispute with Alfa Telecom over the ownership of Turkcell. Other major clients include DP World, LG Electronics and Imperial Tobacco.

Mehmet Gün & Partners’ disputes team has some ‘exceptionally good’ lawyers, including lead partners Mehmet Gün, Nese Önder, and Riza Gümbüsoglu. The firm is particularly strong in administrative disputes and remains unrivalled for IP litigation. More recently, it has been involved in several major fraud claims and significant insurance and reinsurance disputes.

Moroglu Arseven’s disputes practice is particularly well regarded by rival firms and is backed up by an excellent regulatory practice. The firm has recently been involved in several major financial services disputes. Seyfi Moroglu and Benan Arseven are also noted for their expertise in international arbitration.

Pekin & Pekin’s top-notch disputes practice has been involved in several major multimillion and multibillion-dollar banking litigations and arbitrations. Gökben Dirican heads the highly-rated four-partner team, which includes senior partner Ahmed Pekin, Ali Gözütok and Ahmet Bagci.

YukselKarkinKucuk’s disputes practice is headed by name partner Murat Karkin, who is ‘excellent in terms of legal knowledge and has a good understanding of both local dispute resolution and international arbitration’. Cüneyt Yüksel is also considered an ‘accomplished negotiator’ in arbitrations. The comprehensive practice, is also highly recommended for employment, white-collar crime, IP and tax-related disputes.

Ziya Akinci of Akinci Law Office is ‘simply brilliant from all perspectives’ and is ‘by far the best in Turkey and regionally on arbitration’. Another major client adds: ‘The precise and to-the-point legal arguments, the clear and well-structured way in which the pleadings were drafted, as well as the oral pleadings were beyond doubt of very high quality’.

Akol Avukatlik Bürosu has an active disputes practice that covers both domestic litigation and international arbitration, where its access to the White & Case Müsavirlik Ltd. Sirketi’s global disputes practice is very helpful to clients. Meltem Akol and Rozita Nigrin-Borden are recommended.

Balcioglu Selcuk Akman impresses on the back of its merger with the energy and litigation boutique Akman Law Firm. Özgür Akman heads the two-partner team, which also includes Serap Azer. The firm’s regular clients include Ipragaz, Dominos Pizza and Banca Arner. Barlas Balcioglu is the partner in charge of international arbitration.

Bircanoglu Attorneys at Law has an impressive clientbase that includes Aviva, which it advised on a major insurance dispute, and the RBS subsidiary Lombard North Central, which it represented on a ship finance dispute. Managing partner Erol Bircanoglu is recommended.

Mahmut Birsel of Birsel Law Offices has a top-notch reputation for dispute resolution, particularly in international arbitration where he has been an arbitrator in ICC and ICSID disputes. The firm has an impressive range of international clients.

Gonenc Gurkaynak is the main disputes contact at ELIG, Attorneys-at-Law, which is recommended for administrative disputes. Aside from competition law, where it leads the market, the firm is also recommended in employment law, where it has four specialists. A recent highlight was advising Digicom Elektronik Pazarlama in a dispute with LG Electronics regarding the termination of a distribution agreement.

Praised for its ‘speed of response, technical ability and technical response’, Erçin Bilgin Bektasoglu ‘is always prompt and commercial’. The main focus is shipping, aviation and insurance-related disputes, for which the firm has a superb reputation. Burcu Bilgin is considered ‘particularly good’ and praised for her ‘availability at all times’ and for knowing ‘when to seize the moment to settle a case rather than to drag on the proceedings’. Name partners Feyzi Ercin and Dilek Bektasoglu-Sanli are also highly recommended.

Erdem & Erdem Law Office’s high quality disputes team has been involved in several major shareholder disputes, and is equally well versed in litigation as in arbitration. Clients include Emaar Properties, Finans Bank and Standard & Commerce Group. Süleyman Sevinç heads the team.

Name partner Ergun Ersoy heads the quality disputes practice at Ersoy Bilgehan Lawyers & Consultants. The firm is particularly recommended for insurance and shipping disputes, and is equally well versed in international arbitration and litigation. Ilknur Peksen, Zihni Bilgehan and Gulistan Baltaci Hatay are also recommended.

Güner Law Office has a highly experienced disputes team, which is advising a multinational client in a €200m ICC arbitration. The firm is also recommended for maritime insurance claims, where it has represented clients such as the Willis Group.

Best known for shipping litigation, Gür Law Firm is also highly experienced in general commercial disputes, as well as debt recovery matters, employment claims and international arbitration. Name partner Tevfik Gür and Serkan Yildirim both have strong reputations.

