ASC Law Office > Istanbul, Turkey > Firm Profile

ASC Law Office Offices

ASC Law Office
HARMANCI GIZ PLAZA K: 16
LEVENT
34410 ISTANBUL
Turkey
Visit website 90 212 284 9882 90 212 284 9883

ASC Law Office > The Legal 500 Rankings

Turkey > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 1

Demonstrating ‘extensive knowledge in restructuring and insolvency’, ASC Law Office’s strong presence in the area is reflected in its broad client roster. The group acts for a myriad of local and foreign debtors and banks on contentious and out-of-court restructurings, with its debt structuring and dispute resolution departments frequently acting in tandem to provide cross-practice advice. Co-founding partner Okan Beygo leads the debt structuring team and also steers the restructuring and insolvency practice with support from finance partner Levent Yetkil, who is noted for his experience in domestic and cross-border cases.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil

Other key lawyers:

Merve Mert

Testimonials

‘ASC is very experienced and skilled in this area. The team can focus on the key matters for the client and has the capability to come up with warnings, alternatives or mitigations so that parties can find a common ground on legal matters.’

‘Levent Yetkil and his team are very easy to work with. Lawyers are accessible almost 24/7, when there is time pressure and deadlines matter.’

‘We operate in many diversified sectors, which means we deal with numerous restructuring and insolvency matters. To keep things in proper order, we need a strong and reliable solution partner who may not only take the burden but also work in coherence with us. ASC Law Office’s qualities meet our needs.’

‘The particular feature that impresses us about ASC Law Office is its extensive knowledge in restructuring and insolvency.’

‘ASC Law Office is a full-service law firm, providing a large scale of legal services not limited to banking, finance and capital markets. However, in our opinion, one of their strongest suits is restructuring and insolvency.’

‘Levent Yetkil’s qualifications, education, background and client-friendly attitude are the specific attributes that impress us. Mr Yetkil and his team, which consists of very competent, highly skilled, constructive and cooperative members, have represented us in several banking and finance deals.’

‘What sets ASC apart is its specialised team in banking and finance, which provides exceptional insights and innovative solutions. Lawyers excel in tackling intricate legal hurdles and they effortlessly adapt to evolving legal environments.’

‘ASC stands out for its prompt, responsive, and accessible services, providing tailored solutions aligned with clients’ commercial interests. ASC’s core strength lies in its specialised debt restructuring team, which offers unique insights and solutions.’

Key clients

Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası A.Ş.1

Yapı ve Kredi Bankası A.Ş.

Türkiye Garanti Bankası A.Ş.

Boyabat Elektrik Üretim ve Ticaret A.Ş.

Aslancık Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Work highlights

  • Represented a private Turkish bank, as the facility and security agent, and a consortium of 11 other Turkish banks and one foreign bank, in the debt restructuring of one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates and its group of over 40 companies.
  • Acted as local counsel to a UAE-based bank on a $400m unsecured term-loan facility extended to a Turkish company.
  • Advised a group of affiliated companies, controlled by one of the largest conglomerates in Turkey, on a significant debt restructuring due to a partial spin-off.

Turkey > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 2

ASC Law Office is a strong performer in representing Turkish and foreign lenders and borrowers on local law matters, as evidenced by the addition of eight new clients to the practice over the past year, including Turgut Aydın Holding and Eczacıbaşı Holding. Firm co-founding partner Okan Beygo anchors the team and is a 35-year veteran in the field; notably, he brings to bear significant in-house experience gained during stints at Citibank, Garanti Bank and Doğuş Holding. The three-partner department also includes Levent Yetkil and Ela Sarı, who are both well versed across a broad range of banking, finance and capital markets matters.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil; Ela Sarı

Other key lawyers:

Fulya Sert Topçu

Testimonials

‘Our company operates in many diversified sectors, which means we deal with a great number of banking, finance and capital markets issues. To keep things in proper order, we need a strong and reliable solution partner who not only takes the burden, but also works in coherence with us. That is ASC Law Office.’

‘What impresses us most about ASC Law Office is its extensive knowledge of financing restructuring, facility agreements and banking operations.’

‘Levent Yetkil’s qualifications, education, background and client-friendly attitude are the specific attributes that impress us. Mr Yetkil and his team (consisting of very competent, highly skilled, constructive and cooperative members) have represented us on several banking and finance deals.’

