Recommended for its ‘client-centric mindset, and openness to flexible, solution-driven ways of working’, the employment team at Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli maintains a distinguished reputation across a wide spectrum of employment law matters, from structuring and negotiating bespoke executive contracts to managing both unilateral and mutual terminations, including settlements and mediation processes. The firm has strong ties with a domestic and international client roster, consisting of multinational corporations and major domestic companies across industries such as luxury goods, retail, electronics, insurance, pharmaceuticals, media, e-commerce, technology, and automotive. Spearheading the team is Maral Minasyan, an expert in corporate and commercial matters with well-regarded knowledge of non-contentious and contentious aspects of employment law, from designing strategic hiring frameworks and drafting executive contracts to navigating complex terminations, collective labour negotiations, workplace investigations, and large-scale redundancies. Okan Demirkan steers his practice towards compliance and ethics. Selin Balkır Erçin and Burcu Çınar are well-equipped to handle a wide range of employment matters, with a noted focus on termination-related mandates and mediation.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Selin Balkır is pragmatic, provides solutions‑oriented advice on day‑to‑day and sensitive employment matters; is reliable under tight timelines and helpful in shaping next steps. Communication is clear and concise.'
- ‘The team were very responsive, knowledgeable and took time to understand our requirements and explain relevant law and precedent in the context of the appointment we engaged them for. They were very client centric. They provided us with good support and expertise.’
- ‘Burcu Cinar and Maral Minasyan are fantastic. Their advice is commercial, pragmatic and accessible. They are responsive, reliable and a pleasure to work with.’
- ‘What makes this practice unique is their combination of legal expertise with a practical, business-minded approach. They are responsive, collaborative, and understand the dynamics of the organizations they support. Compared to other firms, they stand out with their client-centric mindset, and openness to flexible, solution-driven ways of working. Their consistent professionalism also.’
- ‘The individuals (Burcu, Selin and Maral) I work with stand out for their professionalism, responsiveness, and ability to provide clear, business-oriented legal advice. What sets them apart is their genuine collaboration and understanding of client needs.’
- ‘The practice stands out for turning complex, multi‑jurisdictional issues into clear, commercially focused solutions. The team has strong sector knowledge, excellent project management, and coordinates seamlessly across disciplines, which makes execution fast and reliable. Potential clients will value their crisp advice, availability, and willingness to tailor resourcing and fees to the matter. Compared with other firms, delivery and value are strong and the technical quality of the work was excellent. On innovation, we’ve seen helpful flexibility on billing and budgeting, effective use of collaboration tools and matter trackers, and a commitment to diverse, well-balanced teams and knowledge-sharing. Overall, we were pleased with the outcome and capabilities.’
Key clients
- Beiersdorf
- Databricks
- Element Solutions
- Estee Lauder
- Ethena
- Fagerhult Group
- Mott MacDonald Group
- Opswat
- Pearson
- Quaker Chemical Corporation
- Red Engineering
- Solaredge
Work highlights
Advises Tencent on disciplinary processes and various other employment law-related matters.
Advises Gucci on various employment law-related matters and represents the client in labour lawsuits and mediation proceedings.
Advises Dyson on disciplinary investigations and several other employment law-related matters and represents the client in employment disputes.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Selin Balkır Erçin
Rami Arda Yörükoğlu
Practice head
Maral Minasyan; Okan Demirkan
Other key lawyers
Selin Balkır Erçin; Burcu Çınar