Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli > Istanbul, Turkey > Firm Profile
Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli Offices
SAGLAM FIKIR SOKAK, KELEBEK CIKMAZI NO 5
ESENTEPE
34394 ISTANBUL
Turkey
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Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli > The Legal 500 Rankings
Turkey > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1
Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli‘s ‘very impressive team of practitioners‘ is best known for its large-scale projects in highly regulated sectors, including insurance, pharmaceuticals, financial services and energy. Private equity funds frequently instruct the practice on their investments into Turkey, and the client base also includes other major investors, and multinationals in a diverse range of industries. In counterpart to its transactional practice, the firm also has strength in contract negotiations, corporate governance and compliance work. The department is jointly overseen by Umut Kolcuoğlu and Serhan Koçaklı. Bihter Bozbay Inan, and managing associate Alp Erçetin is a further key contact. Since publication, Gökçe İldiri Coşgüner was promoted to partner (in January 2024).Practice head(s):
Umut Kolcuoğlu; Serhan Koçaklı
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Motivated and high skilled team, very easy and good communication.’
‘The KDK corporate team are highly responsive, commercial in their responses and technically excellent. Our “go-to” team in Turkey.’
‘A very impressive team of practitioners. Provide clear, concise and commercial advice. Hugely responsive and reliable.’
‘The team is very well organised and business oriented. They demonstrate not only excellent knowledge of the applicable legislation but also keep in mind the relevance of the advice to the business needs of the client. The response of the team is always very detailed and well structured.’
‘As our legal advisor on many topics such as commercial law, competition law, corporate law and M&A we are glad to state that when it comes to client satisfaction, Kolcuoglu Law Firm is highly on point in terms of prompt, affective and competent service. They are always ready to help with their professional, insightful and result-oriented team.’
‘Team members of the Kolcuoglu Law Firm, both partners and associates are quite reachable and well engaged with our problems. They are aware of the needs of their clients, and they are focused on getting the satisfactory conclusions with the realistic point of view. They laid-out the process at the begging with clear timeframes and we kept informed by them in every step of the way in a very plane and understandable language.’
‘The commercial, corporate and M&A practice at Kolcuoğlu Demirkan Koçakli Attorneys at Law provides a full and high-quality legal assistance to international clients. In particular, it perfectly assists international clients in connection with all types of businesses from their setting up, always leading clients to a successful result.’
‘Lawyers at Kolcuoğlu Demirkan Koçakli Attorneys at Law efficiently advice international clients on their market entry and investments in Turkey. The offer high-quality legal assistance, excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work under pressure and commitment to every single issue, no matter the complexity involved.’
Key clients
Vitol
Glencore
Tcar Sarl (SPV of Southeast Europe Equity Fund II, LP)
MIC Capital Management 39 RSC Ltd
Boyner Group
Qterminals
BMS Group
Schaffhausen Institute of Technology Operations AG
ORIX Corporation
team.blue NV
Sphere SA
Theegarten-Pactec GmbH & Co. KG
Blutv
SolarWinds
Doğan Holding and Doğan Music
Koç Holding
Mediterra Capital
Turkven
Bunzl
Duracell
Iyzico
Ruhrpumpen Industrial Sociedad Anonima De Capital Variable
HDI Insurance
Logo Software
Vansan Machinery
Vinmar Group
Deloitte
TPI Composites
The Boston Consulting Group
PayPal
Magneti Marelli
Akemi
LR Health & Beauty Systems
Helen Doron
Bozetto
Hugo Boss
Gucci
Wabtec Corporation
Cummins
W.A.G. Issuing Services, a.s.
Huntsman
Hedef Filo
Glasshouse IT Systems
NN Group
Sesa Packaging
Brightstar Capital Partners
Enabler Music
Momento
Clonera Bilişim
Likewize Corp.
Turk Elektronik Para
Logo Teknoloji and Logo Siber
Work highlights
- Advised MIC Capital Management 39 RSC Ltd on the $800m investment made in Getir by way of share subscription.
- Advised Turkven Private Equity on its $422m exit from Elif Plastic.
- Advised Turk Elektronik Para on a ₺600m share subscription by institutional investors, i.e., EBRD, CEECAT Capital, Alpha Associates and Revo Capital.
Turkey > Compliance Tier 1
Faced with an increasingly aggressive landscape of regulation, clients of Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli look to its ethics and compliance, data privacy and competition teams for assistance across the full range of work, be it day-to-day advisory or regulatory investigations. The practice is also noted for its support to clients in introducing compliance programs, including ethics and compliance training, with follow-up support on implementing new frameworks. Okan Demirkan, who is ‘very proactive in the compliance space in Turkey‘, co-leads the department alongside 2022 partner appointment Maral Minasyan, an expert in data privacy and employment law. Managing associate Begüm Biçer İlikay and senior associate Selin Balkır Erçin are both praised by clients as ‘very experienced in compliance related areas‘.Practice head(s):
Okan Demirkan; Maral Minasyan
Other key lawyers:
Begüm Biçer İlikay; Ali Tunçsav; Cansu Duman; Selin Balkır Erçin
Testimonials
‘The firm provides tailor-made legal solutions to us for matching our structural legal requirements. The team especially considers legal advices and services being functional, practical and effective which we are grateful.’
