Mrs Yeşim Bezen > Bezen & Partners > Istanbul, Turkey > Lawyer Profile

Bezen & Partners
Dereboyu Cad. Bilim Sok. Sun Plaza, No: 5 Floor: 21, Maslak
34398
Turkey

Work Department

Founding partner.

Position

Yesim Bezen is a founding partner of Bezen & Partners. She assists international clients in a wide variety of transactions, most notably in banking, finance, asset and project finance transactions.

Career

Yesim Bezen is a qualified solicitor (England & Wales). She has completed her training with and has been employed by a Magic Circle law firm’s London office from 2001 to 2007 where she advised clients (mainly financiers) on banking, structured finance and project finance transactions. She advises domestic and non-domestic clients on cross-border transactions. She is the co-author of several publications on finance, privatisation and energy. A selection of her publications is as follows: (1) “Right Ingredients for Turkish PPPs” Project Finance International, 28 January 2015, pp. 49-52; (2) “Procurement mind-set: A handicap to PPPs in Turkey?”, Euromoney Project Finance Yearbook 2014/2015, Chapter 10, pp. 56-62; (3) “Renewable Energy in Emerging Markets”, Euromoney Books, Investing in Emerging and Frontier Markets, June 2013, pp. 220-227; (4) “Modernisation of the Turkish health infrastructure: What went wrong?”, Euromoney Yearbooks Privatisation & Public Private Partnership Review 2013/2014, pp. 57-61; (5) “Transport infrastructure financing in Turkey: Time to get behind the wheel”, Euromoney Yearbooks Transportation Finance Review 2012/2013. She is a frequent speaker and moderator at conferences. Some notable ones are as follows: (1) “Exportinitiative Erneuerbare Energien” (Export Initiatives for Renewable Energy) organised by the German Ministry for Economics and Energy, October 2014, Berlin, Germany (Attendance as Legal Expert of Energy Law for Turkey); (2) 6th Turkey Energy Congress & Exhibition 2014, 17-18 September 2014, Istanbul; (3) 4th Annual Turkey Energy Forum, 21-23 March 2014, Istanbul; (4) Nuclear Energy Development Summit 2013, 21-22 November 2013, Istanbul; (5) The Euromoney Seminar: 8th Annual Turkey Energy and Infrastructure Finance Forum, 16-17 March 2015, Istanbul; (6) Bonds & Loans: Turkey, 2-3 October 2012, Istanbul; (7) Bonds, Loans & Sukuk, 13 November 2013, Istanbul; and (8) Project Bonds for Infrastructure Financing in Turkey – Experience from Canada, 18 March 2013, EBRD Headquarters, London.

Languages

English, French, German (native), Turkish (native).

Memberships

Law Society of England & Wales; Law Society of England & Wales – International Division; International Bar Association; International Chamber of Commerce; British Chamber of Commerce of Turkey; British-Turkish Lawyers Association (BTLA).

Education

Diplom, Politologie, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt (1st honours); Maîtrise, Relations Internationales, Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris I), Paris (DAAD bursary); Diploma, International Law, London School of Economics, London (Colonia Stiftung bursary); CPE and LPC, College of Law, London.

Lawyer Rankings

Turkey > Banking, finance and capital markets

A popular choice for both lenders and borrowers, Bezen & Partners has been particularly active in the energy, infrastructure, and real estate and construction spheres of late. The group is additionally noted for its significant international dimension, despite being a local firm, due in no small part to the cross-border expertise of UK-qualified firm founder Yeşim Bezen, who specialises in banking, project finance and structured finance. Other key contacts include Banu Bölükemini, who enjoys close links with client EBRD, where she previously spent five months on secondment; and Murat Soylu, whose practice spans corporate, capital markets and finance. Berkay Sezginci is a capable associate.

Turkey > Project finance/projects

(Leading individuals)

Yeşim BezenBezen & Partners

Among the standout financing firms’, Bezen & Partners is a popular choice for multilateral development banks, with the EBRD and Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank among its representative clients. The group also acts for project owners and borrowers, with strong recent experience in the energy and natural resources, infrastructure and real estate spheres. UK-qualified founding partner Yeşim Bezen is recognised for her expertise in banking, structured finance and project finance transactions and co-heads the department alongside fellow transactional specialist Banu Bölükemini. Aykut Bakırcı spearheads the regulatory side of the practice.

Turkey > Energy

(Leading individuals)

Yeşim BezenBezen & Partners

Bezen & Partners continues to maintain its stellar reputation for the full gamut of energy related issues, routinely advising investors, lenders, developers and other stakeholders on power generation and distribution projects. The group regularly acts for both domestic and international energy companies in range of financing and licensing mandates. Aykut Bakırcı heads the team with his in-depth knowledge of the legal framework governing the energy sector. Co-leading the team alongside him are Yeşim Bezen and Banu Bölükemini; Bezen is well-versed in project documentation, and Bölükemini is known for her expertise in energy financing transactions.