Spotlight on Our Practice - Insights from Partner Neslihan Tuna Saraçgil Aksoy

What do you see as the main points that differentiate Selvi Attorney Partnership from your competitors?

Selvi Attorney Partnership has extensive experience in a wide array of financing structures across sectors such as energy, infrastructure, real estate, transportation and livestock. Our track record covers acquisition financing of both public and private companies in industries including cement, energy, real estate and construction; as well as syndication loans, securitizations, and direct lending.

On top of that, the team members worked in many restructuring transactions carried out under the financial restructuring legislation, including both large-scale and small-scale framework agreements prepared pursuant to the Banking Law and the Regulation on the Restructuring of Debts Owed to the Financial Sector, as well as other restructuring transactions conducted by banks outside the scope of such legislation, whether in consortium or single-bank models.

Our lawyers have acted as counsel to banks and bank consortia - both on a retainer and on a transaction-specific basis - while also representing borrowers and sponsors in a wide variety of deals.

With in-depth knowledge of diverse financial solutions and structures, Selvi Attorney Partnership provides tailor-made advice and supports its clients throughout every stage of a transaction, from day one to closing.

Our firm also has substantial experience in derivatives and capital markets instruments, including ISDA and GMRA agreements, as well as CDS and CLN documentation. In this field, our lawyers have contributed to the preparation of framework agreements used by treasury departments of numerous banks and financial institutions, and continue to provide long-term advisory services to these departments.

Selvi Attorney Partnership has also developed a strong expertise in capital markets. Our team has participated in numerous public offerings in Türkiye and abroad, as well as bond issuances by both banks and corporations. We represent issuer companies and investor institutions across a range of transactions, and serve as full-scale legal counsel to several public companies, providing end-to-end capital markets advice and ensuring their ongoing regulatory compliance.

In addition to its strong finance practice, Selvi Attorney Partnership has significant expertise in M&A and corporate matters. Our team has advised on numerous acquisition transactions and joint ventures across a variety of sectors, including cement, energy, pharmaceuticals, insurance and tourism. We represent both strategic and financial investors, as well as family offices and sponsors, providing end-to-end support from due diligence and structuring to negotiation and closing.

On the corporate side, we regularly assist clients with corporate governance, regulatory compliance, amendments to articles of association, board and general assembly resolutions, and restructuring of corporate groups.

This combined expertise in finance, derivatives, capital markets and corporate/M&A enables us to seamlessly integrate transactional and corporate advisory services, ensuring that our clients’ long-term strategic and operational needs are met alongside their financing requirements.

In all of these areas, we are committed to delivering practical and comprehensive legal solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs.

Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

We expect continued growth particularly in energy and infrastructure, acquisition finance and complex restructuring mandates.

In Türkiye, the ongoing energy transition and the increasing focus on renewable and hybrid energy projects, including storage-integrated generation facilities, are creating a strong pipeline of financing and regulatory work. At the same time, macroeconomic conditions and refinancing needs are driving an increase in debt restructuring and secondary loan transactions, particularly involving large banking syndicates.

Overall, the key drivers are energy transformation, international capital flows into infrastructure and the growing complexity of financing structures in the Turkish market.

What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients?

 One of the most important developments for our firm has been strengthening our partner-led and highly specialised team structure, allowing us to deliver more focused and technically sophisticated advice in complex transactions.

We have also invested in developing a more integrated approach across finance, corporate and regulatory practices, which enables us to support clients not only on documentation but also on structuring, regulatory strategy and execution of multi-layered transactions.

This approach is particularly valuable for clients operating in highly regulated sectors such as energy, banking and infrastructure, where legal advice must combine transactional expertise with deep regulatory insight.

Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Technology is increasingly shaping both the speed and transparency of legal services. Clients expect faster turnaround times and more efficient communication, particularly in cross-border transactions involving multiple parties and jurisdictions.

At Selvi Attorney Partnership, we use digital collaboration tools and document management systems that enable real-time coordination with international counsel, lenders and project stakeholders. This allows us to manage complex transactions more efficiently while maintaining a high level of responsiveness to our clients.

At the same time, while technology supports efficiency, we believe the core value in sophisticated legal work still lies in strategic judgement, negotiation experience and regulatory expertise. Technology enhances the process, but the legal insight remains the key differentiator.

Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

In a recent mandate, we advised a client on a complex restructuring and financing arrangement involving multiple lenders and layered security structures. The transaction required careful alignment of financing documentation, security packages and regulatory considerations.

Beyond the legal documentation, we worked closely with the client and lenders to restructure the financing framework in a way that improved the borrower’s liquidity profile while maintaining lender protection.

By designing a structure that balanced the interests of all parties, the transaction enabled the client to stabilise its financial position and continue its operations and investment plans without disruption.

This kind of mandate reflects how our role often goes beyond legal drafting to include transaction structuring and strategic problem-solving, which ultimately adds tangible value to our clients’ businesses.

Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

Clients today are increasingly looking for law firms that provide not only legal advice but also strategic guidance in navigating complex transactions and regulatory environments.

Over the next three years, we see Selvi Attorney Partnership continuing to strengthen its position as a trusted advisor in complex financing, infrastructure and cross-border transactions involving Türkiye. Our focus will remain on maintaining a highly specialised, partner-driven practice that delivers technically strong and commercially practical advice.

We also aim to further deepen our relationships with international law firms and financial institutions, which allows us to play a key role in transactions that connect the Turkish market with global capital.

Ultimately, our goal is to remain a boutique firm recognised for sophisticated legal work, strong client relationships and the ability to navigate complex transactions with clarity and precision.