‘Levent Yetkil is always available for any question at any time of the day, provides comprehensive legal advice and assistance on all aspects of the deal, prepares, drafts, negotiates and reviews all kinds of facility-related agreements and transactions.’

‘ASC stands out for its prompt, responsive, and accessible services, providing tailored solutions aligned with clients’ commercial interests. Its core strength lies in its specialised banking and finance team, offering unique insights and solutions.’

‘Levent Yetkil and Fulya Sert Topçu’s remarkable expertise, rapid responsiveness, outstanding negotiation and drafting abilities, and commitment to delivering efficient and business-oriented advice have made a significant impact on our collaboration.’

‘I have had the chance to work with two different partners on two different projects. Both partners, and their teams, provided outstanding work on their respective projects. It clearly shows that ASC Law Office consistently provides excellent services across the board.’

‘Levent Yetkil and Ela Sarı are easily accessible and up-to-date about the recent developments both in law and industry practices. Also both partners seemed to be well supported by qualified associates.’

Key clients

T.C. Ziraat Bankası

Türkiye İş Bankası

Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası

Yapı ve Kredi Bankası

Türkiye Garanti Bankası

Türkiye Halk Bankası

Osmanlı Yatırım Menkul Değerler

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi

Boyabat Elektrik Üretim ve Ticaret

Aslancık Elektrik Üretim

Doğuş Enerji Üretim ve Ticaret

Eczacıbaşı Holding

AG Anadolu Grubu Holding

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC

Turgut Aydın Holding

Asce Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı

Büyük Şefler Gıda Turizm Tekstil Danışmanlık Organizasyon Eğitim Sanayi ve Ticaret

Work highlights

  • Represented TC Ziraat Bankası, Türkiye Vakıflar Bankası TAO and Türkiye Halk Bankası in an acquisition finance transaction facilitating Doğuş Otomotiv Servis ve Ticaret’s €170m acquisition of a majority stake in Doğuş Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı from Doğuş Holding.
  • Acted as Turkish law counsel to TC Ziraat Bankası on a two-tranche syndicated term loan facility extended by a consortium of 52 financial institutions across 25 countries, valued at at $418m and €708m.
  • Advised Asce Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı, an affiliate of Sanko Group, on its planned IPO by facilitating its conversion into a real estate investment company.

Turkey > Dispute resolution Tier 2

ASC Law Office’s increasingly dominant dispute resolution group was engaged on several high-profile cases over the past year, demonstrating particular growth in domestic and international arbitrations. Managing partner Doğan Coşgun heads the overarching dispute resolution department and is recommended for both judicial and arbitral disputes. The group also includes Kemal Tağa, who is the key contact for complex commercial disputes; local litigation head Cem Keser; and Çağla Şahin Aksu, who leads the debt collection and enforcement team. Senior associate Hilal Bayar and of counsel Mark Skilling left the firm in May and August 2023 respectively.

Practice head(s):

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

Other key lawyers:

Mark Skilling; Hilal Bayar

Testimonials

‘The team was very focused on understanding the conflict from a wide perspective. It did an extensive search on possible risks and took mitigation actions. Service has been outstanding.’

‘I had exceptional service from Doğan Coşgun and Kemal Tağa. They took great effort to understand the conflict from all sides. They were very focused and concentrated. I felt very comfortable, and I look forward to working with them again.’

‘ASC’s litigation team provides quick turnarounds to matters under time pressure and provides comprehensive tailored solutions in a timely manner. The team consists of a young, dynamic, well-rounded group of lawyers who conduct litigation processes with the utmost diligence and care.’

‘Doğan Coşgun, Kemal Tağa and Cem Keser have extensive knowledge and provide top-quality legal advice in a time-effective manner. They are especially talented in obtaining the best possible results for us in court, before arbitral tribunals, or through settlement, while also protecting our commercial interests.’

‘The team is diverse and all members of the group assigned to us have experience in international arbitration procedures and processes.’

‘The team experienced some personnel turnover. However, this has not affected the conduct of the case, as each new member was equally proficient on the case. This was very appreciated as we usually have to recite the case to new members.’

‘ASC Law demonstrates a resolute dedication to the provision of high-calibre legal services. Its team comprises accomplished legal practitioners, boasting substantial expertise across a spectrum of legal domains, perpetually committed to the fulfilment of client requirements.’

