Günay Erdogan Attorneys At Law

ABOUT US

Günay & Erdoğan is an independent, multidisciplinary law firm with offices in Istanbul and Ankara, providing high-calibre advice across a broad spectrum of practice areas.

Founded in 2020 by partners with deep sector experience and strong academic credentials, the firm has quickly established itself as a practice recognised by respected international directories, instructed on some of Türkiye’s highest-profile transactions and disputes, and trusted by a wide range of leading domestic and international corporate clients.

Our team advises in Turkish, English, French and German.

A Multidisciplinary Team Combining Academic Excellence, Sector Insight and Public Sector Experience

Our lawyers are specialists in their respective disciplines, distinguished by both their experience and their technical ability.

Our partners and counsel bring together experience gained at Türkiye’s leading law firms; in the private sector, particularly in technology, defence and capital markets; at regulatory authorities; within international organisations; and in higher education. Bringing academic depth together with private practice, in-house and public sector experience under a single roof has produced an exceptional breadth of expertise.

We treat our clients’ business as our own, translating legal advice into fast, workable solutions that serve commercial objectives. We combine the pace and commercial outlook of the private sector with the regulatory insight gained working alongside public authorities, and with genuine academic rigour.

Our partners have completed postgraduate studies at some of the world’s foremost law schools, including the London School of Economics, Trinity College and the University of Oxford, and teach at leading Turkish universities. That academic depth makes the firm a natural port of call for the most complex and novel legal questions.

We field one of the strongest teams in the market across dispute resolution, corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, competition law, the defence industry, technology law, and energy and mining. The breadth of our practice allows our clients’ most demanding and complex matters to be resolved under a single roof.

We Understand Your Business

We adapt to changing conditions at the same pace as our clients, and we bring a multidisciplinary perspective to legal problems by including tax specialists, engineers and finance professionals in our team. We take the time to understand our clients’ expectations and their exposure to risk, and we shape our advice around their commercial reality.

By analysing our clients’ expectations and the risk-bearing aspects of each transaction, we work closely with them to minimise legal risk and to maintain a high level of collaboration between the firm and its clients.

We Do Not Hand Your Matter Over

At Günay & Erdoğan, the partner with whom a matter begins at the first meeting is the same partner who is there at its most sensitive moment and at closing. Work entrusted to a partner is not pitched by one team and then delivered by another.

Our boutique structure and our approach to client service make this possible.

We deliberately limit the number of matters we take on so that every instruction receives partner-level time. Strategic decisions are taken by our partners, critical documents are drafted by our partners, and risk management is overseen by our partners directly.

Our clients do not have to work their way through a chain of lawyers to obtain an answer; they go straight to the person leading the matter.

For us, therefore, the measure of success is not the size of our portfolio but our ability to deliver a careful, sustainable legal service that carries the responsible partner’s signature on every file.

We Use Technology, and We Use It Properly

We judge the quality of a legal service not only by the depth of legal knowledge behind it, but also by the ability to reach the right information at the right time, to run processes efficiently and to add value for our clients quickly. With that in mind, we make use of digital tools suited to the realities of legal practice, including AI-assisted applications and current legal technologies.

We regard our investment in technology as part of delivering a faster, more consistent and more efficient service. The current software we use in legal research, document review, contract management, data analysis and project tracking allows us to deploy our teams’ expertise more effectively and to strengthen coordination and service quality on complex matters. The firm’s capability at the intersection of technology and law has also been recognised in international assessments for its advanced use of technology and its innovative approach.

That said, we do not allow technology to substitute for legal judgement. Every piece of work supported by artificial intelligence or digital tools is reviewed by our experienced lawyers, within the framework of our professional responsibility and our commitment to client confidentiality; the final legal opinion and strategy are always shaped by the expertise of our lawyers. We believe that the efficiency artificial intelligence offers the legal sector can translate into quality and reliability only through effective human oversight.

We Build Lasting Relationships on Trust and Respect

Our clients’ trust is our most valuable asset. We operate to the highest national and international ethical and professional standards across everything we do, and we build long-standing client relationships on independence, integrity and professionalism.