‘KDK is a well known law firm in the compliance area in Turkey. I know that very talented and hard working team members have been recruited in the last few years, which has helped KDK deliver high quality service to the client. KDK as a firm is very active in the well known associations in Turkey such as Ethics and Reputation Society and Transparency International Turkey.’
‘Okan Demirkan is very proactive in the compliance space in Turkey. I know that he recruited very good team which has enabled him to provide high quality service to the client. Okan is one of the pioneers in respect of understanding and analyzing impact of anti-corruption related extraterritorial laws and regulations (such as FCPA, UKBA, Sapen II) in Turkey.’
‘Okan Demirkan who was the lead of the said project team was exceptional in leadership skills. He was precise and decisive. He motivated his team and saw that they deliver results exceeding the client’s expectations, timely and with high reliability.’
‘We think potential clients would wish to know that Kolcuoglu Dermikan Kocakli is a lawn firm that fulfills the interest and concerns of your company. As a client, we can get quick, proper and right guidance.’
‘We get counsel from Maral Minasyan on legal issues about data protection and knowledge on the subject, solution oriented working, researching abilities, professionalism, punctuality, being ambitious on the subjects makes her unique.’
‘The team has very unique expertise on their area which was combined with high collaboration level. We work with all counterparts like teammates – kind of relationship beyond a usual agent and client interaction.’
‘All members are very responsive with high collaboration level. Whenever we need consultancy on a specific subject, we receive high quality feedback in a very short time.’
Key clients
Costa Crociere S.p.A
Gratis
Avalara
Axpo
Hugo Boss
Vito
Marsh & McLennan Companies
Fresenius Kabi AG
UL LLC
GEA Group AG
Iyzico
The Boston Consulting Group
Superdry
Bunzl Plc
Work highlights
- Advised Bunzl and its Turkish subsidiary on their compliance with Turkish personal data privacy legislation.
- Advised Turkish cosmetics retailer Gratis on its compliance with the advertising and price tag regulations.
- Advised Axpo and its Turkish subsidiary on their compliance with Turkish personal data privacy legislation.
Turkey > Real estate and construction Tier 1
The ‘highly competent and hard-working lawyers‘ in Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli‘s real estate and construction team have continued to develop and diversify the practice. Clients include major real estate industry stakeholders, both domestic and international, and the practice supports on everything from acquisitions and portfolio structuring, to development agreements, land concessions and zoning law. Practice head Serhan Koçaklı, acclaimed senior associate Büşra Özden, and associate Orcan Çetinkaya are the main contacts to note.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘People in the team are technically very good and collaborative. Diversity in all aspect is very important for the company.’
‘The partner Serhan Koçakli and his team are technically expert and very responsive.’
‘As the office team and their partners, in our various group companies, they have put themselves, their knowledge and experience in all our works and that paved the way for new collaborations.’
‘Serhan Koçaklı, one of the office name partners, has creatively solved our problems and has designed new collaborations for our company, as if he were board member in execution, not an outsourcing service. Apart from all of these, he was someone who understood us and tried to help like a friend.’
‘We have worked with KDK’s real estate and dispute resolution teams more than one year and we are very pleased.’
‘KDK is very familiar with the market, leads us with clear business language and supports us on decision-making processes. They provide what business people understand.’
‘We consider KDK as one of the very best top tier law firms, with highly competent and hard-working lawyers. It is our great pleasure to collaborate with KDK.’
‘The firm does not function as a one-man office. The team has been well-trained to work cohesively, and the firm has been constantly growing. KDK aspires to raise the sectors’ future stars by keeping them in the foreground and letting them run the projects directly with the clients.’
Key clients
Ab Initio
Alarko
Alterna Gıda
Bozzetto Group
Bunzl/Istanbul Ticaret
Cummins
Deloitte
DM İnşaat
Duracell
Eti Yatırım
Extensa
Glencore
Hoşcan Lojistik
Hugo Boss
Huntsman Corporation – Ema Kimya
Logo Yazılım
Marriott International
Mediterra Capital
Otto International
Pfizer
Qterminals
Tosaf
TPI Composites
Turkven
Uber
Vava Cars
Veser/Vinmar
VNG Properties
Volt Teknoloji
Yu Group
Work highlights
- Advised TPI Composites, US-based independent manufacturer of composite wind blades, on real estate, zoning and construction law matters.
- Advised Uber on real estate and lease law-related matters.
- Advised Huntsman’s Ema Kimya on numerous real estate, lease and construction law matters for the reconstruction of its facility that burnt down.
