ASC Law Office > Istanbul, Turkey > Firm Profile

ASC Law Office
HARMANCI GIZ PLAZA K: 16
LEVENT
34410 ISTANBUL
Turkey

Turkey > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 1

ASC Law Office gives ‘excellent support‘ on some of the highest value restructurings in the Turkish market and is experienced in acting for a host of domestic banks. The team is also well-versed in advising international clients in cross-border work, and is equally adept at transactional and contentious matters in the area. Okan Beygo, one of the firm’s founding partners, heads the consultancy department of the firm, within which the restructuring practice sits. Co-leading on restructuring and insolvency is Levent Yetkil, who has strength in project finance-related matters.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil

Testimonials

‘I worked with the ASC team on the restructuring of a financing for power projects. They provided excellent support.’

‘Levent Yetkil – he knows the power sector well, is super responsive and provides helpful and practical advice.’

Key clients

Standard Chartered Bank (Germany)

T.C. Ziraat Bankası A.Ş.1

Türkiye Varlık Fonu (“Sovereign Wealth Fund of Turkey”)

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi Anonim Şirketi

Yapı ve Kredi Bankası

Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş.

Unicredit Bank AG (aka “HypoVereinsbank”) (Germany)

Türkiye Halk Bankası A.Ş.

Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası A.Ş.

Silvan Sanayi A.Ş.

Çelik Motor Ticaret A.Ş.

Work highlights

  • Advised the debtor, a Turkish manufacturer, on the restructuring of its outstanding debt of nearly $500m by 15 Turkish financial institutions.
  • Assisted Halk Bank, as the lead arranger, and ten other Turkish financial institutions, with restructuring the existing debts and extending to the debtor an additional $3m.
  • Advised İş Bank, along with seven other Turkish financial institutions, on restructuring the approximately $150m debt of two Turkish manufacturers.

Turkey > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 2

ASC Law Office fields a banking and finance practice which covers a diverse workload and acts for a foreign and domestic client base of financial institutions, banks and companies. Complex and significant debt restructurings are one of the team’s standout strengths, while clients also appreciate its ‘great connections with regulatory authorities‘. A trio of lawyers coordinates the department: founding partner Okan Beygo draws on 35 years of experience in banking and finance law, including a stint in-house at Citibank; Levent Yetkil is well-versed in cross-border financing and debt restructuring; and Ela Sarı has particular expertise in capital markets transactions, project finance and infrastructure investments.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil; Ela Sarı

Testimonials

Key clients

T.C. Ziraat Bankası A.Ş.1

Türkiye Varlık Fonu (“Sovereign Wealth Fund of Türkiye”)

Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş.

Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası A.Ş.

Silvan Sanayi A.Ş.

Borusan Oto Servis ve Ticaret A.Ş.

Standard Chartered Bank (Germany)

Bayerische Landesbank (Germany)

Yapı ve Kredi Bankası

Unicredit Bank AG (Germany)

Türkiye Halk Bankası A.Ş.

Çelik Motor Ticaret A.Ş.

Penta Teknoloji Ürünleri Dağıtım Ticaret A.Ş.

Osmanlı Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş.

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi Anonim Şirketi

Boyabat Elektrik Üretim ve Ticaret A.Ş.

Aslancık Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Work highlights

  • Represented Standard Chartered Bank in the establishment of a €1.214 Loan Facility to be used for the construction, in Turkey, of the Bandırma-Osmaneli railway project.
  • Advised Ziraat Bank, as borrower, on a two-tranche $1.33bn syndicated loan facility provided by a consortium of 45 local and international financial institutions.
  • Advised the Turkish Halk Bank, as the lead arranger, and 11 other financial institutions, on restructuring the approximately $465m debt of a Turkish metallurgy firm.

Turkey > Dispute resolution Tier 2

ASC Law Office has made notable developments in its dispute resolution offering in recent years, now acting for its long-term consultancy clients in more recent contentious matters. A recent example has seen Anadolu Efes instruct the firm on a dispute before the ICC against its Azerbaijan distributor. Kemal Tağa now concentrates more on disputes than consultancy and co-leads the practice group with Doğan Coşgun, who is praised by clients for his 'exceptional expertise and knowledge'; Cem Keser, 'one of the most sophisticated and all-round experts in Turkish dispute resolution'; and June 2022 partner promotion Çağla Şahin Aksu. Of counsel Mark Skilling and senior associate Hilal Bayar are other key names.

