FocusedFocused expertiseexpertise across complex legal matters

CAPABILITIES

For nearly forty years, Gökkılıç has paired focused expertise with hands‑on partner leadership. We work across industries and client types— entrepreneurs, family offices, boards and investors, financial institutions, prominent domestic corporations and multinationals operating in Türkiye. A partner leads every matter start to finish for continuity and accountability. At Gökkılıç we keep things simple: the result is concise, decision‑ready counsel, delivered with the context that businesses need.

Local Expertise, UnifiedUnified

When scale or specialist input is needed, we work in close cooperation with experienced and highly qualified independent solo practitioners as well as small to mid‑sized boutique law firms building a team of experts tailored to meet each client’s needs. This collaborative approach allows us to combine specialized expertise with strategic insight, ensuring comprehensive solutions for complex, cross‑border, and sector‑specific matters.
Our team is composed of skilled attorneys, legal advisors, ethics and compliance professionals — all committed to excellence. We foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, ensuring that every client benefits from shared insight and unified strategy.

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Corporate

We provide day to day corporate advisory and support transactions across the corporate lifecycle. At the incorporation stage, we help founders choose the right entity type, negotiate shareholder arrangements, and establish governance frameworks. As businesses grow, we support capital raises, key commercial contracts, and strategic expansions, aligning the legal work with business objectives.

Corporate advisory and governance

We advise boards and leadership teams on governance frameworks tailored to their industry, ownership structure, and stage of development. Our experience spans a wide variety of industries including energy, construction, automotive, fintech, aviation, insurance, logistics, and agriculture. We address board composition and procedures; internal charters and policies; and conflict‑of‑interest and disclosure practices to support sound risk management and compliance. During periods of change—such as acquisitions, succession, or regulatory developments—we help companies recalibrate governance arrangements.

Our goal is to help companies maintain resilient, transparent structures that support effective performance and compliance.

Corporate Restructuring

We plan and execute restructurings – including capital injections, mergers/demergers, spin‑offs, asset/business transfers and group simplifications – aligned with business objectives such as growth, succession, financial stress, or operational realignment. We develop clear step plans and coordinate corporate, regulatory and tax workstreams managing the required filings and approvals. We also assist in communications with stakeholder lenders, investors, and employees.

Shareholder Rights & Disputes

We help companies and investors prevent, manage, and resolve shareholder conflicts. Our team advises on minority protections, information rights, and enforcement of shareholder agreements to reduce disputes before they arise. We pursue practical solutions—mediation where appropriate, litigation or arbitration when necessary. We handle claims involving minority right issues, share buy-backs, breaches of fiduciary duty, valuation disputes, and deadlock scenarios.

Inheritance Planning

We design plans that honor client priorities, protect family assets, and prevent family disputes. Strategies include wills, trusts, lifetime gifts, and business succession frameworks that ensure continuity. With our trusted advisors in a number of financial centers abroad, including London and New York, we also address cross‑border family investments.

Commercial

We support day to day commerce with clear, balanced contracts that advance clients’ business goals. From supply, distribution, agency and services agreements to licensing and outsourcing, we negotiate terms that reduce friction and allocate risk appropriately. We streamline templates and playbooks to accelerate deal cycles without sacrificing protection. When disputes or performance issues arise, we help renegotiate, enforce, or unwind relationships efficiently. Our focus is practical—getting deals done on time and on budget.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Offering an array of services in various architecture fields.

With more than 40 years of accumulated experience in a wide range of sectors, we run M&A transactions with disciplined planning, targeted diligence, and precise documentation. Our work covers share and asset deals, carve outs, distressed acquisitions, strategic alliances, and private equity. Partners and senior lawyers lead each critical stage—from term sheets and due diligence to share purchase and shareholders’ agreements, financing, regulatory clearances, and post closing integration. The result is clients receive the full benefit of our 30 years of experience with reliable and clear advice on the key calls, steady execution on timelines, and agreements that accurately capture the deal as negotiated

Regulatory and compliance

We design and implement compliance programs that are practical, risk based, and auditable. Our advice covers policies, training, monitoring, investigations, and reporting tailored to your sector. We map regulatory requirements to business processes so obligations are met without unnecessary burden. We represent clients through regulatory inspections with clear, timely responses and remediation plans aimed at reducing penalties and protecting reputation.