Okur & Okur Law Firm’s senior partner Yigit Tahsin Okur has a very reputable name for disputes work and is regularly instructed on major corporate and banking disputes.

Özel & Özel is recommended for its litigation and international arbitration expertise, where in the latter it benefits from its links to Salans’ market-leading arbitration group. Recent clients include Shell, Thyssen Krupp, and DiaSa (a subsidiary of Carrefour), which it represented in a construction-related dispute. Haluk Can Özel is recommended.

Dispute resolution is a key area for Paksoy and its senior partner Serdar Paksoy. The firm handles the full range of cross-border and domestic disputes.

Can Oguzer heads the four-partner team at Pekin & Bayar Law Firm, which acts for an impressive range of major international clients. The firm represented several banks on multimillion-dollar disputes, as well as numerous leading blue-chip corporations.

Name partner Etem Postacioglu of Postacioglu Law Office has plenty of experience representing domestic and international clients on international arbitration and litigation.

Senguler & Senguler is praised for its ‘good client service’, while one client reports they would use the firm ‘unhesitatingly in the future’. Seda Demirsar heads the team, which recently represented Amity Oil International in a multimillion-dollar litigation regarding its Turkish operations. The ‘excellent and very commercially minded’ Jonathan Blythe also doubles as an ICC arbitrator.

Turunç’s well regarded practice was involved in several major wrongful termination claims on behalf of clients in the automotive sector, including General Motors, Daewoo and Chevrolet. Asli Isik heads the team.

Yamaner & Yamaner Law Offices’ well-regarded disputes practice covers both international arbitration, where Cihan Yamaner has a very good reputation, and commercial litigation, where Ahmet Berker is one of the key partners. The firm is also highly recommended for maritime disputes.

Yarsuvat & Yarsuvat Law Firm’s founder and managing partner Duygun Yarsuvat has an excellent reputation for litigation and international arbitration. The firm is also highly experienced in fraud and white-collar crime matters.

Dispute resolution accounts for a third of the work at ADMD Law Office, which was involved in several major tax and employment claims, and also advised on over €160m of debt recovery matters for its foreign clients. Duygu Alkan is recommended.

ASC Law Office acts for several major financial services clients including Finansbank and the National Bank of Greece, and has a strong specialist niche in derivatives-related disputes. Mahmut Savas is the firm’s main disputes partner.

Ariemre Law Office represents several major clients in the automotive sector and successfully defended Land Rover against compensation claims, following a fatal accident due to a faulty part. The firm is also strong in arbitrations, as well as tax and employment disputes. Murat Bozkurt heads the team.

Bezen & Partners name partners Yesim Bezen and Serdar Bezen are ‘personable and have good experience’, while the firm’s associates are considered ‘very responsive and thorough’. The firm has represented several banks in significant Turkish disputes.

Name partner Mustafa Yilmaz heads Cukur & Yilmaz’s disputes practice, which representes clients in litigations and arbitrations. Evrim Tuncer is well regarded for employment disputes.

Berna Akkor is recommended at D & D Law Firm, which recently represented Dubai Port World on several major disputes. Other clients include Erdemir Group and Garanti Bank.

Gürcan Law Offices is well regarded for financial services-related disputes where it represents several banks and export credit agencies.

Inal Law Office’s primary focus is in maritime and dry shipping-related disputes, where it has an excellent reputation. Seyma Inal is highly recommended.

Karaman Law Firm has an excellent reputation for shipping and insurance litigation. The firm also advises reinsurers on major non-shipping related disputes. Mahmut Karaman, who is also qualified as a Marine Chief Engineer, is highly recommended.

Well regarded disputes specialist Kazim Kolcuoglu remains a senior adviser at Kolcuoglu Demirkan, whose disputes practice strengthened significantly following the arrival of Okan Demirkan from Hergüner Bilgen Özeke.

Özkan Law Office is experienced in major arbitrations and recently represented a US mining company in a securities-related dispute. Zeynep Özkan has a good name in the market.

Serap Zuvin Law Offices has an active disputes practice with a strong track record advising clients in the aviation, technology and life sciences sectors. Serap Zuvin is recommended.

With over 100 fee-earners, TBS Turam & Donmez Avukatlik Ortakligi is a clear market leader for debt recovery work. Based in Istanbul, the firm also has ten liaison offices across Turkey. Cumhur Turam and Fatih Dönmez are the lead partners.

Tekinalp Lawyers’ senior partner Ünal Tekinalp has a good reputation in litigation and international arbitration. He is also an experienced ICC arbitrator.