Turkey > Dispute resolution Tier 2
Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli acts in the gamut of contentious matters, from commercial litigation and institutional arbitration, to post-arbitration proceedings, including set-aside lawsuits and enforcement of arbitral awards. ‘Great teammate and professional‘ Okan Demirkan is the practice head and is especially focused on arbitration. Managing associate Begüm Biçer İlikay is singled out by one client as ‘without a doubt one of the most talented litigators‘ and is also a key figure in arbitral award enforcement and investigations.Practice head(s):
Okan Demirkan
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Team is well rounded. Before making a recommendation, an issue is first analyzed via different but relevant approaches.’
‘The law firm provides a high end expertise and approach to each case.’
‘Okan Demirkan’s expertise goes far beyond the legal science.’
‘Bicer Ilikay is without a doubt one of the most talented litigators. She knows what target her clients pursue and she perfectly knows how to hit that target.’
‘KDK’s team is very professional and approaches legal problems in a practical way while trying to find solutions which really work for the clients.’
‘Okan Demirkan is someone I have worked with for years. He has some great skills in terms of bringing great solutions for the client’s needs and he is a great teammate and professional.’
‘The KDK team is versatile, intellectually brilliant and internationally well connected. Due to their broad experience in state court but also arbitration proceedings, they are easy to work with and provide excellent advice. Their representation in court and before arbitral tribunals is outstanding. It’s the Turkish go to firm for any significant and in particular any bet the company dispute.’
‘This is among the country’s best and most reliable law firms, despite the partners’ young age! They are very dynamic, extremely good lawyers.’
Key clients
Bedeschi
Ströer SE
Hepsiburada
Galatasaray Sports Club
Odea Bank
Comercial Soluex SpA
Abdi İbrahim
Roxcel
Pure Salmon
Deloitte
Upfield
TPI Composites
DelayFix S.A.
Mitsubishi Corporation
Polska Akcja Humanitarna
Agence France-Presse
Alsim Alarko
KITA Srl
Hugo Boss
Oliver Samwer / Global Founders Capital
Bahrain Middle East Bank
ArcelorMittal RZK
Vinmar
RAY Sigorta
Arempa International Ltd FZE
Work highlights
- Advising D-Market (as known as Hepsiburada) on two pending class action proceedings before the New York State Court and the US Federal Court.
- Representing Bahrain Middle East Bank and a consortium of five Bahraini banks (Khaleeji Commercial Bank, Bahrain Islamic Bank, Alubaf Arab International Bank, Ithmaar Bank and Gulf International Bank) in the collection of almost $550m, from various Turkish companies and individuals.
- Acting for Oliver Samwer and Global Founders Capital & Co. Beteiligungs KG Nr. 1 in a lawsuit filed by two investors alleging that they had a right to co-invest when Delivery Hero acquired Yemek Sepeti, in a transaction valued at $589m.
Turkey > Employment Tier 2
Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli has significant experience in all aspects of employment law such as scheme restructuring, M&A-related matters, executives’ employment contracts and incentive plans. The firm regularly drafts restrictive covenant agreements, code of conduct policies and intellectual property transfer clauses. Maral Minasyan advises domestic and multinational companies in various sectors including retail, electronics, insurance and pharmaceuticals; she co-heads the practice with Okan Demirkan who is a prominently involved in the area of ethics and compliance.Practice head(s):
Okan Demirkan; Maral Minasyan
Other key lawyers:
Rami Arda Yörükoğlu
Testimonials
‘Clear and easy to understand legal advice. Readily available and respond promptly.’
‘Solid, dependable lawyers, providing clear advice on options and recommendations.’
‘They have good field experience in addition to their legal knowledge. Due to the high number of cases they are dealing with they are very well aware of the market practices on some of specific sectors such as pharmaceutical and retail.’
‘They are all very well-educated and focused on the job they are doing. They are responding with satisfactory information and are always on time.’
‘The team have always been very helpful in providing clear and practical advice at a reasonable cost. My clients have always been very happy with the assistance they have received.’
‘My main contact at the firm is Maral Minasyan. She has always been very responsive to my requests for assistance and has arranged for work to be undertaken by members of her team who have done so very confidently. Consistency of approach and quality is very important and I have been very impressed.’
‘We have been working with KDK for more than ten years now. They are more than lawyers, they are friends, maybe even more: partners. They are always here when we need them, always with positive energy and enthusiasm, always motivated. I cannot compare them to any other law firm.’
‘The firm has an impressive billing system. They are extremely transparent in their time sheets. When we have a question about any particular work item, they answer with speed and clarity. We never challenged any of their invoices, because things are so clear.’
