Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli

kolcuoglu.av.tr

Aslıhan Balcı

Managing Associate Aslıhan Balcı has significant experience in corporate and commercial law as well as contracts. She advises domestic and foreign capital companies in Turkey across a wide range of industries, including retail, textile, consultancy, audit and chemicals. Aslıhan provides legal advice to clients on restructuring projects, corporate governance-related matters as well as complex shareholder disputes arising from companies’ management and control issues. private equity firms, such as, QTerminals, Turkven Private Equity, Mediterra Capital, TPI Composites Inc, Huntsman, Aptar Group, Cummins, Boyner Group, Bunzl and TOSAF.

Selin Balkır Erçin

Senior Associate Selin Balkır Erçin is a member of the Firm’s Employment Law team with particular expertise in labor disputes and white-collar crimes. She advises domestic and multinational companies on the full breadth of employment law-related matters, including internal disciplinary proceedings, internal investigations, termination and redundancy proceedings, human resources planning, tailor-made employment contracts, implementation of global policies, as well as collective labor law-related matters. Selin assists and represents clients in settlement and mediation negotiations with current or former executives, negotiations of collective bargaining agreements with unions and represents clients before governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations. Selin is also experienced in all aspects of Turkish and global anti-corruption and anti-bribery regulations. Throughout her career, Selin has represented domestic and international clients acting in various sectors, including automotive, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, banking, manufacturing, advertisement and media, in a wide range of litigation matters, including commercial disputes and administrative disputes. She has also extensive experience in the full range of debt-collection proceedings, including execution, bankruptcy and foreclosure related to various securities.

Begüm Biçer İlikay

Partner Begüm Biçer İlikay has robust experience in dispute resolution, compliance and investigations. Begüm represents domestic and international clients before the Turkish Courts, execution offices and other public authorities in a wide range of litigation matters, including commercial and corporate-related disputes (including complex intra-company disputes), employment-related disputes, administrative lawsuits, enforcement lawsuits, criminal proceedings in relation to white-collar crimes as well as execution and bankruptcy proceedings. She also provides Turkish law advice in connection with disputes pending before foreign courts. She has a vast experience in the enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards. Begüm is also experienced in advising on the compliance of clients’ business practices with local and international anti-corruption and anti-bribery regulations and conducting internal investigations. She was involved in several major investigation processes. Begüm leads Firm's French Desk.

Bihter Bozbay Inan

Partner Bihter Bozbay İnan has significant experience in M&A, joint ventures, corporate and finance transactions. Bihter advises leading private equity firms and international and local corporations in these areas of law and leads the Firm’s M&A team in numerous transactions involving various sectors. Bihter advises her clients on all aspects of their investments, from entry to exit, and any add-on investments, both in Turkey and abroad. Her transactional experience sees her advising across a variety of leading-edge sectors, including entertainment, technology, insurance, food production, packaging and manufacturing. She also has significant experience in banking and finance. She completed her legal internship in Garanti Bank, the second largest private bank in Turkey, and continues to provide legal assistance to various local and international banks and financial institutions. She is also experienced in bank mergers and acquisitions.

Okan Demirkan

Partner Okan Demirkan has successfully represented several international clients as well as local entities, in arbitration proceedings concerning major infrastructure projects, including build-operate-transfer (BOT) model investments, share purchase agreements, shareholders agreements, sales agreements, EPC contracts and licensing contracts. He also represents clients in litigation proceedings in Turkey and, from time to time, acts as expert witness in foreign jurisdictions on Turkish law matters. Okan has been extensively involved in numerous ICC, DIS, SAC, LCIA, DIAC, LME, ITOTAM and ISTAC arbitration proceedings, as well as various ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. He has served as counsel, arbitrator (presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator) or expert witness. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and the Swiss Arbitration Ambassador to Turkey. In 2025, he became a member of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Arbitration Committee and the Co-Chair of Enforcement & Recognition Sub-Committee. He has been strategically involved in all legal and regulatory matters of many pipelines, including the BTC and TANAP transit pipeline projects. He has advised on major natural gas sale and import projects as well as a number of electricity generation facility projects. Okan is a prominent figure in the area of ethics and compliance. He has conducted several investigations related to various regulatory and anti-bribery/anti-corruption allegations.

Nejan Duman

Managing Associate Nejan Duman is experienced in mergers and acquisitions, contracts and corporate law, and assists both multinational and local companies as well as leading private equity firms on their merger and acquisition transactions, as well as in connection with their corporate law-related matters. Nejan’s domestic and cross-border M&A experience includes a wide range of deal-types, involving joint ventures and private companies active in different sectors, including media and entertainment, healthcare, energy, packaging, food, automotive, chemicals, manufacturing, technology and insurance.