Practice head(s):

Doğan Coşgun; Cem Keser; Kemal Tağa; Çağla Şahin Aksu

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team is very informative and responsive, always creating availability for the client and acting very fast and proactively.’

‘Mark Skilling is very good at offering the client alternative strategies in dispute resolution, making sure the client understands the risks and outcomes of each one of those.’

‘Hilal Bayar has a broad knowledge of Turkish dispute resolution and is highly experienced in negotiating with opposing parties and counsels, without being aggressive but persuasive.’

‘ASC is a full-service law firm which provides comprehensive and well-rounded dispute resolution strategies and has always exceeded our expectations in the legal matters which they have assisted us with. They prioritize to achieve equitable, prompt and successful results, either in court or through other dispute resolution means. Their dispute resolution team consists of extremely competent lawyers with exceptional academic backgrounds and professional expertise. They value our business concerns as well as our legal concerns and assist us to achieve the best outcome in a manner whether it is a dispute that will be resolved in court or by other dispute resolution means. ASC provides extremely quick turn-arounds to complex legal matters and assist us in a time effective manner.’

‘Doğan Coşgun is the head of the ASC dispute resolution department with over 25 years of expertise. He is managing partner of ASC, who has outstanding experience and is, without doubt, the best lawyer in his field. Due to his exceptional expertise and knowledge he is able to address and resolve the most complex dispute matters including complex arbitration engagements.’

‘Cem Keser has extensive knowledge in a wide variety of dispute matters, especially with respect to high value disputes involving financial institutions and concerning complex commercial and construction transactions. He has expertise in both criminal and civil liability which makes him one of the most sophisticated and all-round experts in Turkish dispute resolution.’

‘Kemal Tağa is a partner of ASC Dispute Resolution Department, who also has over 10 years of consultancy experience in commercial transactions. Kemal Tağa has assisted commercial and corporate transactions alongside his litigation expertise, thus he is able to provide practical solutions to a variety of very complex disputes. He has worked on a wide range of transactional and commercial matters, and combined his consultancy expertise with his comprehensive dispute resolution knowledge. Kemal Tağa’s multi-disciplinary knowledge and practical approach makes him stand out as a go-to expert for almost any commercial dispute.’

‘Partners Dogan Cosgun and Kemal Taga are very experienced lawyers with very satisfying level of knowledge, not only in their expertise area but also in terms of commercial perspective. They are very concentrated on the case, exceptional listeners: They spend quite a lot of energy to listen, ask and finally understand. They are quick in evaluating commercial rationales. They have a strong network in their office, they are very quick in consulting for opinion. They are very responsive, I had almost immediate responses whenever I contacted. They create significant value for me as a client. It is very comfortable to work with them.’

Key clients

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi A.Ş.1

Migros Ticaret A.Ş.

Kalyon Yatırım Holding

BeIN Group (Digiturk) (French)

Kale Kilit Kalıp ve Sanayi A.Ş.

Akenerji Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft (German)

İçtaş Holding

Akenerji Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Turcas Petrol A.Ş.

IBS Sigorta ve Reasürans Brokerliği A.Ş.

Bahçıvan Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.

Atalian Global Services (French)

QNB Finansbank A.Ş.

Adel Kalemcilik Ticaret ve Sanayi A.Ş.

Nev Alışveriş Merkezleri Yatırımları A.Ş.

Çelik Motor Ticaret A.Ş.

Gaz Depo ve Madencilik A.Ş.

Toren Doğalgaz Depolama ve Madencilik A.Ş.

Anadolu Motor Üretim ve Pazarlama A.Ş.

Er – Bakır Elektronik Bakır Mamulleri A.Ş.

Osmanlı Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş.

Ankara Özel Yüzüncü Yıl Sağlık İşletmeleri A.Ş.

Tentur Turizm A.Ş.

Göcek Tüneli İnşaat ve Tahhüt A.Ş.

