A&C International Law

Yasemin Cetinel explains how the new firm A&C is a trusted international legal partner delivering strategic clarity in complex disputes and advisory matters in construction and infrastructure projects   What do you see as the main points that differentiate A&C International Law from your competitors? A&C International Law is a joint venture for international construction and infrastructure, combining Aglionby ADR (London) and Çetinel Law Firm (Istanbul) under a single, integrated contact point. It delivers early strategic insight, anticipates risks, and provides goal-aligned legal solutions, treating law as a business tool and building long-term, value-driven partnerships.   Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that? We expect dispute prevention to be our fastest-growing area over the next 12 months. At A&C International Law, this is not a new direction for us; we have years of hands-on experience acting as both legal advisors as well as DAB members to keep projects amicable. Our track record includes successfully leadings conciliations that resolve complex disagreements between the parties. In international construction management, clients are increasingly prioritizing this proactive approach, relying on our established expertise to resolve any dispute in real-time and protect their bottom line.   What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients? By joining forces to found A&C International Law, we have created a firm that blends the personal touch of a boutique with the muscle of a global firm. This benefits our clients by turning law into a true strategic advantage in their international projects. A&C International Law’s structure and collaborative model are specifically designed to provide the expertise and support needed to make that happen.   Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them? A&C’s role is to apply early strategic insight, anticipate risks and to deliver legal solutions aligned with objectives. A&C uses legal resources efficiently. Law is a strategic tool applied using business knowledge, foresight, and long-term value creation. Accordingly, A&C focuses on building enduring partnerships with clients, recognizing that these should deliver more value to the clients and for that, we use technology as our aid. Let me give you an example. We were acting as the legal counsel in a big case and the document production process was promising to be overwhelming as there were millions of documents involved. We decided to use a specific AI for this, trained our team and hired 4 people to handle this task specifically. We managed to complete the process successfully and within the prescribed time limits.   Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business? One of the most impactful ways we add value is by conducting bespoke contract workshops for a client’s project team at the point of inception. A couple of years ago, for a major infrastructure project, we realized the project team was often disconnected from the legal nuances negotiated in the contract. To bridge this gap, we translated complex legal jargon into practical operational workflows and visited the Site to give the project team contract training on these matters. This ensured that the project team knew exactly when and how to issue notices, manage variations, and document delays. We established a proactive rather than reactive management culture, and the client specifically credited this training with preventing potential disputes from escalating to arbitration. By investing in alignment early on, we saved the client significant legal fees and preserved the contractor’s relationship with the employer.   Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time? At A&C International Law, we recognize that in an increasingly volatile global market, clients do not just want legal advice; they require a stable foundation and a clear strategic compass. A&C International Law was founded specifically to meet this demand: stability. Our merger was not a reactive market move, but a deliberate, organic evolution of a five-year operational partnership. Because our teams have already spent half a decade integrating our workflows and collaborating on complex cross-border projects, the growing pains typically associated with mergers do not exist here. Our clients receive immediate, seamless stability. In three years’ time, I see A&C International Law positioned as the primary strategic legal partner of our clients. We have built a partnership designed to back our clients for the next decade and beyond.