Key clients
Odin
Ema Kimya
Ajax Systems
Amazon
AmerisourceBergen
Aspen Technology
Costa Crociere S.p.A
CHEP
David Brown Systems
Commvault
Essentra
Eurasia Kimyevi ve Plastik Hammaddeler
Finastra
FLYR, Inc
Fujifilm
GT Gettaxi
NEC Corporation
Oriental Power Holdings Limited
Oyster HR
Ruhrpumpen
ServiceTitan
Snowflake
Solarwinds
Nike
Telestream, LLC
Turkven Private Equity
Unilever
Vialto Partners
Züber
Zynga
Abdi Ibrahim Pharmaceuticals
Advanced Micro Devices, inc.
Agence France-Presse
Al Jazeera Media Network
Alsim Alarko
AMN Healthcare
Avalara
Bank of New York Mellon Corporation
Beijing Dajia Internet Information Technology Co., Ltd
BMS Group
Boyner
Bristol Myers-Squibb
Bunzl plc
C.R. Bard, Inc.
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
Cigna
Cohesity
Cummins
CyberArk
Deloitte
Demir Sağlık ve Hayat
Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
Dover Corporation
DynCorp International
Dyson
Elif Plastik
Emergent Bio Solutions
Extreme Networks, Inc.
Fendi
FMC Corporation
Fresenius Kabi
Gano Excel
GE Transportation (Wabtec)
Gilead Sciences
Glasshouse
Glencore Energy
GP Strategies Limited
Gucci
Gusto
Hedef Filo
Hugo Boss
Hilton
Inchcape Shipping Services (UK) Limited
Innerworkings, Inc.
Lego
Lemongrass Consulting
LOGO Yazılım
Louis Dreyfus Company
LR Health & Beauty Systems
Lyoness
Magellan Health
Magneti Marelli
Mediterra Capital
Merlin Entertainments Ltd
MetLife
Moncler
Nielsen
NetApp
Netflix
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
Nutanix Inc.
OKI Europe
Packet Design LLC
Peek & Cloppenburg
Philip Morris Turkey
Prometeon Tyre Group S.R.L.
Pure Salmon
Pure Storage
PVH Corporation
Qualcomm
Redknee
Roxcel
RWS (formerly SDL) Multilingual Services
RWE Technology
SAI Global
Schmiedewerke Gröditz GmbH
Scientific Games Corporation
SI Group
Spotify
Stokke Company
Superdry
Talanx International
Tchibo
The Boston Consulting Group
The Washington Post
Tik Tok
Tom Tailor
TPI Composites
UiPath
UL
Unico Sigorta
Upfield Europe B.V.
Vansan
Vava Cars
Veritas Technologies LLC
Veser
Vestas Wind Systems A/S
VHV Group
Vito Enerji
Vitol
Walt Disney Company Limited
Watts Water Technologies
Wilko Retail Ltd.
World Courier
Work highlights
- Advised Dyson on its employment-related day-to-day queries by serving as a help desk to the client.
- Advised Gucci on all aspects of employment law, involving both white-collar and blue-collar employees.
- Advised Abdi İbrahim on both day-to-day employment law advice and represented in employment lawsuits.
Turkey > Energy Tier 2
Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli provides legal advice on electricity, natural gas, petroleum, LPG, renewable energy and nuclear energy issues. In addition to its involvement in upstream and midstream petroleum projects, the team also advises electricity wholesale companies and eligible consumers on electricity wholesale agreements and applicable tariffs. In a recent highlight, the team advised on the legal structure of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 Natural Gas Sales Project. Practice head Okan Demirkan specialises in public procurement, PPP and infrastructure projects.Practice head(s):
Okan Demirkan
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘I was extremely satisfied with their professionalism, approach and knowledge of the industry. Capable of providing high quality advice on an urgent basis.’
Key clients
TDC Parsons Peebles Limited
Engie
RWE
Turcas Petrol
Vitol
Orix Corporation
Petrol Ofisi
Qterminals
Glencore Energy UK Ltd.
Karadeniz LPG Storage
TPI Composites
Work highlights
- Advised Glencore in connection with its exit from Karadeniz LPG, a company active in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market.
- Advised ORIX on its acquisition of an 80% stake in Elawan Energy S.L., a global renewable energy company that is headquartered in Spain.
Turkey > Project finance/projects Tier 2
Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli fields an energy and infrastructure practice that assists with local and international projects, including PPPs, where it has notable expertise and experience. Matters range from contracts and deal structuring work, to regulatory and administrative law matters, and the team is led jointly by founder and managing partner Umut Kolcuoğlu and Okan Demirkan, who is a specialist in energy, public procurement and infrastructure work. Serhan Koçaklı has a strong real estate, corporate and commercial practice, while senior associate Büşra Özden is also heavily involved in this area.Practice head(s):
Umut Kolcuoğlu; Okan Demirkan
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Bozzetto Group
Alsim Alarko
Huntsman
Samsung C&T
Ema Kimya
Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG)
DM İnşaat
IHI Corporation
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Yu Group
Work highlights
- Advised Alsim Alarko on the Kabatas-Mecidiyekoy-Mahmutbey metro line project.