AEP Anadolu Etap Penkon A.Ş.

And Kartal Gayrimenkul Yatırımları A.Ş.

Sarper Damıtımcılık A.Ş.

Royalcert Belgelendirme ve Gözetim Hizmetleri A.Ş.

Work highlights

  • Acting for Göcek Tunnel Construction in a construction dispute before ISTAC, regarding the construction, and operation, of a turnpike tunnel in Türkiye.
  • Defending two Turkish contractors, Gaz Depo Doğalgaz and Toren Doğalgaz, in a $25m dispute with the lead contractor.
  • Representing brewery Anadolu Efes in a $2m dispute before the ICC against its Azerbaijan distributor.

Turkey > Project finance/projects Tier 2

As part of its broad consultancy department, ASC Law Office has a strong offering in debt restructuring and refinancing work and in acquisition financings across the range of Turkey’s most prominent projects spheres. Its clients include international banks, other lender parties, and project owners, particularly in the renewable energy sector. A trio of lawyers jointly oversee the project financing work: Okan Beygo, one of the firm’s founding partners; Levent Yetkil, who has recent experience in high-value project finance and debt restructuring matters; and Ela Sarı.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil; Ela Sarı

Other key lawyers:

Arda Coşar

Testimonials

‘I have worked with the team on a number of financings involving renewable energy projects. The team knows that sector very well, is very responsive and provides practical advice.’

‘Levent Yetkil is excellent in energy project financings. Senior associate Arda Coşar is a rising star – he is very diligent, knows the documents and applicable regulations and great to work with.’

‘The team has deep sector knowledge and has good relations with governmental authorities and regulators. These strengths make your projects much faster.’

‘Okan Beygo and Ela Sarı both are amazing lawyers. They are working like your in-house legal team. They are very responsive and really good at handling deadlock situations.’

Key clients

Standard Chartered Bank (Germany)

Bayerische Landesbank (Germany)

Gaz Depo ve Madencilik A.Ş.1

Toren Doğalgaz Depolama ve Madencilik A.Ş.

Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girişim Grubu San. ve Tic. A.Ş.

Boyabat Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Canadian Solar Construction S.r.l.

Universal Wind Enerji Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Dirkshof / EED GmnH &Co. KG

Aslancık Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Work highlights

  • Acting for three Turkish public banks on a $130m financing of the construction of a large multi-purpose project consisting of a shopping mall, hotel, and residential and office units.
  • Advising five of Turkey’s largest private banks involved in a $70m financing of required, periodic upgrades of the infrastructure of two Turkish electricity distribution companies.
  • Acting for German Bayerische Landesbank on a multi-million-dollar financing of the construction of a wind power plant near Istanbul.

Turkey > Energy Tier 3

ASC Law Office has extensive experience in the energy sector with practitioners in both the consultancy and dispute resolution departments providing transactional and contentious legal services. The team represents corporations, banks and financial institutions in renewable matters and is co-headed by Okan Beygo, Levent Yetkil and Ela Sarı.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil; Ela Sarı

Key clients

Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girişim Grubu San. ve Tic. A.Ş.

Gaz Depo ve Madencilik A.Ş.

Toren Doğalgaz Depolama ve Madencilik A.Ş.

Aslancık Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Boyabat Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Bayerische Landesbank

Canadian Solar Construction S.r.l.

Universal Wind Enerji Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Dirkshof / EED GmnH &Co. KG

Work highlights

  • Represented a factory owner with regard to the construction of a Solar Power Plant, which the owner is now using to supply the electricity needed to run its factory.
  • Acted for a client in an arbitration before the ICC concerning an alleged breach of an electricity supply contract.
  • Represented clients involved in the energy sector who are preparing to sell shares of two of their subsidiaries to obtain financing for those companies’ energy-related operations.

