Drawing on the bench strength of Clifford Chance’s network of offices, CE Partners in association with Clifford Chance excels in handling the full spectrum of project financings and project developments, with clients crediting its ‘proactive approach and commitment to delivering practical, business-focused solutions’. A large proportion of this workflow relates to structured finance, infrastructure finance, and project finance. Leading the team is Sait Eryılmaz, who maintains a strong reputation in the infrastructure and energy realm, exhibiting strengths across both the Turkish market and Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and the CIS region. Gökçe Uzun routinely advises lenders, sponsors, and developers on highly complex projects, including healthcare and transport PPPs. Başar Kırka brings knowledge across a wide range of project financings, with particular skills across EPC+F financings, ECA financings, and privatisations. Pelinsu Demircan is another key member of the team.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Sait Eryılmaz and Gokce Uzun are the key individuals who stand out. Sait is very hands-on in all deals he participates in and has good client coverage. He has vast experience in the market and is a well-known partner. Gokce is a hardworking, solution-oriented lawyer.’
- ‘CE Partners is very skilled at handling complicated legal work, such as concession agreements, direct agreements, and debt assumption agreements. Their support has been key to making these projects successful. They stand out because they understand both the financial and legal rules very well, which helps them create practical solutions that work for businesses. They manage complex deals carefully, work well with others, and use new technology to make processes faster and clearer. This makes project delivery easier and more effective. Their team is strong, solution-oriented, and highly responsible.’
- ‘Working with CE Partners has been a positive experience, particularly with Sait Eryılmaz, Gökçe Uzun, Ali Can Altıparmak, Berke Avarkan, Melissa Mengü, Aykan Karpuzcu, and Fatih Göktuğ İpin.'
- 'They stand out for their strong expertise in project finance and their skill in handling large infrastructure projects, especially under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. We have greatly valued their dedication, quick responses, and careful attention to detail throughout our work together. They are highly capable in managing complex legal documentation. Their proactive approach and commitment to delivering practical, business-focused solutions have made them valuable partners.’
- ‘The team has a strong experience in complex deals, and backing this with their international offices adds additional power to their capabilities.’
Key clients
- Actis
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- Akbank
- Aksa Energy
- Alternatifbank A.S
- Arçelik
- Avesoro Resources
- Bank of America
- Bank of China
- Barclays Bank PLC
- Ben Oldman European Asset Backed Lending S.A
- BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV
- China Development Bank
- Ciner Group
- Citibank N.A.
- Commercial Bank of Dubai PSC
- DEG
- Denizbank
- Deutsche Bank AG
- Development Bank of Kazakhstan
Work highlights
Advising the lenders, including local and international financial institutions, JP Morgan, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), HSBC, KfW IPEX-Bank, Proparco, Deutsche Investitions - und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (German Investment Corporation), and Akbank in financing up to US$1.012 billion for Enerjisa Enerji Üretim A.Ş. (Enerjisa Üretim).
Advising TAV Airports and Fraport AG on the EUR 2.5 billion long-term refinancing of Antalya Airport, one of the most significant airport financings completed in the region to date. The joint venture between the companies was awarded a new concession to operate the airport until December 2051.
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.
Pelinsu Demircan
Başar Kırka
Gökçe Uzun
Practice head
Sait Eryılmaz
Other key lawyers
Gökçe Uzun; Ali Can Altıparmak; Berke Avarkan; Melissa Mengü; Aykan Karpuzcu; Fatih Göktuğ İpin; Pelinsu Demircan