SECTORS AND PRACTICE AREAS

Aerospace and Defence

Defence and aerospace is one of Türkiye’s most strategically significant and fastest-growing sectors. With partners and counsel who have held senior in-house legal roles at Türkiye’s largest defence and aerospace companies, we offer one of the deepest teams in the market. We represent clients on complex procurement and offset contracts, on international collaborations and in sector-specific regulatory processes.

We provide strategic legal advice across every aspect of our clients’ operations, including contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, import and export transactions, litigation and arbitration, and intellectual property matters. Our comprehensive services extend to designing and implementing compliance programmes to ensure our clients’ adherence to national and international regulation.

Banking, Financial Services and Capital Markets

Günay & Erdoğan advises companies across a range of fields, including banks, wealth funds, investment funds, insurance companies, payment and electronic money institutions, fintech ventures, and factoring, financial leasing and asset management companies.

Our specialist team follows developments closely in a sector regulated and supervised by bodies such as the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Capital Markets Board, the Directorate General of Insurance, the Banks Association of Türkiye, the Insurance Association of Türkiye and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, and supports clients in meeting capital markets requirements.

Our team advises on a wide range of capital markets and financial transactions, including debt, equity, equity-linked and structured products, restructuring projects, project finance, loan agreements, public offerings and bond issues. We provide both securities regulatory advice and transaction structuring services to issuers, underwriters and regulators. We advise clients across the various segments of these markets, including equity and debt offerings, private equity and venture capital, investment trusts, reverse listings, sukuk and other Islamic finance instruments, derivatives, the licensing of capital markets institutions, foreign and domestic investment funds, and real estate and other investment trusts.

Agriculture, Food and Retail

Agriculture, food and retail is an area shaped by extensive supply chains, intensive regulation and rapidly evolving technology. Our team delivers commercially workable legal solutions to producer, supplier and retailer clients at every stage of the value chain, from production through to the end consumer. Our contribution to the establishment and structuring of the Turkish Mercantile Exchange (“TÜRİB”), Türkiye’s first and only national electronic commodity exchange, is a case in point.

Our agriculture and food services span a wide range of legal matters, including structuring our clients’ contract farming requirements, preparing production and supply agreements, granting easements, negotiating and administering production contracts, and creating security structures. We also provide legal support on the use of real estate for food production and supply, and on leases and usufructuary leases (hasılat kirası).

Günay & Erdoğan also advises and represents a range of domestic and international retail businesses. Our retail services include distribution agreements, distributorship, brokerage and agency arrangements, franchising, sales and supply agreements, and share procurement, sale and transfer transactions.

Automotive

Automotive is one of the most important export sectors in the Turkish economy. We advise clients across every link in the chain, from manufacturers to distributors and finance providers, at every stage of their operations, including production, supply, sales and after-sales services, and we represent them in regulatory processes and in disputes.

Our lawyers are actively involved in preparing and structuring vehicle rental and sale agreements, repair, servicing and maintenance contracts, and dealership, agency and distributorship agreements. Günay & Erdoğan handles litigation and arbitration arising from competition law infringements, unfair commercial practices, and claims for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages.

Construction and Infrastructure

Our team handles every aspect of real estate and construction transactions, from land acquisition through to design, development and construction, and advises clients on drafting and negotiating complex construction, design and development contracts. Our construction and infrastructure specialists deal with joint ventures and other agreements between public bodies, contractors, business partners and subcontractors on construction and infrastructure projects of every kind, as well as with standard-form construction contracts widely used on international projects, such as the FIDIC suite.

Our work in this area includes representing clients in securities, environmental law, insolvency and composition, public procurement, mergers and acquisitions, privatisations, project finance, competition and compliance matters.

Construction disputes are among the firm’s greatest strengths. We represent Türkiye’s leading construction companies in high-value litigation and arbitration before the local courts and international arbitral institutions, notably the ICC and ISTAC, including disputes arising under FIDIC-based contracts.