Turkey > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 4

A ‘deep sector knowledge‘ and ‘great connections with regulatory authorities‘ are among the attributes appreciated by clients of ASC Law Office. Its corporate law team works closely with its dispute resolution and capital markets practices in advising domestic conglomerates, international businesses operating in Turkey, and government-related entities. Okan Beygo is the main contact, Levent Yetkil supports on contentious issues, while Ela Sari is a key name for M&A deals and derivative transactions.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil

Other key lawyers:

Ela Sarı; Sıla Öztürk

Testimonials

‘The team has deep sector knowledge and experience. The team is very responsive and practical practice and has great connections with regulatory authorities. The team works like your in-house team. They are using technology efficiently to make work easier and faster. Partner availability and engagement are on the highest level. They have always had the hands-on approach.’

‘Okan Beygo and Ela Sarı both are amazing lawyers. They are working like your in-house legal team. They are very responsive and really good at handling deadlock situations.’

Key clients

İGA Havalimanı İşletmeleri Anonim Şirketi

Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girişim Grubu Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.1

AG Anadolu Grubu Holding A.Ş.

The Coder Ltd. (South Korea)

Immunicom Inc. (U.S.)

Dap Gayrimenkul Geliştirme A.Ş.

Osmanlı Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş.

Toksöz Spor Malzemeleri A.Ş.

Turgut Aydın Holding A.Ş.

IBS Sigorta ve Reasürans Brokerliği A.Ş.

Aalborg Energie Technik A.Ş.

Canadian Solar Construction S.r.l.

Atalian Global Services

Officine Maccaferri SpA

Boyabat Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Aslancik Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Work highlights

  • Acting for İGA Havalimanı İşletmeleri (Istanbul International Airport) in the concession agreement with the Türkiye’s General Directorate of State Airports Authority​​, financings, permits, licences and other permissions, agreements with third parties, and corporate formalities.
  • Advising Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girişim Grubu (TOGG) on developing Turkish electric vehicles and the e-mobility ecosystem in Turkey.
  • Advising AG Anadolu Grubu Holding on a $80m sale and transfer of its 100% shareholding interest in AND Anadolu Gayrimenkul.

AKSU ÇALIŞKAN BEYGO ATTORNEY PARTNERSHIP (“ASC Law”) is a leading full-service Turkish law firm uniquely organized into Consultancy, Dispute Resolution and Debt Collection & Enforcement Departments. Bringing together nearly 90 highly-qualified lawyers, with approximately 200 total employees, ASC Law has been serving domestic and international clients since its founding in 2001.

ASC Law has extensive experience in the structuring of complex, high-value transactions, as well as handling some of Türkiye’s most highly-contested disputes. As such, ASC Law represents a variety of major corporations, banks and financial institutions located in Türkiye and abroad from such diverse sectors as, among others, banking, finance, energy (including renewables such as hydro, wind, biomass and solar), telecommunications, real estate, construction, transportation and retail.

Many of the matters ASC Law handles, whether transactional or litigation, involve cross-practice efforts – e.g., where lawyers from the firm’s three departments work together – so as to take full advantage of the firm’s deeply-experienced, multi-disciplinary, professionals.

CONSULTANCY DEPARTMENT

The following practice areas fall under the umbrella of ASC Law’s 25-lawyer-strong, including apprentices, Consultancy Department.

Banking, Finance and Capital Markets:

Part of ASC Law’s Consultancy Department, our Banking, Finance and Capital Markets practices are among Türkiye’s strongest. Our clients include, on the lending side, international and domestic banks and other financial institutions, including among others Ziraat Bank, Türkiye’s largest public bank, İs Bank, Türkiye’s largest private bank, Standard Chartered Bank, a prominent U.K.-based international bank and Unicredit Bank AG, one of Germany’s largest banks. On the borrower side, ASC Law clients include several of Türkiye’s most important conglomerates and their related companies, including Anadolu Holding.

ASC Law is particularly proud of its involvement in the Turkcell Shareholder Restructuring, which was recognized, and rightfully so, by CEE Legal Matters as Türkiye’s 2020 “Deal of the Year”. In the engagement, which brought together in a single transaction several of ASC Law’s core banking and finance expertises, ASC Law took the lead role as both: (i) counsel for Ziraat Bank, the “Lead Arranger”, which involved more than US$2 billion in restructured and original financing; and (ii) counsel for the most important Party to the restructuring itself, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Türkiye.

