GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) > Istanbul, Turkey > Firm Profile
GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) Offices
Büyükdere Caddesi, No: 175, Kat: 10
34394 Esentepe, Istanbul
Turkey
GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) > The Legal 500 Rankings
Turkey > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 1
Clients of GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) appreciate the ‘huge range and depth of their expertise‘ and look to the practice for the gamut of matters across banking, financing and capital markets. The firm is often at the forefront of new types of work in the Turkish market, a recent case in point saw practice co-head Güniz Gökçe lead advice to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on the country’s first loan within the framework of the recently established Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF). Gökçe is the lead contact for banking and finance work, while Derin Altan is the name to note for capital markets, and is a go-to figure in the country for equity and debt offerings. Ateş Turnaoğlu is praised for his ‘client-orientated approach’ and ‘in-depth expertise‘, while Gökçe Uluç, appointed partner in January 2022, is well-versed in municipal financings, mezzanine transactions and acquisition financings.
Practice head(s):
Güniz Gökçe; Derin Altan
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Gives practical advice: huge range and depth of their expertise to develop commercial, effective solutions for us.’
‘Ateş Turnaoğlu – client oriented approach, in-depth expertise, effective solutions for the clients.’
Key clients
Akbank T.A.Ş.
Deutsche Bank
TEB
T.C. Ziraat Bankası A.Ş.
VakıfBank
Alpha Bank
Piraeus Bank
Kommunalkredit Austria AG
QNB Finansbank
Türkiye Garanti Bankası A.Ş.
TSKB
Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş.
EBRD
Yapı ve Kredi Bankası A.Ş.
IFC
Citi
Goldman Sachs
JP Morgan
Grupo BBVA
Work highlights
- Acted for the consortium of lenders, led by Deutsche Bank, in the €1.225bn financing for the upfront lease payment to the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) for Antalya Airport.
- Advised the lenders (Türkiye İş Bankası, Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası ve Akbank) led by Garanti Bankası in connection with the ₺776m and €32m financing extended to ISS Tesis Yönetim Hizmetleri for the acquisition of Rönesans İşletme Hizmetleri Danışmanlığ.
- Advised EBRD on a €53.5 million facility to Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası (TSKB) under the newly established green credit line, the Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF).
Turkey > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1
GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) has especially strong relationships with clients in the finance and technology spaces, acting in the gamut of transactional matters, as well as supporting with corporate governance considerations. The e-commerce and broader fintech sectors have been growth areas in Turkey in recent years, and the practice has handled a significant number of deals in these fields. Practice head Emre Özşar counts Softbank Vision, Zynga Games and BBVA among his clients, and is admired for his ‘ability to manage difficult situations‘. Senior associate Can Tolga Tezel also comes with client recommendation, and Aslı Gülüm and Gökçen Durgut are further key contacts.Practice head(s):
Emre Özşar
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘ The strongest feature of the team is to have excellent capability in terms of their know-how, their on the ground offering and their partner led practice where we have felt Emre Özşar’s presence and support from day one until the end of the transactions.’
‘I would certainly single out Emre Özşar among his peers. Due to my background and experience I have worked with many different partners from many important law firms in Turkey and I can wholeheartedly say that Emre is simply the best among his competitors.’
‘Can Tolga Tezel is a very good lawyer; he is always very calm, and was always very reachable and extremely hard-working. It was very clear that Tolga was also very experienced in M&A transactions, and I was impressed with his legal capabilities and knowledge too.’
‘The most important feature of GKC compared to the other law firms is the fact that they take ownership of the matter and always try to deeply understand the business where they are requested to legally advise. That is very critical and very difficult to find in others. In addition to that they truly work as a full team in a great harmony; and you feel like they are really taking care of the client and the matter.’
‘Emre Özşar is a problem solver. No matter how complex the issue can be he always comes up with a solution. He’s very smart, hard-working and has extensive negotiation skills. Thanks to his strong character and persuasion skills we reached a very positive result in both transactions from a legal and commercial perspective.’
‘In addition to Emre Özşar, who is the best M&A lawyer I have worked with, I would mention Can Tolga Tezel who is a senior member of Emre’s team. Tolga is very experienced, and he is a great technical lawyer.’
‘Dedication to the project; able to understand the client’s needs and find solutions; great teamwork; valuable technical legal knowledge.’
‘Emre Ozsar is an excellent lawyer; his strong legal and negotiation skills are very helpful from client’s perspective. Emre’s ability to manage difficult situations and calls are unparalleled.’