‘ASC Law furnishes sound legal counsel, distinguished by a dedication to innovation and the relentless pursuit of client contentment, thereby establishing a praiseworthy distinction within the legal milieu.’

Key clients

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi A.Ş.

Migros Ticaret A.Ş.

Kalyon Yatırım Holding A.Ş.

BeIN Group (Digiturk)

Kale Kilit Kalıp ve Sanayi A.Ş.

Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft

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

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.

Mr. Migirdic Boyacıoğlu

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.

T Gübre Dış Ticaret A.Ş.

Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.

Elite Elektrik Üretimi ve Elek. Mak. San. Tic. A.Ş.

TTES Elektrik Tedarik Satış A.Ş.

Blend Tekstil İthalat İhracat Ticaret L.Ş.

Development Finance İnşaat Pazarlama ve Ticaret L.Ş.

Anadolu Bilişim Hizmetleri A.Ş.

Pragma Finansal Danışmanlık Hizmetleri Ticaret A.Ş.

Tat Gıda Sanayi A.Ş.

Work highlights

  • Successfully represented Göcek Tunnel Construction in a $22m construction dispute before ISTAC, Istanbul’s international arbitration forum, concerning the construction and operation of a turnpike tunnel in Turkey.
  • Represented two Turkish contractors, Gaz Depo Doğalgaz and Toren Doğalgaz, in a $25m dispute with the lead contractor on a major Turkish energy project.
  • Represented Anadolu Efes in a $2m ICC dispute against its Azerbaijan distributor.

Turkey > Project finance/projects Tier 2

‘Swift, responsive and easily accessible’, ASC Law Office’s project finance and infrastructure investments group specialises in representing debtors, sponsors and lenders across all core energy and infrastructure sectors. The team’s robust position in the area was recently evidenced by its takeover of Istanbul Grand Airport’s entire legal portfolio. Co-founding partner Okan Beygo steers the practice with strong support from increasingly prominent banking and finance specialist Levent Yetkil and finance partner Fulya Sert Topçu.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil

Other key lawyers:

Fulya Sert Topçu; Merve Mert

Testimonials

‘ASC stands out for its prompt, responsive, and accessible services, providing tailored solutions aligned with clients’ commercial interests. Our experience with ASC’s services has been extraordinarily satisfactory in banking finance, project finance, energy, and more in Turkey.’

‘ASC’s core competencies are backed with its team’s specialisation in banking and finance with a best-in-class offering of unique insights and solutions. ASC handles complex legal challenges quite successfully as they are adaptive to changing legal landscapes.’

‘Our collaboration with ASC has been with Levent Yetkil and Fulya Sert Topçu. They both stand out for their robust experience, quick feedback, and strong negotiation and legal drafting skills. ASC is exceptionally dedicated to providing advice with a problem-solving mindset at any time of the project.’

‘ASC is renowned for its swift, responsive and easily accessible services, offering customised solutions that align perfectly with the commercial interests of clients. Our first-hand experience reaffirms ASC’s unparalleled expertise in areas such as banking, finance, project finance and energy in Turkey.’

‘Working alongside ASC has been a distinct privilege, especially in collaboration with Levent Yetkil and Fulya Sert Topçu, who stand out for their remarkable expertise, responsiveness, outstanding negotiation and drafting abilities, and commitment to delivering efficient and business-oriented advice.’

‘Levent Yetkil is easily accessible and up-to-date about the recent developments both in law and industry practices. He seemed to be well supported by qualified associates.’

‘The team is very experienced and collaborative. Fulya Sert Topçu and Levent Yetkil are very experienced and friendly.’

‘We value the group for its collaboration, expertise and can-do attitude. Lawyers stand out for their impeccable follow up, availability and effective work.’

Key clients

T.C. Ziraat Bankası

Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi

Work highlights

  • Advising İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi on various matters, including issues related to the airport’s €5.6bn facility agreement.
  • Advising a Turkish bank on securing an additional €33.5m financing for an airport project in Mersin, which follows a build-operate-transfer model with a complex concession agreement.
  • Advising a prominent German bank on an ECA finance facility transaction in the wind power industry, valued at approximately €17m, for the construction of a wind power plant in Turkey.