- Advised Ema Kimya on securing land rights as well as drafting and negotiating FIDIC contracts for the reconstruction of its polyurethane production facility in Istanbul.
- Advised Bozzetto Group on the drafting of a FIDIC Green Book Short Form contract regarding an industrial facility to be developed in Izmir.
Turkey > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 3
Capital markets disputes are a niche strength for the team at Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli which covers a variety of work, from cross-border secured lending to portfolio restructuring, acquisition financing and regulatory compliance. Hasan H. Yaşar joined the firm from Pekin & Pekin in July 2022, further bolstering its capital markets prowess, an area in which he has acted for multinational banks, brokerage firms, investment funds and publicly held companies. Yaşar joins what is now a trio of practice heads, alongside Umut Kolcuoğlu, who has broad finance experience and a particularl focus on the German market; and Bihter Bozbay Inan, whose practice has a transactional focus.Practice head(s):
Umut Kolcuoğlu; Bihter Bozbay İnan; Hasan H. Yaşar
Other key lawyers:
Eda Saraçoğlu
Key clients
Turk Elektronik Para
Barwa Bank PQSC
Mediterra Capital
Söke Un
Samsung C&T
Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG)
ING Bank NV
Iyzico
Toronto Dominion Bank
Work highlights
- Advised Turk Elektronik Para on a ₺600m share subscription by institutional investors, EBRD, CEECAT Capital, Alpha Associates and Revo Capital.
- Advised Mediterra Capital on its exit from Söke Un, including legal advice on the additional share pledge granted in favor of İş Bank as the lender.
Turkey > Competition Tier 3
A team of ‘talented and experienced lawyers‘ at Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli assists its clients with TCA investigations, individual exemption applications, and merger control filings in various sectors. Umut Kolcuoğlu brings a ‘powerful business perspective‘ to matters and co-leads the practice with counsel Neyzar Ünübol, who ‘proactively supports the client on the developments in the area as well as relations with the regulator‘. Associate Ali Tunçsav is a further key contact to note and has expertise in competition law, as well as across commercial law.Practice head(s):
Umut Kolcuoğlu; Neyzar Ünübol
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The firm provides a wide range of legal services with a large team of talented and experienced lawyers. We worked with the team in several complicated M&A deals, partnership agreements and other financial deals. They have always been reachable, capable of delivering high quality legal assistance even in tight time frames without any delay.’
‘Umut Kolcuoğlu is a great professional in all aspects. He is knowledgeable, always available and willing to assist, punctual, has a powerful business perspective, strong leadership in designing the legal strategy, he is a hard worker indeed and ensures the client comfort with his hands-on approach.’
‘Kolcuoğlu’s top strength is to follow up so closely all the topics. Always goes in details, no credit to lost information, informing the client in any update is available.’
‘As a client, we can get quick, proper and right guidance.’
‘Combination of business-oriented approach, practicality of advice and legal expertise makes KDK stand out. We are always confident to refer our matter to KDK since we know that we will receive advice fitting our purpose.’
‘We worked with Neyzar Unubol and Ali Tuncsav. They both demonstrate very practical approach which allows us to make decision with due consideration of all aspects.’
‘The team has very unique expertise on their area which was combined with high collaboration level. We work with all counterparts like teammates – kind of relationship beyond a usual agent and client interaction.’
‘All members are very responsive with high collaboration level. Whenever we need consultancy on a specific subject, we receive high quality feedback in a very short time.’
Key clients
Likewize Corp. (formerly known as Brightstar Corp.)
Boyner
Gratis
Hedef Filo
ORIX Corporation
Cheplapharm
QTerminals
team.blue NV
HDI Insurance
The Boston Consultancy Group
Vitol
Mediterra Capital
Turkven Private Equity
Talanx
Iyzico
Logo Software
Azertelecom / NEQSOL Holding
Upfield
Sesa Packaging
Hun Holding
Duracell
Vinmar International Ltd.
NBK Capital Partners
Inveon
Bunzl
Work highlights
- Acted for Gratis in a TCA investigation against it and 28 other large-scaled FMCG retailers and suppliers, relating to allegations with respect to coordinated price increases during the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Advised Hedef Filo on a TCA investigation regarding allegations of anti-competitive information exchange in the second-hand car market.
- Assisted Mediterra Capital with the merger control clearance of its €35m Elba Bant acquisition.
Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli > Firm Profile
The Firm
Kolcuoğlu Demirkan Koçaklı (KDK) is a full-service law firm with offices in Istanbul and Izmir. Since its inception in 2006, KDK has grown to become one of Turkey’s largest law firms.
At KDK, we use a results-oriented approach to provide tailormade solutions for domestic and international companies, institutions and individuals in various sectors. KDK seeks to provide the highest quality legal services across a wide range of practice areas, serving clients’ needs through pragmatic and efficient solutions. While the Firm’s members have a diverse range of backgrounds, they all have significant experience collaborating with major foreign law firms in several jurisdictions. All members of the Firm are fluent in Turkish and English, and some are also competent in German and French.