Project Finance and Development – Infrastructure and Energy:

ASC Law’s Consulting Department provides advice on all aspects related to the financing of infrastructure projects, often representing the lead lender in consortiums made up of Turkish and/or foreign financial institutions. ASC Law is also expert in the negotiation and documentation of large infrastructure projects, having particular expertise in FIDIC-based transactional documents. ASC Law’s engagements with regard to the above encompasses, among others, projects related to both transportation and energy infrastructure, including more recently important energy projects involving renewables, whether biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, solar or wind power.

Notable ASC Law engagements include the negotiation and finalization, in 2015, of the Host Government Agreement between the Russian Project Company and the Republic of Türkiye for Türkiye’s $16.3 billion Sinop Nuclear Power Plant Project. More recently, our lawyers prepared the project documentation for the construction of a wind-power plant and biomass-power plant on behalf of a German client, for a solar-power plant for a Turkish client and for a high-value underground natural gas storage facility on behalf of Turkish clients.

Corporate, Commercial and M&A:

ASC Law’s Consultancy Department provides a wide range of corporate and commercial law, as well as M&A and related consultancy services. With regard to corporate law, ASC Law provides advice about, and assists in establishing, the appropriate legal entities from which both Turkish and foreign clients are to conduct their Turkish operations. These services include establishment of branches and liaison offices and the preparation of the required corporate foundational documentation, such as articles of incorporation, bylaws and the necessary resolutions. ASC Law is also busy working with its clients with regard to the maintenance of all required corporate formalities, including arranging and documenting shareholder, general assembly and board of director meetings.

Perhaps more importantly, ASC Law is deeply involved in providing legal advice regarding the day-to-day operation of its clients’ businesses. This commercial work includes, to name a few, the negotiation and preparation of construction, distributorship, employment, franchising, licensing, marketing, purchase and sale, service, supply and transportation agreements and other related documentation.

Last, but certainly not least, ASC Law has a robust M&A practice, with extensive experience in conducting detailed legal due diligence, and preparing, examining and negotiating share/asset purchase-sale agreements and shareholders agreements, along with additional required commercial, financial and operational documents.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION DEPARTMENT

ASC Law’s approximately 60 dispute resolution lawyers, including apprentices, handle several thousand active dispute resolution matters, and make more than 100 court appearances/week. At the same time, the total amount of damages at issue in matters the Dispute Resolution Department handles has increased severalfold over the course of the past few years. These excellent numbers correspond, not coincidentally, with Managing Partner Mr. Doğan Coşgun – then Chief Legal Officer of Türk Telecom, Türkiye’s most important telecommunications companies – joining us in 2017 to head the Department.

Arbitration and Local Litigation:

ASC Law’s Dispute Resolution Department represents clients, whether as plaintiff or defendant, in all manner of disputes, including: (i) before Turkish regulatory agencies, including in administrative investigations and hearings, as well as before Türkiye’s administrative courts; (ii) before Türkiye’s local commercial, civil, criminal and probate courts; (iii) in commercial and investment arbitration matters before such forums as the ICC and ISTAC (Türkiye’s international arbitration centre); (iv) in efforts to settle emerging disputes before resort to more formal dispute resolution is necessary, including use of mediation (with several of our lawyers licensed as Mediators); and (v) in efforts to avoid exposure to liability through, for example, the careful preparation of agreements and other documentation, as well as the design of proper internal controls.

Other sophisticated disputes handled by the firm include, among others, ones related to intellectual property, telecommunications, expropriation/eminent domain, and electricity trading and energy-sector-related derivatives.

Debt Collection & Enforcement:

ASC Law’s Debt Collection & Enforcement Department is involved in all aspects of debt collection and enforcement, starting with pre-litigation collection efforts, using our 100-plus employee Call Centre and then – if no satisfactory resolution is reached – involving Türkiye’s debt collection offices and courts.

The Department represents a large portfolio of Turkish and international clients, made up of both creditors and debtors, and includes, among others, banks, telecom operators, internet service providers, utility service providers, and lease and factoring entities. In 2020 alone, the department handled total outstanding debt in excess of TL400 million (US$30 million).