Turkey > Energy Tier 4

ASC Law Office's team, which is headed by Okan Beygo and Levent Yetkil, has experience in handling the full range of matters relating renewable energy, including wind, solar, natural gas, and hydroelectricity. Other key members of the team include Merve Mert, who advises on infrastructure investments and project finance.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Levent Yetkil

Other key lawyers:

Ela Sarı; Merve Mert; Fulya Sert Topçu

Testimonials

‘ASC is renowned for its swift, responsive, and easily accessible services, offering customized solutions that align perfectly with the commercial interests of its clients.’

‘Levent Yetkil and Fulya Sert Topçu demonstrate remarkable expertise, rapid responsiveness, outstanding negotiation and drafting abilities, and commitment to delivering efficient advice, which has made a significant impact on our collaboration.’

‘ASC stands out for its prompt, responsive, and accessible services, providing tailored solutions aligned with clients’ commercial interests. ASC’s core strength lies in its specialized energy team, offering unique insights and solutions. They excel in addressing complex legal challenges and adapting to changing legal landscapes.’

‘The team is very experienced and collaborative.’

‘Fulya and Levent are very experienced and friendly.’

Key clients

Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası A.Ş.1

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi A.Ş.

Boyabat Elektrik Üretim ve Ticaret A.Ş.

Aslancık Elektrik Üretim A.Ş.

Work highlights

Turkey > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 5

The team at ASC Law Office provides comprehensive day-to-day comprehensive services to insurers, banks, domestic and multinational corporates across sectors ranging from transport, engineering and retail to real estate, tech, construction and agriculture. The team is headed by founding partner Okan Beygo, who brings over three decades of experience to the practice space, and Ela Sarı, a specialist in M&A transactions.

Practice head(s):

Okan Beygo; Ela Sarı

Other key lawyers:

Didem Bayrakta

Testimonials

‘ASC Law Office has great associates that are capable in various fields of law. The team’s efficiency in delivering the legal product is exceptional.’

‘Okan Beygo, the founding partner of ASC Law Office, has an exceptional commercial knowledge of the banking and finance industry.’

Key clients

İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi A.Ş.

IBS Sigorta ve Reasürans Brokerliği A.Ş.

Appsilon İleri Malzemeler Danışmanlık Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi

The Coder Ltd.

Dap Gayrimenkul Geliştirme A.Ş.

Turgut Aydın Holding A.Ş.

Maccaferri Çevreci Mühendislik Çözümleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi

Work highlights

  • Advising İGA Havalimanı İşletmesi A.Ş. (IGA) on a day-to-day basis regarding the operation of the İstanbul Grand Airport.
  • Providing advisory services on corporate and commercial matters to Turgut Aydın Holding A.Ş., a holding company operating in the textile, health, retail, and finance sectors.
  • Providing retainer consultancy services to Appsilon İleri Malzemeler Danışmanlık Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. a manufacturer of lab grown diamonds.

ASC Law Office > Firm Profile

AKSU ÇALIŞKAN BEYGO ATTORNEY PARTNERSHIP (“ASC Law”) is a leading full-service Turkish law firm uniquely organized into consultancy, dispute resolution and debt collection and 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 – eg, 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 practice 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 UK-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$2bn 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 $16.3bn 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 and enforcement: ASC Law’s debt collection and 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 TL400m (US$30m).

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Arbitration Mr. Doğan Coşgun Dogan.cosgun@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
Banking & Finance, and Capital Markets Mr. Okan Beygo Okan.Beygo@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
Complex Corporate and Commercial Disputes Mr. Kemal Tağa Kemal.taga@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
Corporate, Commercial and M&A Mr. Okan Beygo Okan.Beygo@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
Debt Collection & Enforcement Ms. Çağla Şahin Aksu Cagla.aksu@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
Debt Restructuring Mr. Levent Yetkil Levent.yetkil@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
Dispute Resolution Mr. Doğan Coşgun Dogan.cosgun@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
Local Litigaton Mr. F. Mr. Cem Keser Cem.keser@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
M&A and Capital Markets Ms. Ela Sarı Ela.Sari@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82
Project Finance and Development Mr. Levent Yetkil Levent.yetkil@aschukuk.com +90 212 284 98 82

Meet The Team(s)

Staff Figures

Number of Lawyers : 90+
Total Employess : 200+

Languages

Turkish
English
French
German
Russian
Spanish
Turkmen
Persian

Memberships

Istanbul Bar Association
Union of Turkish Bar Associations
IBA (International Bar Association)

Client Testimonials


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.

Interviews

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