Derya Durlu Gürzumar

Counsel Derya Durlu Gürzumar is a member of the Firm’s Dispute Resolution team. Her practice focuses on international arbitration, and she has particular experience in international commercial arbitration, where she has been involved as arbitrator secretary. Derya is also experienced in AI & cyber security, IT law, competition law and white-collar crime. Derya is an active officer at the International Bar Association (IBA), in multiple capacities as an American Bar Association (ABA) appointed officer at the Bar Issues Commission, vice-chair at the Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI) Artificial Intelligence Working Group, Bar Issues Commission (BIC) representative at the Diversity and Inclusion Council, and as an advisory board member of the Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee, where she previously served as chair.

Okan Gündüz

Of Counsel Dr. Okan Gündüz has significant experience in dispute resolution, corporate law, commercial law, contracts law, competition law, employment law, consumer law, public tenders as well as compliance investigations. He has been advising multinational and domestic companies acting in various sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, energy, technology and education. With over 25 years of experience, Okan represents clients in a wide range of litigation matters, including commercial disputes arising from agency, distribution, sponsorship, sale and purchase agreements; unfair competition; intellectual property rights; recovery of large-scale debts; insolvency; product liability; consumer protection and customs fines, as well as employment law disputes and real estate disputes.

İnci Karcılıoğlu

Partner İnci Karcılıoğlu has significant experience in corporate law, contracts, joint ventures, capital markets law, compliance and employment law. She advises multinational companies across a wide range of sectors, including telecommunications, audit services, chemicals, facility management and IT. In addition to providing legal assistance with respect to clients’ operations, she primarily assists international clients on the full breadth of structuring matters related to inbound investments in Turkey, from incorporation to liquidation. She provides advice to clients on shareholder disputes, including minority issues and governance matters.

Serhan Kocaklı

Partner Serhan Koçaklı leads the Firm’s corporate and commercial as well as real estate and construction practices. He advises many foreign capital companies in Turkey in connection with their activities in Turkey, on a broad range of issues that include corporate law, joint ventures, contracts and employment law. Serhan has significant experience in establishing/improving corporate governance structure for family-owned businesses, as well as settling conflicts between the shareholders of companies. Serhan has particular focus on the real estate sector, with a substantive degree of experience in the drafting and negotiation of any type of real estate agreement, zoning, construction and property development matters. He has special expertise on specific legislation governing the real estate aspects of complex projects (e.g. development of mixed-use projects, renewable energy projects, port development projects and tourism facility developments concerning the use of treasury/state-owned land). He is a lecturer in real estate courses for special programs organized by Istanbul-based universities.

Umut Kolcuoğlu

Managing Partner Dr. Umut Kolcuoğlu has approximately 30 years of diverse experience and comparative knowledge in M&A, privatization, joint ventures, capital markets, corporate and finance transactions, as well as international commercial dispute resolution. He has advised leading domestic and multinational companies, private equities and other financial institutions in various cross-border and local transactions involving numerous industry sectors, including energy and infrastructure, insurance, retail, aerospace, hospitality, electronics, automotive, pharmaceuticals and financial services. Umut also provides corporate and commercial law support to companies and individuals in both contentious and uncontentious matters. From time to time he acts as expert witness in international arbitration proceedings. He leads the Firm’s German desk. Aside from his legal practice, Umut serves as an independent board member of several companies. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Turkey Entrepreneurship Foundation and contributes to the development of the Turkish market.

Melis Öget Koç

Partner Melis Öget Koç has significant experience in M&A, energy and infrastructure and banking and finance law, as well as in several other regulatory matters. Ms. Koç advises her clients on all aspects of their M&A transactions from due diligence reviews to the drafting and negotiation of a wide range of transaction agreements. She has led several transactions involving target and vendor companies in a variety of regulated sectors, such as energy, aviation, pharmaceutical, insurance, agricultural and nutrition products as well as information technologies. She has particular expertise in financing transactions in the aviation sector. Ms. Koç assists foreign and local companies in their transactions and their regulatory matters in Turkey and advises them on their business practices’ compliance with complex regulatory regimes under Turkish law. She also liaises with the oversight agencies in Turkey in representation of clients’ filings and guides them through the permit and licensing procedures. With significant experience in the energy and infrastructure projects, she also advises clients on several EPC contracts and ancillary documents.