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Arbitration Mr. Doğan CoşgunDogan.cosgun@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
Banking & Finance, and Capital Markets Mr. Okan BeygoOkan.Beygo@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
Complex Corporate and Commercial Disputes Mr. Kemal TağaKemal.taga@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
Corporate, Commercial and M&A Mr. Okan BeygoOkan.Beygo@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
Debt Collection & Enforcement Ms. Çağla Şahin AksuCagla.aksu@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
Debt Restructuring Mr. Levent YetkilLevent.yetkil@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
Dispute Resolution Mr. Doğan CoşgunDogan.cosgun@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
Local Litigaton Mr. F. Mr. Cem KeserCem.keser@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
M&A and Capital Markets Ms. Ela SarıEla.Sari@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82
Project Finance and Development Mr. Levent YetkilLevent.yetkil@aschukuk.com+90 212 284 98 82

CLIENT: Mustafa Yelligedik, Legal Affairs President
COMPANY/FIRM: AG Anadolu Grubu Holding AS
TESTIMONIAL: ASC Law became an important solution partner for our group companies in a two years period of time beginning from their first step in our group.

They have contributed significantly in many complicated projects from M&A to litigation and enforcement. We consider them as part of our legal team as they are always accessible, determined and dedicated.

Our latest collaboration was on the sale of our shares in a fast food chain and they have handled effectively both the local and global components of the project in a reasonable time frame and just before this M&A project, they succeeded to close a immovable law suit to our company’s benefit as soon as they were assigned to the case which has lasted more than 30 years before their assignment to the case.


CLIENT: Ilker Bicakci, Chief Legal Officer
COMPANY/FIRM: Alternatif Bank AS
TESTIMONIAL: Our experience with Aksu Caliskan Beygo Attorney Partnership has been most positive. We have received clear and timely answers to our queries and our concerns were addressed in a professional as well as congenial manner.

We have worked with the firm on our latest effects of several legislation on banking services and also derivatives and treasury transactions which were handled with ease and effectiveness. The firm’s thoroughness, dedication to its clients, and command of the law are a perfect complement to its availability for a successful client-attorney relationship.


CLIENT: Onur Gunel, General Counsel
COMPANY/FIRM: BeIN Media Group – Turkey
TESTIMONIAL: We are working with Aksu Caliskan Beygo Attorney Partnership on various matters but mainly in relation to our labour law and commercial disputes. We are very much satisfied with their efficiency and dedication to delivering quality work. They are also quite focused on client relations which makes us see ASC sort of an extension of our in-house team rather than an outsourced service provider.


CLIENT: Anil Coskun, Finance Assistant Manager
COMPANY/FIRM: Dogus Holding AS
TESTIMONIAL: From 2010 to date, we have worked with ASC Law on many occasions. They have been involved in the financing/refinancing of our energy projects acting as legal counsel either on our side or on the other side. We are very satisfied with the quality of their services and their impressive command of the finance law and transaction structuring. Thanks to their continuous support, we achieved the deadlines for our projects in each case.


CLIENT: Feyza Torlak, Legal Counsel
COMPANY/FIRM: Yapi Kredi Bank
TESTIMONIAL: We have been working with ASC Law firm for many years on various complex matters including high priority large-scale bench mark debt structuring deals, structured finance and treasury transactions owing to their consistent and top-notch legal services. For many project and structured finance and refinancing projects, ASC Law provided approachability, competency, professionalism, and understanding with a staff of true professionals in addition to being highly competent and helpful.

One of our latest engagement saw a highly complex and biggest debt restructuring project in the country being handled with ease and elegance. They have always been easily accessible and remain open to any and all queries we have at any time.


CLIENT: Ozgur Uzunoglu, Chief Financial Officer
COMPANY/FIRM: Akfen Renewable
TESTIMONIAL: I have been working with ASC Law since 2018. They have represented our company in relation to financing of our energy projects. They were very friendly, professional and helpful. I am very impressed with their skills, knowledge and solution-oriented approach to resolve the problems. They have contributed tremendously in the successful closing of our projects.

Okan Beygo, Partner

Okan BEYGO, name partner of Aksu Caliskan Beygo Attorney Partnership, evaluates the future direction of the firm and the legal profession.