Areas of Practice
KDK advises and represents domestic and international clients in connection with the full breadth of Turkish law-related matters, including banking and finance, capital markets, competition law, corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, employment, energy and infrastructure, ethics and compliance, insurance, mergers and acquisitions, personal data privacy and real estate and construction.
Banking and Finance
KDK offers comprehensive legal services in the banking and finance sector in areas such as cross-border secured lending, portfolio restructuring, acquisitions and project financing as well as regulatory compliance.
Over the past few years, the Firm has handled various transactions, where the firm’s lawyers provided legal advice on facility and security agreements, Islamic finance transactions, local regulatory matters, foreign exchange issues, LMA standards and ECA backed loans.
Capital Markets
KDK provides detailed legal services in all capital markets matters, including regulatory compliance, initial and second public offerings as well as with issuing bonds and securities.
KDK’s expert capital markets team has diverse know-how in the capital markets practice, ranging from direct acquisition of publicly traded companies to strategizing squeeze-out/de-listing mechanisms as well as mandatory/voluntary tender offers.
Competition Law
KDK’s experienced competition law team provides legal services in all aspects of competition law, including investigations conducted by the Turkish Competition Authority, individual exemption applications, merger control filings as well as design and implementation of merger remedies. The team provides legal advice in connection with compliance of clients’ commercial agreements and business conduct with Turkish competition law.
The KDK team also provides competition law compliance programs, tailored to best suit the sectoral needs of its clients and to keep them current as to the dynamic competition law regime.
Corporate and Commercial
KDK advises small, medium-sized and large-scale domestic and international companies in connection with all legal matters regarding their transactions, including commercial and corporate law matters as well as contracts.
The Corporate & Commercial team is very active in a broad range of sub-practice areas, including contract negotiations, corporate governance and compliance, corporate structuring, real estate, tenders, data privacy rules, anti-bribery and corruption matters and market regulations. This allows KDK to practice in a broad range of different sectors with great knowledge and experience. By knowing the challenges in different sectors, the team provides tailor-made legal services and successfully assists the clients throughout every stage of their business cycle.
Dispute Resolution
KDK represents Turkish and foreign clients in a wide range of disputes before Turkish courts as well as in institutional and ad hoc arbitration proceedings. The Firm’s dispute resolution partner, Mr. Okan Demirkan, is likely the youngest non-academic lawyer in Turkey that has acted as counsel, arbitrator and expert witness in arbitration proceedings, thereby experiencing every role in arbitration. KDK’s dispute resolution team is well-versed in internationally recognized rules and practices and carefully analyze the nuances of each dispute to provide a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis that supports each client’s commercial interests and goals.
KDK’s approach is tailored to best suit the needs of its clients with a focus on providing efficient settlement solutions whenever possible. The Firm represents clients throughout the lifecycle of their disputes, from initial discussions to post-resolution recognition and the setting-aside of various matters that involve sales contracts, agency and distributorship relations, corporate transactions, labor relations, intellectual property, white-collar crime, leasing, construction, sports, debt and bankruptcy enforcement.
Employment
KDK provides top-tier employment law advice for both Turkish and international clients in a wide range of sectors. The Firm’s services range from negotiating and drafting employment-related contracts, to unilaterally or bilaterally terminating employment relationships and representing clients before the relevant courts.
KDK also represents clients in various labor law disputes including labor union related claims. In addition, the Firm regularly advises clients concerning internal corporate regulations and policies, including working hours, annual leaves, disciplinary rules, in-service training and occupational health and safety.
Energy and Infrastructure
With strong expertise and know-how in the energy sector, KDK offers sector-specific knowledge on local and international energy and infrastructure projects.
KDK renders extensive legal advice on electricity, natural gas, petroleum, LPG, renewable energy and nuclear energy issues, including matters relating to natural gas/oil imports, wholesale, storage and export activities, as well as electricity market activities and greenfield investments in Turkey.
KDK assists clients in tenders for the privatization of state-owned power plants. KDK has been advising many leading multinational infrastructure companies in multi-hundred million dollar infrastructure projects, including PPP projects entailing EPC contracts. The KDK team has experience in assisting private sector players in the development of top-level landmark projects with Turkish public entities.
KDK has been at the forefront of this decade’s developments in energy and infrastructure and has played a key role in the region’s most ground-breaking energy projects, such as the Shah Deniz Stage II Project, the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) as well as Vitol’s acquisition of OMV Petrol Ofisi.
Ethics and Compliance
KDK provides legal advice on all aspects of Turkish and global anti-corruption and anti-bribery regulations to its domestic and international clients concerning their compliance with the relevant laws and regulations and legal services, such as the preparation of internal codes of conduct, corporate compliance and ethics policies. KDK offers its clients a deep understanding, both globally and locally, of legal, procedural, governance, and reputational aspects of regulatory and compliance issues, investigations and litigation.