Energy and Mining

Energy and mining is one of the firm’s signature areas. We advise investors, operators, lenders and contractors across every segment of the sector, from natural gas, coal and oil-fired power plants to hydroelectric projects, and from renewable energy investments — principally wind and solar — to mineral exploration and mining operations.

We advise clients on matters such as the preparation of administrative, rödovans (mining royalty) and mining agreements, and on financing matters including the drafting of operating agreements, bond issues, restructurings, and mergers and acquisitions.

We work alongside our clients at every stage of project development and financing, in establishing consortium and joint venture structures and in operating and revenue-sharing models. In energy and mining disputes, we successfully represent our clients before the national courts and international arbitral institutions, including the ICC and ICSID.

Healthcare

Günay & Erdoğan advises a range of clients in the healthcare sector, including hospitals, innovative healthcare product and service providers, health technology companies, and pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. Our services include drafting contracts and ensuring compliance with rapidly changing regulation, both domestically and globally.

We represent and advise stakeholders across the healthcare sector on a range of matters, including privatisations, financing, mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution and litigation. We also provide legal support at every stage of the construction and licensing of healthcare facilities such as hospitals.

Günay & Erdoğan advises its healthcare clients on domestic and international arbitration proceedings, competition law, employment law, data protection and intellectual property law.

Insurance

Günay & Erdoğan advises and represents clients in their dealings with insurers. Our services cover every stage of the process, from risk assessment through to the drafting of policies securing our clients’ investments, projects and credit facilities. We are also active in a number of innovative areas, such as cyber risk insurance.

We advise insurers and agents on regulatory compliance and represent clients in disputes arising in insurance-related matters. Our dispute resolution team also handles compensation claims arising from accidents occurring during the carriage of goods and cargo by road, air and sea.

Technology, Media and Telecommunications

Technology is an integral part of the firm’s identity. We advise a broad client base, from global technology companies to scaling ventures, across software, digital platforms, e-commerce, fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain and media. Our depth in technology law is reinforced by the academic work of team members who teach and publish in the field.

Drawing on experience across a range of industries, our lawyers deliver legal solutions to clients ranging from industry giants to early-stage technology ventures. Following the latest developments in information technology closely, our team handles specific technology matters such as IT infrastructure, cloud services, software licensing agreements, software development agreements, e-commerce, fintech, and corporate matters relating to new media and entertainment.

The firm advises internet service providers, telephone operators, software companies, technology suppliers, digital transformation providers, content providers and hosting companies on the agreements their sector requires. We also handle the necessary procedures, such as telecommunications licence applications.

Our dispute resolution team represents technology and telecommunications companies before national and international courts and arbitral institutions in claims arising from unfair competition, commercial contracts, and competition and consumer law, and in annulment proceedings concerning licences and administrative sanctions.

We also deliver compliance programmes in data protection, competition and employment law for clients operating in this field, and represent them in intellectual property, trade mark and patent infringement proceedings.

Tourism

To assist domestic and international clients operating in tourism, our skilled and experienced team offers comprehensive support across the full range of hospitality and leisure asset development, acquisition, sale, financing, franchising, leasing and operation. This includes hotels, resorts, convention centres, entertainment and sports complexes and theme parks, both in Türkiye and abroad.

Our team advises on the labour and employment issues facing hotels and leisure complexes, and on a range of further matters including intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution.

Practice Areas

Corporate Law

Our corporate and commercial team advises international and domestic companies operating in Türkiye at every stage of their activities, from incorporation to day-to-day operations, and from corporate governance to cross-border commercial contracts.

We know that every business is different, which is why we tailor our legal solutions to your company’s particular needs. Our team of experienced lawyers works closely with you to understand your commercial objectives and to help you achieve them.

We support domestic and international clients on incorporations and on the establishment of representative offices and branches. We also provide comprehensive corporate governance support to help companies meet their statutory obligations and remain compliant with all applicable laws and regulations.

