The Legal 500

Bezen & Partners’ services are ‘of the highest level with timely responses, great experience and knowledge of project finance’. The firm has acted on mandates in a number of sectors including nuclear and renewable energy projects. It provides ‘exceptional value and quality consultancy in very complicated fields of project financing’. Yesim Bezen is ‘outstanding with an understanding of the deal that goes beyond that normally seen from local counsel’. Aykut Bakirci is also highly recommended.

Clients report that they ‘can always be assured of an excellent and professional service’ from Birsel Law Offices’ projects team, which is ‘a pleasure to work with’. In addition to acting for financing parties on energy and power projects, the group is also advising a client on the Marmaray project, an underground and underwater tunnel connecting the European (Halkali) and Asian (Gebze) sides of Isanbul, and its related tender. Mahmut Birsel and Begum Ozaydin are recommended.

Çakmak Avukatlik Bürosu can ‘simply be described as strong, prudent and trustworthy’, providing support on corporate, contractual, regulatory and financing aspects of projects. It is ‘one of the best in Turkey in respect of response times, business acumen, industry knowledge, appropriateness of advice and strength in depth’. The group has especially ‘broad experience on energy-related project finance’, and also recently advised Anagold Medencilik on the $125m financing of a gold mine project. Mesut Çakmak, Mehtap Yildirim Öztürk, and senior associate Çagdas Ergun are ‘among the highest credited legal professionals in Turkey’. Zeynep Çakmak and Sebnem Önder are also recommended.

Güner Law Office’s project finance experience includes mandates in the power, natural resources, telecoms, leisure and transport sectors. It is advising Celebi Holding on a $155m financing of the upgrade and expansion of Bandirma Port. Lender-side clients include Société Générale and HSBC. Ece Güner is recommended.

Hergüner Bilgen Özeke’s lender-oriented project finance group acts for clients including Unicredit, Akbank, YapiKredi, Finansbank and Crédit Agricole. It is also acting as local counsel to the sponsors on the $6.5bn financing of Turkey’s largest BOT project, the Gebze-Izmir highway. Gökhan Eraksoy, Ümit Hergüner and Ender Özeke are recommended.

Paksoy has strong experience in project financing and IPPs. The team is advising a bank consortium (Isbank, Yapi Kredi and TSKB) on extending a $265m loan to Içdas for the construction and development of a coal-fired power plant. Togan Turan and Ömer Çollak are highly recommended.

Pekin & Pekin has a stronghold in the project finance market, representing lenders. It is advising a client on a multimillion-dollar loan facility for an SPV in the electrical generation and supply sector. Ahmed Pekin and Kemal Serdengeçti are the names to note.

Senguler & Senguler remains busy advising clients on project financing as well as other projects matters including commercial agreements, contracts and licensing. It is acting for Xtract Energy in its joint venture with Merty Energy. Jonathan Blythe and Selçuk Sengüler are recommended.

ASC Law Office advises on project financing, contracts, tax planning and regulatory compliance. Mahmut Savas has invaluable experience, having worked previously as chief legal counsel at a construction company. Murat Aksu is also recommended.

Akol Avukatlik Bürosu advises lenders and borrowers on projects in industries including power, healthcare and natural resources. It recently represented the AES-IC Ictas joint venture company regarding the development and financing of several energy projects in Turkey, including that of Afsin-Elbistan power project. Meltem Akol heads the team.

Bener Law Office recently advised Zorlu Energy as borrower in connection with the financing of power generation facilities. It also acted for Yapi Kredi on the financing of a hydropower plant. It has also advised clients on healthcare and real estate projects. Practice head Onur Kordel and Gözde Esen Sakar are recommended.

Ersoy Bilgehan Lawyers & Consultants’ experience includes transport infrastructure projects, including port developments. Dila Karakas and Gulistan Baltaci Hatay are recommended.

GSI Meridian has a strong focus in the oil and energy sectors, and is advising State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) on a $4bn Turkish refinery project. Ömer Gündogdu and Ali Göksu are recommended.

Özel & Özel has ‘profound knowledge of the specifics of the oil and gas and energy industries’, and gives ‘client-tailored advice’ that displays ‘knowledge of the commercial and legislative issues and contractual awareness’. Göksan Gürel is recommended for complex work.

YukselKarkinKucuk recently advised Turcas Petrol on a €200m project finance transaction to establish an 800MW natural gas combined cycle power plant. Other key clients include Essentium and Nustar Energy. Cüneyt Yüksel is well regarded.

ADMD Law Office recently advised the financing parties on projects in sectors including renewable energy and real estate. Orhan Mavioglu is ‘among the best lawyers in Istanbul’.

Cerrahoglu Law Firm has strong experience in projects in energy and real estate development projects. It acted for BP Petrolleri regarding the estblishment of six wind farm companies.

Cukur & Yilmaz’s projects department covers a number of industries from energy, power and natural resources to construction and real estate. It is advising a Canadian mining company on licensing, environmental and regulatory matters. Devrim Çukur is recommended.

ELO | Eryürekli Law Office has carved a niche in real estate development projects, for which Murat Eryürekli is recommended.

Erdem & Erdem Law Office’s expertise includes energy and real estate projects. It is representing Giz Insaat in a construction project involving business, residential and hotel facilities. Ercüment Erdem is recommended.

Group Law Firm's broad project and project finance practice spans PPP and non-PPP mandates in energy, transportation, housing, water and waste facilities, and mining, among others, both in Turkey and internationally, particularly in the Gulf region.Ahmet Kesli leads the practice.

Seyfi Moroglu and Ergun Benan Arseven head Moroglu Arseven’s projects team, which is advising an international construction company on a motorway project.

Zeynep Özkan is Özkan Law Office’s main contact for projects work, which has a strong client base in the energy and mining sectors.

Selin Bayar leads project finance work at Pekin & Bayar Law Firm. The group has acted on a number of project financings, typically for the lender or facility agent. It recently represented the lender in a €50m loan agreement with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to finance the Haliç bridge project.

Barlas Balcioglu’s banking and finance team at Balcioglu Selcuk Akman is familiar with project finance work, notably in the waste management and recycling sectors. The firm is also advising Ataç on the construction and operation of the cascade of two hydropower plants in Georgia, which is a build-own-operate project. In January 2012, the firm announced its new co-operation with Salans.

Çaga & Çaga Law Firm is increasing its visibility in this space, advising sponsors, project companies and lenders. It is advising a construction firm on a double-track railway line reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Cosar Avukatlik Burosu’s Arzu Cosar is ‘incredibly well respected for projects work’.