KDK, as a leading supporter of the establishment of ethical standards in the private sector, strives to raise awareness among its clients and society at large. The Firm is an active member of the Ethics and Reputation Society (TEID) and Transparency International.
Insurance
KDK offers a full range of insurance services to both Turkish and internationally prominent companies that operate in the insurance sector.
The Firm’s extensive, hands-on experience with both strategic and regulatory insurance matters allows its clients to plan and structure optimal solutions for their insurance-related businesses. The Firm’s involvement in insurance-related projects includes regulatory support for all licensing and permit-related matters, as well as liaison with local authorities and assistance with day-to-day operations.
KDK has also been actively involved in various Turkish insurance company mergers and acquisitions and advises local and foreign investors, including multinational corporations and private equity firms on their investments in the Turkish insurance market.
Mergers and Acquisitions
KDK is a well-known and highly praised law firm in the Turkish market for its comprehensive and strong M&A practice. Besides the Firm’s solid influence in the Turkish market, KDK’s attorneys are highly acknowledged for their strong backgrounds, professionalism and in-depth knowledge of various areas of law.
The Transaction team is known for its large-scale projects in highly regulated sectors, including fintech, energy, insurance, pharma, technology, retail, chemicals, financial services, and for advising leading private equity funds and strategic investors in connection with cross-border/local transactional assignments ranging from private/public M&As to joint ventures. KDK has taken part in most of the “landmark” and complex deals in the market and played a remarkable role in the country’s M&A market in recent years.
Personal Data Privacy
Since the introduction of Turkey’s Personal Data Protection Law in 2016, KDK provides legal assistance to clients on compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law and its secondary legislation. The Firm offers its clients tailor-made personal data privacy compliance packages. Within the scope of these tailor-made packages, the team provides its clients with a wide range of services such as the structuring of a fully-functioning and sustainable personal data privacy management system in accordance with the clients’ organizational structure; organizing awareness training for clients with respect to personal data privacy; preparing the necessary documents, policies and procedures required by the relevant legislation and reviewing its clients’ agreements for compliance with the legislation.
Real Estate and Construction
KDK’s expert real estate and construction team advises clients in every stage of construction and real property development, from full-scale retail developments to internationally branded tourism facilities as well as urban transformation and housing projects.
The team is active throughout the project lifecycle, taking on a dynamic role beginning with target-property investigations, and continuing through the drafting and negotiation of a wide range of agreements, including sale and purchase agreements, easement rights, usufruct rights, passage rights and lease agreements, construction agreements, architectural and engineering service agreements, management and operating agreements, as well as preparation of security packages and tender files.
The team has been advising landowners, project developers, private or corporate investors, REITs, public and private banks, real estate project lenders, construction companies, shopping mall owners, leasing and management companies, retailers, hoteliers, tour operators, port operators and private equities. KDK’s technical knowledge not only gives clients the advantage, but also creates time and cost efficiency. KDK stands as one of the few law firms with a specialised team and also as a single-stop solution for legal assistance in different kinds of legal questions by its clients.
The Firm’s real estate and construction partner, Serhan Koçaklı, lectures on real estate law at Istanbul-based universities’ certificate programs.
International Work
KDK has developed close relationships with distinguished international law firms and cooperates with these firms to support its multinational clients in cross-border projects. As an independent local law firm, KDK collaborates with approximately 60 international law firms across the globe.
The Firm recognizes the value of joining forces with leading business and social organizations, both in Turkey and around the world. Over the years, KDK has been privileged to collaborate with a number of local and international associations.
KDK has established a German Desk as well as a French Desk with approximately 10 French-speaking lawyers, where it brings together its experience in advising international companies operating in German-speaking and French-speaking countries.
Additional Information
Diversity
KDK recognizes that strength lies in differences, rather than similarities. The Firm welcomes individuals with unique characteristics and experiences, including people of different genders, ethnic backgrounds, cultures, national origins, ages, religions and sexual orientations. Diversity nurtures the quality of KDK’s work and is essential in satisfying the needs of its internationally sophisticated client base.
Four out of KDK’s eight partners are female. With a legal team comprised of 74% women and a support staff of 57% male, KDK places a great deal of emphasis on gender equality and strives for the advancement of women in Turkey’s legal market.
Compliance
All members of the Firm are well-trained in client confidentiality, data privacy, conflicts of interest, anti-bribery and anti-corruption. Training is conducted on a regular basis, to ensure strong discipline in compliance.
Knowledge Management
KDK focuses on preserving the quality of its legal services through legal Knowledge Management (“KM”). KDK is one of the first Turkish law firms with a KM organization and a dedicated KM director. The Firm’s KM organization ensures that knowledge is captured, collated, categorized, improved and shared between project teams and practice areas. KDK reduces costs, creates efficiencies and enhances value for clients, whilst maintaining and improving quality, by effectively using KM. With a culture of innovation and best use of technology, KDK takes a client-centric approach to deliver services that fit its clients’ business strategies and goals.
