•  Civil and Criminal Litigation

The Firm is well known for its civil and criminal litigation practice. Collection matters are pursued through courts and/ or enforcement offices. As the number of cross-border transactions involving Turkey increased, so has the number of matters that are submitted to alternative dispute resolution where the Firm has developed a significant expertise, both as legal counsel to a party as well as an arbitrator.

•  Corporate Law

Corporate clients are offered a one-stop resource to basic day-to-day corporate and commercial issues for which they may require Turkish law advice. The Firm maintains a “general outside counsel” program which includes a comprehensive bundle of corporate and commercial services. Advice on corporate maintenance, contracts, employment matters are provided either in support of or in lieu of the client's internal legal department. The general outside counsel program is preferred in particular by local subsidiaries of non-Turkish clients.

•  Financial Services

Under Turkish law a wide spectrum of commercial and financial transactions can be carried out through freely negotiated contractual arrangements. The Firm advises its clients in various such matters, including without limitation licensing, franchising, leasing,distribution, sales, brokerage, etc.

•  Intellectual Property Law

The Firm's lawyers are admitted to practice before the Turkish patent and trademark authority. The intellectual property practice includes applications for registration; objections; representation in administrative, as well as in civil proceedings that involve infringement of intellectual property rights.

•  Mergers and Acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions are a principal source of the Firm's business, primarily because it caters to a business clientele. Projects worked-on include stock and asset acquisitions, joint ventures, start-ups, etc. All legal services that are customarily expected in a transnational business transaction are available: from the initial steps of due diligence through closing, followed by post-closing work.

Trade regulation is relatively new to Turkey. Antitrust and antidumping laws were only enacted after 1995. Significant enforcement is even more recent. So far, antitrust work has involved mostly pre-merger notification and some investigations in allegedly anti-competitive business practices. The Firm has developed a significant experience in trade regulation matters. A particular forte of the Firm in pre-merger notification is the automotive industry because it handled Turkish merger clearance for most major mergers and acquisitions since merger-control rules have been imposed in Turkey.

•  Privatization and Tenders

Since 1990 Turkey has increased its efforts to privatize industries that are traditionally known as State-monopolies. Private investors have shown an interest specifically in power, telecommunications and infrastructure industries. Investments are mostly by way of acquiring a State-owned entity or its business; or by creating a new enterprise to compete in a newly liberalized market. Through a blend of administrative law, commercial law and project finance advice, the Firm has assisted private parties in entering into such markets. The resulting expertise is relevant in the case of private investment in most former State monopolies.

Public tenders are the primary method of securing large infrastructure and investment projects in concession fields. The Firm assisted bidders in tender due diligence, preparing and submitting bids, negotiating concession and related contracts after the tender is awarded and providing general advice on the procurement process and applicable administrative law rules.

•  Legal assistance in connection with tenders for private energy generation and distribution; legal advice with respect to operational matters involving existing private energy generation facilities.

•  Legal assistance to a consortium with respect to the privatization of a Turkish oil enterprise.

•  Consulting services to foreign investors related to the acquisition of two Turkish oil distribution enterprises.

•  Assistance to a foreign investor relating to the sale of a Turkish gas distribution enterprise.

•  Services for incorporation of telecommunication companies.

•  Coordination and assistance to public authorities regarding telecommunications legislation in compliance with the E.U. legislation.

•  Services related to the establishing of joint ventures between domestic and foreign investors; stock and asset acquisitions; shareholder relationships.

•  Legal advice in resolving investment disputes, including in particular those that may arise under build-operate-transfer transactions.

•  Preparation of the legal basis for international finance transactions.

•  Legal representation in litigation and arbitration matters, including without limitation private law, penal law and administrative law disputes.