Thirteen areas,
one standard of care.

Civil Procedure · Mediation · Arbitration

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

A dispute is often won or lost before it ever reaches a courtroom. Whether evidence was secured in time, whether the formal notice was drafted correctly and whether limitation periods were observed all shape the outcome. So on the first day we take on a matter, we review your documents and correspondence with you and set out in writing what your rights are, how they will be proved and which deadlines are running.

In many disputes, applying to a mediator is now a legal precondition to filing a lawsuit. In employment, commercial, consumer, tenancy, partition, condominium and neighbour disputes we attend mediation sessions with our clients and, where settlement is realistic, draft a binding and enforceable agreement. Where it is not, we plan the lawsuit together with its court costs, the risk of adverse attorney fees and its likely duration.

Throughout the proceedings we manage pleadings, witnesses, court-appointed experts, site inspections and interim decisions in one place. After a first-instance judgment we reassess the file for appeals before the regional courts and the Court of Cassation and, where fundamental rights are at stake, bring individual applications to the Constitutional Court. Cases outside Istanbul are followed through the national e-court system (UYAP) and in person where needed, across all 81 provinces.

For disputes arising from international contracts we represent parties in institutional arbitration such as ISTAC and ICC, and bring the proceedings needed to have foreign court judgments and arbitral awards recognised and enforced in Türkiye.

Criminal Code · Criminal Procedure

Criminal Law

In a criminal investigation the first hours are decisive. What a person in custody says - or does not say - in a statement shapes every later stage of the file. We stand by our client before the police and the prosecutor and make sure every right the law grants, starting with the right to remain silent, is fully exercised.

We build challenges to detention and judicial control on the concrete evidence in the file and the principle of proportionality. At trial we examine the indictment, witness statements, camera and digital records and expert reports one by one, and build the defence on a document-based strategy. Together with our client we assess early on whether deferral of the announcement of the verdict, suspended sentences or alternative sanctions may be available.

For individuals and companies harmed by an offence, we file the criminal complaint, follow the investigation and take part in the trial as counsel for the intervening party. In matters such as internal fraud, online fraud, forgery and breach of trust we plan the criminal process together with recovery of the loss. In criminal cases arising from workplace accidents we draw on our work in employment law.

The process does not end with a final judgment. We advise on enforcement of sentences, conditional release, probation and criminal records, and assess applications for retrial and to the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Code of Obligations · Commercial Code

Contract Law

A contract is the only way to write down the rules of a relationship in advance. A well-drafted contract goes unnoticed while things go well; when a problem arises, it shows beyond argument who must do what, when and at what price. In every document we draft we first try to understand the business itself, then turn your commercial goals into legal terms.

When a contract is put in front of you for signature, we review it clause by clause, mark the provisions that could work against you with our reasons, and propose changes directly in the text. Standard terms, penalty clauses, limitation of liability, force majeure, termination and dispute resolution are at the heart of our review. Together with our accountant we also assess stamp duty and other financial consequences.

For deals with foreign partners we draft in Turkish and English, or bilingually where needed, and choose the governing law and the competent court or arbitration according to the nature of the deal. When the relationship breaks down, we handle formal notices, termination, damages and adaptation claims.

Turkish Commercial Code · Cheque Law

Commercial Law

In business, time is money. Miss the deadline to object to an invoice, to give notice of a defect in goods or to present a cheque, and a receivable you are entitled to can easily be lost. We give merchants and companies fast, workable advice on these short and critical deadlines that arise in day-to-day business.

In disputes over cheques and promissory notes we use the enforcement route specific to bills of exchange and bring negative declaratory and restitution actions; when agency, dealership or distribution relationships end we pursue goodwill indemnity claims; and we bring unfair competition actions against misleading and bad-faith conduct by competitors. For commercial receivables we plan the whole process, from mandatory mediation to enforcement.

In foreign trade, if the delivery term, transfer of risk and payment method are not set up correctly, a small delay can become a major dispute. Drawing on our academic background in international trade law, we support exporters and importers on INCOTERMS rules, the Vienna Sales Convention (CISG) and letters of credit, and assess the financial side of customs and currency risk with our accountant.