Cihan Mercan

Managing Associate Cihan Mercan has been a member of Kolcuoğlu Demirkan Koçaklı’s Dispute Resolution and Energy & Infrastructure teams. He has been involved in the settlement of various disputes and has acted in litigation and arbitration cases. Cihan’s practice mainly focuses on commercial disputes, insolvency proceedings, as well as enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in Turkey. Cihan is highly experienced in arbitration and is well-versed in internationally recognized rules and practices. He has been extensively involved in numerous ICC, DIS, LME, and ISTAC arbitration proceedings, as well as various ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, where he has served as counsel or arbitrator. On top of that, Cihan has been involved in M&A transactions, giving him insight into the dynamics of these transactions, valuable for his Arbitration practice. He has significant experience in energy law, particularly in oil & gas matters, and regularly advises clients on Turkish public tender legislation. Combining his experience in energy & infrastructure projects and dispute resolution, Cihan successfully advises and represents clients in complex disputes. Cihan regularly gives lectures on arbitration at universities and at events organised by ISTAC, Union of Turkish Bar Associations, Istanbul Bar Association and ICC YAAF, alongside senior arbitration practitioners. He also has been a mentor at Young ISTAC Mentorship Programme and mentoring future arbitration practitioners.

Maral Minasyan

Partner Maral Minasyan provides legal advice to a wide range of domestic and multinational companies acting in various sectors, including retail, electronics, insurance, media, e-commerce, technology, manufacturing and automotive. She advises on legal matters regarding their operations, including corporate governance, personal data privacy law, employment law, commercial law and contracts-related matters. With 19 years of extensive experience at the Firm, Maral advises multinational companies on all contentious and uncontentious aspects of employment law from hiring to termination, as well as on collective labor law-related matters. She has conducted negotiations with trade unions at both domestic and international levels. She excels in employment projects with an emphasis on personal data privacy. She guides clients on the personal data privacy aspects of new products or services, as well as on commercial arrangements involving personal data and provides clients with tailor-made personal data privacy compliance packages.

Hasan H. Yaşar

Partner Hasan H. Yaşar has significant experience in capital markets law as well as banking and finance law. Hasan has successfully represented multinational banks, financial institutions, brokerage firms, portfolio management companies, investment funds and publicly held companies in various cross-border and domestic capital markets and banking transactions including swap and derivatives transactions; repo transactions; financing transactions, equity and debt capital markets offerings; securitization; electronic money offerings; and provision of investment services, payment services and insurance products. He has represented the underwriters in all Eurobond offerings of the Republic of Turkey in the last ten years. He also provides legal advice to local and foreign crypto service providers and crypto markets.

İpek Yüksel

Managing Associate İpek Yüksel provides legal advice to both domestic and international clients from start-ups to well established industry leaders acting in a wide range of sectors, including, energy, port operations, chemicals, insurance, technology and fintech on numerous M&A transactions, corporate governance and compliance matters, and corporate law-related matters. Her experience includes advising both buy-side and sell-side on M&A transactions, as well as on private equity investments and regulatory matters related to transactional work, with a particular focus on cross-border matters.

Büşra Özden

Partner Büşra Özden is experienced in real estate and construction law as well as corporate and commercial law, with a particular focus on real estate investment and acquisition structuring, project development, real estate development agreements, construction, design and engineering contracts and PPP contracts, privatization agreements, concessions, collateral agreements, real estate law, lease law, zoning law, energy law, tourism law and retail law as well as M&A transactions. Büşra represents both domestic and foreign clients, including banks and financial institutions, private equities, real estate investors, project developers, energy companies, data center operators, port operators, REITs, construction companies, shopping mall investors, retailers, hospitality and leisure companies. In 2026, Büşra became the Young Lawyers’ Committee Liaison Officer of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Real Estate Section.

Neyzar Ünübol

Partner Neyzar Ünübol leads the Firm’s competition law practice, providing services in all aspects of competition law, such as cartel and abuse of dominance investigations, individual exemption applications, M&As, joint ventures and design and application of merger remedies. She also designs and implements specialized competition law compliance programs for various multinational and local companies and delivers competition law training that is tailored to clients’ needs and the characteristics of the sector in which they operate.

Gökçe İldiri Coşgüner

Partner Gökçe İldiri Coşgüner has significant experience in domestic and cross-border acquisitions, with an emphasis on private equity transactions, and advises various sector leader clients and private equity funds. Gökçe represents various domestic and international clients and private equity funds in connection with the drafting and negotiation of a wide range of transaction agreements, including share purchase, option, pledge, escrow and shareholders agreements. Her M&A experience includes a variety of transaction types involving joint ventures and private companies active in different sectors, such as food production, manufacturing, technology and fintech.

Begüm İnceçam Kolcuoğlu

Counsel With significant experience in corporate and commercial law and M&A, Begüm İnceçam Kolcuoğlu has been heavily involved in several M&A transactions, including Turkey’s landmark deals. Her M&A experience includes a variety of transaction types, involving joint ventures, public and private companies active in different sectors such as energy, insurance, retail, electronics and financial services. She has been advising multinational corporations, leading private equities as well as local entities, both in their cross-border and local transactions.