Technology
KDK’s IT security infrastructure secures clients’ data and ensures strong walls between the Firm’s lawyers, particularly in projects involving sensitive information. The Firm limits access to all clients data, solely to the team members allocated to the relevant project. KDK’s Chinese walls are not built only on principle but are grounded on strong infrastructure. KDK has taken all IT precautions to block all types of security breaches.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Managing Partner - Mergers and Acquisitons; Banking and Finance; Capital Markets | Dr. Umut Kolcuoglu | ukolcuoglu@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Partner - Dispute Resolution; Energy and Infrastructure; Ethics and Compliance | Okan Demirkan | odemirkan@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Partner - Corporate and Commercial; Real Estate and Construction | Serhan Koçakli | skocakli@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Partner - Corporate and Commercial | Inci Karcilioglu | ikarcilioglu@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Partner - Mergers and Acquisitons; Banking and Finance | Bihter Bozbay İnan | bbozbay@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Partner - Mergers and Acquisitons; Banking and Finance; Energy and Infrastructure | Melis Öget Koç | mokoc@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Partner - Corporate and Commercial; Employment; Personal Data Privacy | Maral Minasyan | mminasyan@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Partner - Capital Markets; Banking and Finance | Hasan H. Yaşar | hyasar@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Partner - Mergers and Acquisitons | Gökçe İldiri Coşgüner | gildiri@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Counsel - Mergers and Acquisitions; Corporate and Commercial | Begüm İnceçam Kolcuoğlu | bincecam@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Counsel - Competition Law | Neyzar Ünübol | nunubol@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Counsel - Dispute Resolution; Ethics and Compliance | Begüm Biçer İlikay | bbicer@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Of Counsel - Dispute Resolution; Corporate and Commercial | Dr. Okan Gündüz | ogunduz@kolcuoglu.av.tr | +90 212 355 99 00 |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Ms Begüm Biçer İlikay | Counsel Begüm Biçer İlikay has strong experience in dispute resolution, compliance and… | View Profile | |
Ms Bihter Bozbay Inan | Partner Bihter Bozbay İnan has significant experience in M&A, joint ventures, corporate… | View Profile | |
Mr Okan Demirkan | Partner Okan Demirkan has significant experience in arbitration and litigation, energy and… | View Profile | |
Dr Okan Gündüz | Of Counsel Dr. Okan Gündüz has significant experience in dispute resolution, corporate… | View Profile | |
Ms İnci Karcılıoğlu | Partner İnci Karcılıoğlu has significant experience in corporate law, contracts, joint ventures,… | View Profile | |
Ms Melis Öget Koç | Partner Melis Öget Koç has significant experience in M&A, energy and infrastructure… | View Profile | |
Mr Serhan Kocaklı | Partner Serhan Koçaklı leads the Firm’s corporate and commercial as well as… | View Profile | |
Dr Umut Kolcuoğlu | Managing Partner Dr. Umut Kolcuoğlu has diverse experience and comparative knowledge in… | View Profile | |
Ms Maral Minasyan | Partner Maral Minasyan leads the Firm’s employment law and data privacy law… | View Profile | |
Ms Büşra Özden | Managing Associate Büşra Özden is experienced in corporate and commercial law as… | View Profile | |
Ms Neyzar Ünübol | Competition Law Counsel Neyzar Ünübol leads the Firm’s competition law practice, providing… | View Profile | |
Mr Hasan H. Yaşar | Partner Hasan H. Yaşar has significant experience in capital markets law as… | View Profile | |
Ms Gökçe İldiri Coşgüner | Partner Gökçe İldiri Coşgüner has significant experience in domestic and cross-border acquisitions,… | View Profile | |
Ms Begüm İnceçam Kolcuoğlu | Counsel With significant experience in corporate and commercial law and M&A, Begüm… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : Approximately 80Languages
English French German Italian TurkishMemberships
South East Europe Legal Group (SEE Legal) - Exclusive Turkish Member Firm Energy Law Group (ELG) - Exclusive Turkish Member Firm Cathay Associates - Exclusive Turkish Member Firm Ethics and Reputation Society (TEID) Transparency International International Bar Association (IBA) International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Turkish British Chamber of Commerce (TBCCI) German-Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK) CCI France Turquie (Turkish-French Commerce Association) Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Turkey (CCIIST) Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK) Turkish Corporate Governance Association (TKYD) The Turkish Informatics Foundation (TBV) Blockchain Turkey Platform (BCTR) Society of Construction Law Turkey (SCL Turkey) A New Leader Association (YeniBirLider)Other
Contact : Dr Umut Kolcuoglu (ukolcuoglu@kolcuoglu.av.tr)- Commercial, corporate and M&A
- Compliance
- Real estate and construction
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Dispute resolution
- Employment
- Energy
- Project finance/projects