Commercial Code · Foreign Direct Investment Law

Corporate Law

When we work with companies we do not discuss law and finance in separate rooms. We assess the legal consequences of a share transfer, capital increase or merger together with its tax and accounting effects. The corporate finance experience of the certified accountant and independent auditor on our team brings this together, especially for growing and restructuring companies.

We run the whole formation process - from joint stock and limited companies to branches and liaison offices for foreign investors. After formation we keep general assembly and board resolutions, share and resolution ledgers, capital changes and trade registry filings in order.

Disputes between shareholders quickly erode a company's most valuable asset: trust. We manage these risks in advance through shareholders' agreements and, when disputes arise, handle actions to annul general assembly resolutions, exit and exclusion of shareholders, special audits and liability claims. For companies in financial difficulty we assess concordat and debt restructuring options on the basis of the company's real financial position.

Labour Act · Labour Courts Act · Social Security Act

Employment Law

Work sits at the centre of people's lives, so behind every employment file there is either someone's livelihood or the continuity of a business. We advise employees and employers at every stage, from the start of the employment relationship to its end and any dispute that follows, and handle mediation and litigation.

For employees we pursue every claim - severance and notice pay, overtime, annual leave and public holiday pay, reinstatement, workplace bullying and discrimination - first at the mediation table and, if there is no settlement, before the labour court. We base calculations on payroll and bank records and put witness and documentary evidence in order before the case is filed.

For employers we draft employment contracts, workplace regulations and disciplinary and termination procedures. Before a termination we measure the risk and make sure the process, from obtaining the employee's defence to serving notice, is lawful. Our accountant joins us on employee-claim risk analyses and reviews of social security premium incentives.

Workplace accidents and occupational diseases are an academic focus of our team: Hakan Özkan's master's thesis is on workplace accidents and employer liability in Turkish employment law. In these files we handle material and moral damages, loss of support and social security recourse actions together with any criminal proceedings.

Civil Code · Law No. 6284

Family Law

Family law matters reach us at the most fragile moments of people's lives. Alongside legal knowledge, they call for calm, discretion and realism. At the first meeting we discuss likely outcomes without exaggeration, and talk openly about time and cost; where possible, we look first for an agreement that spares the children and both parties.

In an uncontested divorce we draft the custody, visitation, maintenance and property provisions of the protocol clearly enough that they will not lead to new disputes. In a contested divorce we organise the evidence before filing and promptly request interim maintenance and interim measures for the children. When dissolving the matrimonial property regime we review land registry, bank, company and vehicle records and calculate the participation claim on documentary evidence.

We act in Turkish and English in marriages and divorces involving foreign spouses, in the recognition and enforcement of foreign divorce judgments in Türkiye and in international child abduction cases. In cases of domestic violence we apply without delay for protective measures under Law No. 6284.

Civil Code · Inheritance Tax Law

Inheritance Law

A family that has lost someone faces one legal task after another while still grieving: the certificate of inheritance, bank accounts, transfer of land and vehicles, the tax return and sometimes disagreements between heirs. We draw up a roadmap that eases the burden on the family and handles each step in the right order and within the legal deadlines.

If the estate may be insolvent, time is short: for statutory heirs the period to disclaim the inheritance is, as a rule, three months from learning of the death. Within that period we investigate the assets and debts of the estate, request an official inventory where needed and identify the safest option for our client.

In disputes between heirs we bring abatement actions for heirs whose reserved share has been infringed, actions to cancel title and re-register property against sham sales made to deprive heirs, actions to annul wills and partition actions. In partition we start with the mandatory mediation stage and aim for an agreed division wherever possible.

For clients who want to plan ahead, we draft wills, inheritance contracts and waiver agreements, taking into account special situations such as company shares and assets abroad. Our accountant takes part in the inheritance tax return and the financial side of the estate.