We further advise on commercial contracts of every kind, including sale and purchase, agency and representation, distributorship, franchising, public procurement, lease, confidentiality, joint venture, employment and consultancy agreements. We draft cross-border commercial agreements and manage the negotiation process to ensure that your interests are protected.

Günay & Erdoğan also supports clients in their dealings with public authorities and represents them before administrative bodies and courts.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Dispute resolution sits at the heart of the firm. Our team comprises highly regarded and successful practitioners in high-value commercial litigation, administrative disputes and international arbitration. The fact that one of Türkiye’s leading academics in civil procedure is among our founding partners allows us to offer our clients unmatched depth even on the most complex procedural questions.

We represent clients in institutional arbitrations conducted under the ICC, LCIA, ICSID and ISTAC rules, as well as in ad hoc proceedings. We have extensive experience in investment arbitration, in the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards and in interim relief proceedings, particularly in disputes arising in the construction, energy, mining, technology and defence sectors.

We work with our clients at every stage of a dispute, from pre-action risk assessment and strategy through to settlement negotiations and mediation, always with their interests in view.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions call for the seamless coordination of legal, financial and strategic considerations. We offer our clients — from multinationals and domestic groups to investment banks and funds — a single point of contact at every stage, from deal structuring through to completion.

Our team of experienced lawyers supports clients efficiently, using legal technology tools to streamline workflows on M&A transactions. We conduct legal reviews, prepare due diligence reports, draft and negotiate merger and restructuring agreements, and complete post-signing approval and notification steps before the relevant authorities.

Start-ups and Venture Capital

The start-up ecosystem is a dynamic environment that demands speed, flexibility and the right structure, and that calls for specialist legal expertise at the investment, growth and scale-up stages. Starting from the pre-seed and seed stages, Günay & Erdoğan provides comprehensive support in designing investment processes, establishing corporate structures, preparing companies for investment and legally structuring processes conducted with institutional investors.

We provide strategic legal support on incorporation, on regulating the relationships between founders, on share transfers, on establishing authority and control mechanisms, on preparing pre-investment documentation, and on negotiating and structuring term sheets, SHAs, SAFEs, convertible notes and similar investment instruments. We also stand alongside our clients from the outset through to completion in funding rounds involving angel investors, venture capital funds and institutional investors, developing balanced and workable solutions that meet the needs of both the investee company and the investor.

We also advise on relocating ventures to Europe or the United States, on restructuring group companies, on flip-up transactions, on compliance with foreign legal regimes through our network of partner firms, and on cross-border corporate reorganisations. For technology-driven ventures, scalable business models and multi-shareholder structures, we deliver integrated advice at the intersection of corporate law, investment law, intellectual property, data protection and commercial contracts.

We take an approach to the growth journey that is not purely transactional but that also supports long-term institutional development, helping our clients build sound structures in both domestic and international markets. We accompany ventures throughout their life cycle, including pre-investment preparation, closing, shareholder relations, governance rights, exit mechanisms and cross-border reorganisation.

Competition Law

Our experienced competition team is led by a former competition expert and case handler at the Turkish Competition Authority, which makes us uniquely well placed to advise both domestic and international clients on the full range of competition law matters.

We provide comprehensive legal support across a range of issues, from horizontal and vertical agreements of various kinds, abuse of dominance allegations, and exemption and negative clearance applications, through to the management of complex domestic and international merger cases, including Phase I and Phase II reviews with structural and behavioural commitments.

We advise clients throughout the process, from assessing notifiability in mergers and acquisitions and preparing filings for the Turkish Competition Authority, through to supporting them during dawn raids in preliminary inquiries and investigations.

Alongside our legal services, we run competition law training, compliance programmes and workshops to help our clients achieve the highest level of compliance with competition rules. Our aim is to identify risks accurately and to give clients the advice they need to manage those risks and to run their competition compliance successfully and effectively.

Investigations, Compliance and Ethics

Our compliance team offers prudent and effective monitoring, assessment and investigation methods, delivered through practical solutions that meet our clients’ needs and requirements as domestic and global rules and regulations become steadily more complex.