Key clients
Grupo BBVA
SoftBank Vision Fund LP
Delivery Hero SE
TFI TAB Gıda Yatırımları A.Ş.
Zip Co Limited
UniCredit
Zynga Inc.
Hanwha Energy Corporation Singapore Ltd.
IFC
Kalyon İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.
Goldman Sachs
EBRD
Work highlights
- Acted for SoftBank Vision Fund in its primary investment with certain other financial investors in DSM Grup Danışmanlık İletişim, trading as Trendyol.
- Advised Delivery Hero on its acquisition of the shares representing the entire share capital of Marketyo Bilişim Teknoloji from its shareholders Önder Fırat, Özer Fırat, Esor Investments Holding and Gökçer Gökdal.
- Advised Kalyon on the sale of its shares representing 50% of the share capital of Kalyon Enerji Yatırımları to W Solar Investment.
Turkey > Foreign firms Tier 1
GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) is an established firm in Turkey with a full service offering across multiple practice areas such as M&A, project finance, disputes, capital markets and tax. The firm’s client portfolio includes financial institutions, wealth funds and manufacturing companies. Sebastian Buss leads the practice and brings a wealth of experience in the bank finance and project finance areas. Recent highlights include representing the lenders, led by Deutsche Bank, in the financing of EUR 1.225 billion.Practice head(s):
Sebastian Buss
Key clients
Fernas Otoyol İşletmesi A.Ş.
Deutsche Bank
DenizBank
Grupo BBVA
FMO
EBRD
Yapi Kredi
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Akbank T.A.Ş.
TEB
Ziraat Bankası
VakıfBank
Kommunalkredit Austria AG
QNB Finansbank
ICBC Turkey Bank A.Ş.
Goldman Sachs International Bank
UniCredit S.p.A
SoftBank Vision Fund LP
Work highlights
- Acted as English law counsel to Fernas İnşaat A.Ş. in a EUR 770 million financing for the construction of Aydın-Denizli Motorway in accordance with the built-operate-transfer model.
- Represented the lenders led by Deutsche Bank in the financing of EUR 1.225 billion for the payment of the upfront lease payment under the new tender to the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) for Antalya Airport.
- Advised Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. on its €2.25 billion voluntary takeover bid for the 50.15% stake it does not own in T. Garanti Bankası A.Ş.
Turkey > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 1
GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) has a strong recent history in acting on large-scale restructurings within Turkey’s domestic financial sector. A recent example saw the team act for Turkish electricity producer İçanadolu Doğalgaz Elektrik on the restructuring of the financial indebtedness of its CCGT power plant with Yapi Kredi, Garanti, İs Bank, DenizBank and TSKB. This advice was led by the practice co-heads Güniz Gokce, one of the foremost names in Turkish restructuring law, and Ateş Turnaoğlu, who clients praise for his ‘outstanding performance‘.Practice head(s):
Güniz Gökçe; Ateş Turnaoğlu
Testimonials
‘We worked with GKC Partners both on our side and the lenders’ side in two different restructurings. Each time, they have contributed to the project more than envisaged. Their feedback is always on time.’
‘Ateş Turnaoğlu has shown an outstanding performance.’
Key clients
Türkiye İş bankası A.Ş.
İç Anadolu Doğalgaz Enerji Üretim ve Ticaret A.Ş.
Vakıflar Bankası T.A.O.
ICBC Turkey Bank A.Ş.
Work highlights
- Acted for İş Bankası, DenizBank, Halkbank, TSKB and Vakıfbank in the financial restructuring of the existing cash and non-cash indebtedness of Soma Thermal Power Plant under the financial restructuring programme (FYY).
- Advised İçanadolu Doğalgaz Elektrik, a Turkish electricity producer and a subsidiary of Gama Energy, on the restructuring of the financial indebtedness of its CCGT power plant with Yapi Kredi, Garanti, İs Bank, DenizBank and TSKB.
- Acting for the lenders led by Vakıfbank in connection with the $800 million restructuring of Gallery Crystal Hotels.