Civil Code · Condominium Law · Code of Obligations

Real Estate Law

Real estate is the most valuable asset of most families and companies, so in property transactions a small oversight can cause large losses. Before a purchase we review the title, encumbrances, zoning status and building documents, and carry out the promise-to-sell and title transfer steps in a safe order.

In tenancies we advise both landlords and tenants. From drafting the lease and fixing the rent to eviction for the landlord's own need, a written eviction undertaking or two justified notices, and protecting tenants' rights, we follow every process from the mediation stage that has been a precondition to litigation since 1 September 2023.

We act in title cancellation and registration, partition, actions to stop interference and claims for unlawful occupation, condominium and neighbour disputes. We draft construction-for-flats agreements with security provisions that balance the rights of landowner and contractor, and represent owners in urban regeneration and expropriation. For foreign buyers we plan the purchase together with residence and citizenship procedures.

Foreigners Law · Citizenship Law · International Workforce Law

Immigration Law

For foreign nationals who want to live, work, study or invest in Türkiye, obtaining the right permit at the right time with a complete file is the foundation of every later plan. We work with our foreign clients in English and Turkish and explain clearly why each document is required and which deadlines apply.

We handle first applications and renewals of residence permits, work permit and Turquoise Card applications, and acquisition of Turkish citizenship by investment, marriage or the general route. For citizenship by investment we plan steps such as property valuation, the title annotation and banking transactions with the security of the investment in mind.

Refusals, deportation orders and administrative detention decisions are subject to short and strict deadlines. We challenge them promptly before the administrative courts and the criminal judgeships of peace, and make the applications needed to lift entry bans and restriction codes.

Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law

Enforcement & Insolvency

Winning a judgment does not mean you have been paid. For creditor clients we do not stop at opening the enforcement file: we trace the debtor's assets, follow attachment and sale procedures and bring actions to set aside transactions made to put assets out of reach.

We choose the enforcement route according to the claim: enforcement without a judgment, bill-of-exchange enforcement, enforcement of a judgment, enforcement of a pledge or mortgage, or summary eviction of leased property. If the debtor objects, we use the removal or setting aside of the objection, together with a claim for enforcement denial compensation of at least twenty per cent of the debt where the conditions are met.

On the debtor side, we know how much depends on objecting to a payment order within seven days and on the right grounds. We use objections, complaints and negative declaratory and restitution actions against unjustified enforcement, and invoke exemptions from attachment such as limits on salary attachment and the family home. For companies in financial difficulty we base concordat and restructuring options on a realistic cash-flow plan prepared with our accountant.

Industrial Property Code · Copyright Law

Trademarks & Patents

A brand carries the name of years of accumulated work and trust. Before filing we research whether the mark is distinctive and whether it conflicts with earlier marks, and choose the right classes of goods and services. After filing we follow publication, opposition and registration, and make sure renewal is not missed when protection ends.

When your trademark or design is infringed, we start with a cease-and-desist letter and, where needed, continue with interim injunctions and actions to establish, stop and remedy the infringement and claim damages. We apply to stop counterfeit goods at customs, file criminal complaints and request removal of online infringements.

Where registration in Türkiye is not enough, we plan international registration through the Madrid Protocol and European Union trademark applications. We protect the commercial value of your intellectual property through licence, assignment and franchise agreements, and also advise on copyright and software disputes.

Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK)

Data Protection

Every company that processes customer, employee or visitor data is a data controller under Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data. Compliance is not a set of documents drafted once and filed away; it is a living system that shows how the company collects data, where it stores it, with whom it shares it and when it deletes it.

In compliance projects we first map the data inventory and identify the legal basis for each processing activity. We draft privacy notices and, where required, explicit consent forms as separate documents, and put in place the retention and destruction policy, data processing agreements and procedures for employees. For cross-border transfers we follow the standard contract and notification duties introduced by the 2024 amendments.

When a data breach occurs, time is short: the Board must be notified within 72 hours of the breach becoming known. With a response plan prepared in advance we manage the notification and the information given to the people affected, and represent the company in Board investigations. We also act for individuals whose data has been processed unlawfully in applications, complaints, damages claims and content removal.