Our compliance services cover a range of areas, including antitrust (competition), anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies, legal defence, data privacy, environmental regulation, trade compliance and sector-specific regulation. Drawing on our comprehensive knowledge and experience, we offer clear advice and training on compliance matters to help your company operate within the law and uphold ethical standards.

International Trade, Sanctions and Export Controls

Günay & Erdoğan understands the complex and constantly shifting nature of international trade and customs regulation. Our team of experienced lawyers provides comprehensive, tailored advice on all aspects of international trade, including customs procedures, import and export transactions and trade sanctions.

We help clients establish and maintain relationships with manufacturers, dealers, suppliers, distributors and sellers while ensuring compliance with applicable regulation. Our team has significant experience in international trade sanctions and works closely with international law firms to give our clients the most current legal advice on these issues.

We also advise clients on establishing compliance programmes to ensure adherence to international sanctions, export controls and regimes such as the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). In the event of a dispute, we provide effective legal representation and support to help our clients achieve their desired outcome.

Enforcement, Insolvency, Composition and Restructuring Law

Günay & Erdoğan is committed to helping its clients navigate the complex and demanding world of insolvency, composition and restructuring. Enforcement and insolvency law is a highly procedural field in which structuring the process correctly is often more decisive than the substantive rights at stake; the fact that one of Türkiye’s leading academics in civil procedure and enforcement and insolvency law is among our founding partners is the foundation of our depth in this area. Our experienced team provides comprehensive legal support from the earliest stages of an insolvency petition and application through to the final stages of liquidation.

We assist clients on all aspects of enforcement, insolvency and composition proceedings, including preparing the necessary documentation and negotiating with creditors. In composition proceedings, we are with our clients throughout, from assessing the debtor’s financial position and recovery plan and preparing applications for interim and definitive moratoria, to managing relations with the composition commissioner and handling the creditors’ meeting and the approval of the plan. In recent years, we have seen growing demand for advice on financial restructuring framework agreements, non-performing loans and asset management companies. Our team provides specialist advice in these areas, supporting clients in preparing and managing financial restructuring processes, in restructurings under framework agreements, in reconfiguring security structures and in multi-party negotiations with creditors.

Günay & Erdoğan understands the difficulties our clients face in insolvency, composition and restructuring. Our aim is to provide strategic legal guidance and support that takes account of commercial and financial consequences, and to help our clients achieve the best possible outcome.

Real Estate, Construction and Infrastructure Law

Günay & Erdoğan has extensive experience of advising clients in the real estate, construction and infrastructure sectors. Our team of experienced lawyers has the knowledge and expertise to assist clients on all aspects of real estate transactions, from sale and purchase agreements to mortgages and leases.

We provide legal services in connection with the development of residential and commercial real estate projects, including zoning (imar) plans, financing agreements, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) permits, and other permits and licences. We also provide legal support on all aspects of infrastructure projects, including construction contracts, permits and regulatory compliance. Our lawyers work closely with clients to protect their interests and to ensure that real estate transactions proceed smoothly and efficiently.

Our team also provides litigation and dispute resolution services in real estate and construction matters, including issues relating to land use, planning and regulatory compliance.

Employment and Social Security Law

Our team of specialist lawyers focuses on individual and collective employment law, social security law and immigration law. We advise a wide range of clients, including multinationals, associations and non-governmental organisations, on all employment-related matters.

Günay & Erdoğan understands the cultural nuances of working in Türkiye, and we provide practical, realistic legal advice while keeping our clients up to date on all applicable legislation and on the complex body of secondary regulation. We offer tailored advice on disputes, on individual and collective employment agreements, and on immigration matters, to meet each client’s particular needs. Through the law firms and experienced lawyers we work with abroad, we are able to handle proceedings not only in Türkiye but also in other jurisdictions.

We advise on collective bargaining negotiations and union relations, helping our clients navigate the complexities of industrial relations. Experienced in immigration law, our team also assists with residence and work permits, special visas and other immigration-related matters.