What do you see as the main points that differentiate Aksu Caliskan Beygo Attorney Partnership from your competitors?

Aksu Caliskan Beygo Attorney Partnership, or ASC Law Office, is one of the preeminent law firms in Turkey. The firm was registered as the sixth member of the Istanbul Bar Association and it has been serving its clients for almost two decades. Our strength comes from our past, our dedication and most importantly our impeccable reputation as lawyers that we have earned throughout the years.

We are proud to be one of the largest full-service law firms that uniquely offers Consultancy, Litigation and Enforcement/Debt Collection services under one roof. With more than 50 lawyers, we are regularly recognized as one of the most successful in the country. Our HR approach is also associated with our experience. Most of our team members were hired as trainees and then gained long tenures with our firm which enables us to have long, steady and trustworthy relationship with our clients.

ASC Law employs one of the best consultancy departments in the country, with impressive teams in banking and finance, capital markets, M&A and restructuring. The litigation practice includes top-notch litigators whom have been handling some of the most complex litigations in Turkey and complemented by the extremely successful Enforcement/Debt Collection department which serves to major banks and conglomerates of the country.

Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

As everyone would agree, the agenda of the next 12 months will be shaped by the coronavirus outbreak. Once the turmoil hopefully comes to an end, we will have two things in our hands: A deep financial crisis and the abundance of liquidity circulated against it. Based on our past experience, we know the areas to come forward in this environment: Banking, project financing, debt restructuring, M&A, IPO, bond issues and litigation. We have witnessed this twice with Turkey’s crises in 2001 and the global crisis of 2008 which have actually brought us as Aksu Caliskan Beygo Attorney Partnership to today’s valuable assets.

We can also expect that the state intervention will reach its heights, mercantilist and Keynesian approaches will be popular once again, probably for a not-so-short period. This can bring in new opportunities for legal professionals who have expertise in working with public institutions.

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

We have recently appointed a non-lawyer CEO with technology and management background in order to handle the digital transformation process effectively. Throughout the last two decades we have managed to transform our office into a dynamic and competitive structure. Now the recent challenge is the utilization of technology in every possible aspect. We want to make sure that we and our clients do not lag behind in following and adapting the changes. We aim to achieve digital transformation in a professional manner and make sure that we combine our legal experience with the must haves of the new world.

Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Yes, definitely. We of course welcome the now-conventional tools like social media which speeds up our communication. However, there is much more than that, one specific example: It provides automated systems between us and our clients which essentially removes the physical barrier between in-house legal departments and our office. We can carry out the file transfer, observe the progress and review the performance indicators, sharing the same interface which is extremely helpful especially with the big companies.

Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

In a recent case, we have helped our client from Republic of Korea to construct a global tech business with a significant success potential. Our client is an innovator with a promising and unique technology. Along with the extensive legal work, we helped the client in reaching conglomerates from diverse industries for potential cooperation and we have also facilitated our trusted network for him to reach the venture capital funds. Again thanks to our long-term partnership, we helped the client to create a presence in the US for global outreach. We have always tried to understand the business perspective and not to limit our problem solving process with just legal domain. In this way we aim to help our clients create sustainable long-term business plan.

Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

I think the answer to the first question simply depends on the clients. There are some clients looking for stability given the fact that our world is a lot more complicated now than ever and stability might be the right approach for some businesses. However, there are also some clients who believe that stability means slow change and a dynamic environment brings more opportunities. For example, one might envisage the time, which is not that far, when the contracts will be all about transactions on blockchain and cryptocurrencies are circulated by some “central banks”. I personally believe that no one should ignore the fact that business world is very dynamic and clients must be able to react quickly to changes and adopt to new technologies. In my opinion, most clients will in fact look for more strategic direction from their law firms in an unstable post virus environment that awaits us.

For the second part of the question, I have been practicing law in a part of the world that business and legal environment changes rapidly. I know that the legal profession requires knowledge and experience but I also understand that we must react and adopt quickly to new technologies and I am extremely confident that our firm shall overcome any challenge that we may face as human race. Therefore, I sincerely see that in three years ASC Law continues to be one of the most successful law firms in Turkey and achieve great success in legal arena