Turkey > Competition Tier 2
Sezin Elçin-Cengiz comes highly recommended by her clients as ‘a spectacular competition specialist and standout professional‘ who ‘harmonises her top-notch antitrust knowledge with her business acumen‘. She spearheads the department at GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case), which handles a range of merger control filings, M&A-related competition issues, and industry antitrust investigations for a diverse, international client base. Senior associate Esma Aktaş supports the practice head on the range of matters.Practice head(s):
Sezin Elçin Cengiz
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘GKC Partners has been providing services to our company on competition issues for many years and their services have been always top-notch and exceptional. The level of expertise and knowledge of the team is outstanding. The service we received is highly detailed, punctual, practical and well presented.’
‘Sezin Elcin-Cengiz is a spectacular competition specialist and standout professional. She has undeniable, broad experience in competition practise and works in a timely manner, provides an outstanding service. She also has great communication skills, has the ability to explain in understandable terms.’
‘GKC competition law team provides us a comfort in all our competition related issues. They are always reachable and ready to provide full assistance despite a tight time frame. They are well experienced and very good at following and proactively alerting the client of the legal environment on the regulator side.’
‘Sezin Elçin Cengiz is a very knowledgeable expert in competition law field. She is always reachable and ready to assist in every possible way to address client needs, never makes do with just high level legal opinions but provides down to earth, applicable solutions with a business oriented perspective. She has a good network with regulators and this adds a lot of value to her assistance.’
‘There is a solid team for the competition practice of GKC, spearheaded by Sezin Cengiz – a prominent figure in the Turkish competition law environment. They are quite agile to formulate their operating models depending on the client’s needs, and would be keen to dive deep on the business details, even those that are not strictly related to their area of expertise for bespoke legal advice.’
‘Sezin is a hands-on partner, always reachable and quick to rise to the occasion when needed. She harmonises her top-notch antitrust knowledge with her business acumen.’
‘Sezin Elçin Cengiz – her having close relationship with the competition authority, conveying the expectations and approaches of the authority, and experience in this matter are extremely important for our company. Being able to evaluate the sector analyses made by us is a plus value. She has a collaborative approach. Her dominance of local practise and jurisprudence comes to the fore.’
‘The practice area requires deep knowledge of Turkish competition law and great relationship with the Turkish Competition Authority. The GKC team excels in both areas.’
Key clients
A15 Holding Netherlands B.V.
Cobepa SA
EQT IX Collect EUR SCSp and EQT IX Collect USD SCSp
Huron Inc. / Ardian France SA
IFM Investors
Nestle Türkiye Gıda Sanayi A.Ş.
SIBUR Holding PAO
Synthos S.A.
Zynga
ALD Group / Societe Generale S.A.
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc
Abdi İbrahim
Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC
Work highlights
- Acted for Synthos in merger control aspects and related filings to the Competition Authority in Turkey with respect to its acquisition of Trinseo’s synthetic rubber operations.
- Advised Zynga on merger control filings for its acquisition of Forgerhero Yazılım, a mobile game developer.
- Acted for ALD Group in merger control filings for its acquisition of LeasePlan, a Netherlands-based fleet management and driver mobility company.
Turkey > Energy Tier 2
The energy team at GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) has considerable experience in project financing across renewable matters. Recently, the team was involved in the financing of the construction and operation of an integrated solar module manufacturing facility in Turkey for Kalyon Günes Enerjisi Üretim A.Ş. Ateş Turnaoğlu frequently acts for contractors and regulatory authorities in negotiations relating to direct agreements; he co-heads the practice with Güniz Gökçe.Practice head(s):
Güniz Gökçe; Ateş Turnaoğlu
Other key lawyers:
Kaan Alkan
Testimonials
‘Each time when we face any obstacle in our deal, they come up with a creative solution that makes the deal happen. GKC Partners is pioneering and more importantly has a human impact when carrying out their work.’
‘Ateş Turnaoğlu is very well-known partner in the energy sector. He’s not only an outstanding finance lawyer but is also recommended by major conglomerates and regulatory authorities as a trustful advisor for most complex energy related works.’
‘GKC Partners’ team is united and delivers the best work on time. From the first moment when we instructed them, we realized we have an international advisor who will walk with us until the end. They don’t take no as an answer but of course it has an impact on their pricing. In short, better call GKC Partners!’
‘Working with GKC has always been a great experience. The team is more than qualified, they lead their clients in the right direct and you can always count on them to protect your best interest.’
‘I have been working closely with Ates Turnaoglu and Kaan Alkan for many years. Their exceptional work ethic, knowledge and understanding have always been critical for me. I am grateful and feeling safe to be working with them.’
