The Legal 500

Mahmut Birsel and Begüm Özaydin of Birsel Law Offices both come highly recommended. The firm has a good track record advising a large range of lender clients on major energy and infrastructure projects.

Çakmak Avukatlik Bürosu’s ‘excellent’ project finance team has ‘no competition on energy and infrastructure’ matters. Overall, the team is ‘very responsive, has resources in many practice areas, provides a high level of service and is timely in handling complex transactions’. Among the partners, clients praise Mesut Çakmak, the ‘hard-working, always available and extremely knowledgeable’ Zeynep Çakmak, the ‘very responsive, accurate and quality’ Mehtap Yildirim Öztürk and Sebnem Onder, who is ‘particularly good in negotiations’. Recently, the firm advised Cengiz Enerji on the $104m financing for a 240MW combined-cycle power plant.

The lawyers at Güner Law Office are hugely experienced in major project financings, particularly in the energy and natural resources sector, thanks in part to a regular stream of work from its special alliance with SNR Denton. Overall, the practice ‘provides a great service’ to lenders and borrowers, and recently advised Société Générale on the $350m financing of a Turkish mining project. Ece Güner is highly recommended.

Hergüner Bilgen Özeke’s top quality team regularly advises both borrowers and lenders. Highlights included advising the IFC on the financing for Assan Aluminyum’s project to modernize and expand its aluminium plant. Gökhan Eraksoy, Ümit Hergüner and Ender Özeke are recommended.

Ömer Çollak heads an excellent practice at Paksoy, which recently advised TSKB on the financing of three hydroelectric power plants. The firm also represented Akbank and TSKB on the financing of a hydroelectric power plant in Ceyhan.

Pekin & Pekin’s market-leading project finance team was involved in several major projects, particularly on the lender side. Recently it advised the banks on a major $1.7bn project financing for the construction of a steel plant. The firm has also been involved on several multimillion-dollar financings in the energy sector. Group head and senior partner Ahmed Pekin has few rivals in the market.

ASC Law Office has an excellent track record advising on major energy project financings. Highlights included advising the borrower and its Turkish holding companies, Dogus Holding, Dogan Sirketler Grubu Holding and Unit Investment, on the project financing of the Boyabat Hydro Power Plant. Murat Aksu and Mahmut Savas are highly recommended.

Rozita Nigrin-Borden is the main projects partner at Akol Avukatlik Bürosu, which regularly advises sponsors, lenders and developers on major developments, including several in the energy sector. The firm’s impressive international clientbase ensures a steady stream of instructions.

Praised for its ‘international experience and very good service’, Bezen & Partners has a highly experienced project finance practice. Name partners Yesim Bezen and Serdar Bezen are particularly well regarded. The clear highlight was advising the Russian sponsors on the execution of an intergovernmental agreement regarding the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant.

Murat Eryürekli’s finance practice at ELO | Eryürekli Law Office is highly experienced in representing the lenders on major infrastructure and telecoms projects.

Backed up by a strong finance practice, Ersoy Bilgehan Lawyers & Consultants advises both borrowers and lenders on infrastructure and real estate developments. Gulistan Baltaci Hatay heads the team.

Özel & Özel has a good reputation advising on major commercial and residential real estate developments, both on the lender and borrower side. Recently, it advised Credit Europe Bank Swiss on the financing of a shopping mall in Hong Kong. Haluk Can Özel and Göksan Gürel jointly head the team.

Selin Bayar heads the project finance group at Pekin & Bayar Law Firm, which has a good track record advising lenders such as Nordea Bank on major financings.

Senguler & Senguler has an excellent reputation for advising on major project financings in the energy and natural resources sector. The firm recently advised on the Turkish section of a major gas pipeline project. Jonathan Blythe and Selcuk Senguler are highly recommended.

ADMD Law Office recently advised two international banks on the financing and securitisation of energy projects in the renewables sector. The firm is also highly experienced advising on telecoms-related projects. Orhan Mavioglu heads the practice.

Erim Bener and Onur Kordul of Bener Law Office are both recommended for project finance work. The firm often advises lenders in energy projects and is also experienced in major real estate developments.

Bekir Aroma is the main project finance lawyer at Cerrahoglu Law Firm, which has experience acting on several energy and real estate financings.

Cukur & Yilmaz’s Devrim Çukur and Irem Soyman are the main contacts for projects work. The firm regularly advises real estate clients on major development projects.

ELIG, Attorneys-at-Law impresses on the back of some impressive instructions, such as its representation of Eren Enerji, as borrower, on the $895m financing of two 600MW coal-fired thermal power plants.

Erdem & Erdem Law Office acts for several major developers, financiers and energy companies. One of the firm’s largest clients is Emaar Properties. Ercument Erdem is recommended.

GSI Meridian has very good experience in the energy sector and recently advised Borusan Holding and Borusan EnBW on the $500m 400MW dam project, which will be one of the biggest hydroelectric power projects in Turkey.

Moroglu Arseven’s highly experienced practice recently advised the project company on the financing and construction of a major residential housing project. Benan Arseven and Seyfi Moroglu are well regarded.

Zeynep Özkan and Oktay Barlass at Özkan Law Office have a good track record advising on renewables projects.

Backed up by a strong finance practice, Taboglu & Demirhan Attorneys-at- Law is especially recommended for its expertise advising on energy-related project financings. Esin Taboglu Yurtal is recommended.

The lawyers in Verdi & Yazici’s market-leading finance practice are also extremely well-versed in project finance, particularly on the lender side. Name partners Can Verdi and Hakan Yazici are recommended.

Cüneyt Yüksel and Muharrem Küçük are the main contacts at YukselKarkinKucuk’s well regarded projects practice. The firm has been involved in several major financings in the hotel sector, and represented Essentium on the financing of its hydropower plant investment projects.