Personal Data Protection

Our work includes data mapping, lawful‑basis assessments under Turkish personal data protection law, and drafting privacy notices/clarification texts as well as controller–processor agreements and undertakings. We assess cross‑border transfers, vendor arrangements, and retention practices. We set up procedures for data subject applications and incident response within statutory timelines. We also provide targeted training and conduct audits to keep programs effective as laws, guidance, and technologies evolve. Where needed, we represent clients in interactions with the Turkish personal data protection regulator and coordinate written responses and remediation plans.

Sanction Compliance

We work in close collaboration with specialists in OFAC and EU sanctions to support Turkish companies in their international operations. Our work includes assessing sanctions exposure, screening counterparties and shipments, designing practical compliance controls—such as KYC, screening, and approval processes—and evaluating licensing requirements, with a strong emphasis on clear and defensible documentation.

For foreign corporations operating in Türkiye, we assist in localising global sanctions policies to Türkiye-facing activities. This includes distributor, agent, and vendor due diligence, as well as the development of contractual safeguards, audit rights, and compliance frameworks aligned with local practice. We also provide tailored training for local teams and prepare concise response materials for bank inquiries and regulatory requests.

Banking and Loan Finance

Offering an array of services in various architecture fields.

We advise lenders and borrowers on the full spectrum of financing arrangements. Our experience includes bilateral and syndicated loans, acquisition finance, asset based lending, and refinancing. We focus on efficient negotiation of covenants, security packages, and intercreditor arrangements.

Capital Markets

Offering an array of services in various architecture fields.

We support international bond and equity offerings by working alongside international counsel for underwriters or issuers, handling due diligence and drafting/verification of offering documents. We also advise on domestice initial and secondary public offerings and bond issuances, preparing prospectuses/issuance certificates, managing regulator filings and approvals, and organizing comfort letters and opinions. On post listing, we advise on capital markets legislation requirements, including public announcements on the disclosure platform, insider lists, blackout periods, and reporting calendars. We also review marketing, roadshow, and investor materials for consistency with disclosure controls and assist with responses to regulator or exchange queries.

Employment

Offering an array of services in various architecture fields.

Our counsel covers hiring, compensation, benefits, discipline, separations, and restrictive covenants. We also help employers devise and implement policies and practices that foster compliant workplaces. We handle sensitive matters such as investigations, whistleblowers, and mobbing claims with discretion and clarity. In transactions and restructurings, we manage workforce impacts and harmonize terms. We also provide training for board of directors, human resource departments, manager, and employees on employment regulations, internal policies and relevant employment matters to support the corporate culture and reduce risk of employment related disputes and reputational harm.

Real Estate

Offering an array of services in various architecture fields.

We advise on acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, development, and financing across various different types of asset classes that may be a single asset or a portfolio. Our team conducts diligence that highlights material risks and opportunities, then negotiates agreements with purchaser, sellers, contracts and lenders.

Investigations, White Collar, and Fraud

Offering an array of services in various architecture fields.

Together with forensic and criminal lawyers we conduct discreet, defensible investigations into potential misconduct, regulatory breaches, and fraud. We engage early with regulators and prosecutors where appropriate to mitigate risk. When enforcement is unavoidable, we build strong, facts driven defenses and negotiate pragmatic resolutions. We also help clients strengthen controls to prevent recurrence and protect reputation.

Litigation

Offering an array of services in various architecture fields.

We approach disputes with a strategy that fits the client’s objectives—early settlement where sensible and legal proceedings when necessary. Our litigators manage complex commercial cases, shareholder disputes, employment claims, and regulatory challenges. We emphasize candid risk assessment, budget discipline, and clear communication at every stage.