Key clients
Aksa Enerji
T. Vakıflar Bankası T.A.O.
Türkiye Kalkınma Yatırım Bankası
EnerjiSA Enerji Üretim A.Ş.
T. Halk Bankası
T. Garanti Bankası A.Ş.
Denizbank A.Ş.
Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası A.Ş.
T.İş Bankası A.Ş.
Yapı ve Kredi Bankası A.Ş.
Work highlights
- Represented Türkiye Vakıflar Bankası T.A.O. and T.C. Ziraat Bankası A.Ş. in connection with the financing of the construction and operation of an integrated solar module manufacturing facility.
- Represented the the consortium of conventional and Islamic financiers, Is Bank, Garanti BBVA, DenizBank, Halkbank, TSKB, Türkiye Finans and Vakıfbank, in the debt reprofiling and new CAPEX financing of the electricity distribution and retail companies of the Uludağ Region.
- Represented Türkiye Kalkınma ve Yatırım Bankası A.Ş. as the lender in the financing of the Çandır wind power plant.
Turkey > Project finance/projects Tier 2
GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) has been frequently involved in high-valued energy, transport and infrastructure financing matters. The team advises both international and domestic banks, as well as project owners in various fields. Güniz Gokce advises arrangers, lenders and multilateral financial institutions on complex infrastructure financing projects, and she co-leads the practice with Ateş Turnaoğlu, who is the key contact for a number of banks for project financing matters. Gökçe Uluç is ‘very strong on PPPs and project finance transactions‘, and, at the associate level, Baran Abur is the name to note.Practice head(s):
Güniz Gökçe; Ateş Turnaoğlu
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team has very talented members. They are very experienced and always dedicated to satisfy the clients’ needs in the best way even they are extremely busy.’
‘Not only the mid-level lawyers but also the partners are always reachable which give great comfort to the clients.’
‘The best expression could be used for the description of GKC Team is “confidence”, their expertise, deep knowledge and embracement of the transaction always provides you with confidence as the client. They can see the bigger picture, analyse the other party very well and determine the strategy for negotiation.’
‘Gökçe Uluç: She is very strong on PPPs and project finance transactions with her broad experience on different structured projects with different sizes. Her vast experience and knowledge along with leadership skills makes her one of those who decides the strategy as if she was a part of the company.’
‘Their team works like a partner to our in-house legal team with full support on all issues.’
‘They are always reachable and they manage the crises during the negotiations in a very professional manner.’
‘Their team is well experienced, highly responsive and service-focused. They have impressive legal expertise and ability to assess complex issues and translate them into practical solutions, as well as an open-minded spirit, a problem-solving attitude and loyalty.’
‘Each team member’s dedication to projects and solution providing approach are always valuable. They are cooperative with all parties and most importantly their expertise of their field has provided important input for our projects.’
Key clients
Fernas Insaat A.Ş.
T.C. Ziraat Bankası A.Ş.
Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girişim Grubu Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.
Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş.
AIIB
Denizbank A.Ş.
EBRD
IFC
Nederlandse Financierings Maatschappij Voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. (FMO)
Work highlights
- Acted as English law counsel to Fernas İnşaat (sponsor) and Fernas Otoyol İşletmesi, the project company, in €770m financing for the construction of Aydın-Denizli Motorway.
- Acted for AIIB, DenizBank, EBRD, IFC and FMO on the additional financing of $350m for Osmangazi Elektrik Dağıtım.
- Advised TOGG on the transaction where Vakıfbank is providing a long-term ECA-supported loan of €58m for the financing of the investment to be made for TOGG’s domestic car factory based on the EPC contract to be signed between Durr and TOGG.
GKC Partners (in professional association with White & Case) > Firm Profile
GKC PARTNERS is a full-service law firm established in Istanbul, Turkey.
White & Case works with GKC Partners in professional association on matters of Turkish law.
For further information please visit gkcpartners.com
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Baran Abur | Senior Associate | View Profile | |
Derin Altan | Partner | View Profile | |
Ahmet Bağcı | Local Partner | View Profile | |
Sebastian Buss | Partner | View Profile | |
Gökçen Durgut | Senior Associate | View Profile | |
Güniz Gökçe | Association Partner | View Profile | |
Aslı Gülüm | Senior Associate | View Profile | |
Emre Özşar | Partner | View Profile | |
Can Tolga Tezel | Local Partner | View Profile | |
Ateş Turnaoğlu | Partner | View Profile | |
Gökçe Uluç | Local Partner | View Profile |
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