Serhan Koçaklı

Practice Areas

Corporate and Commercial, Real Estate and Construction

Career

After spending seven years with a major Istanbul-based law firm, Serhan Koçaklı joined the Firm in 2010 as a partner. He currently leads the Firm’s Corporate and Commercial and Real Estate and Construction practices.

Professional Memberships

Istanbul Bar Association; International Bar Association (IBA); Turkish Corporate Governance Association (TKYD); Beşiktaş Sports Club Association

Publications

Co-author of “Doing Business 2020” (The World Bank, U.S.A., 2020); “Doing Business 2019” (The World Bank, U.S.A., 2019); “Getting the Deal Through: Real Estate M&A, Turkey Chapter” (Law Business Research, 2018-2020); “International Franchise Handbook, 2nd Edition” (DWF Germany, 2017); “Commercial Real Estate, Turkey Chapter” (Global Legal Group, UK, 2015-2016)

Personal

Istanbul Bilgi University School of Law (LL.M., 2018); Istanbul Bilgi University School of Law (LL.B., 2003); Istanbul American Robert College (1998)

Languages Spoken

English, Turkish

Experience

Serhan Koçaklı advises a number of foreign capital companies in connection with their activities in Turkey on a broad range of issues, including joint ventures, corporate law, contracts and employment in several different sectors. He has significant experience in establishing/improving corporate governance structures of family-owned businesses by creating mutually acceptable solutions to address the shareholders’ conflicting interests.

Serhan has a particular focus on the real estate sector, where he advises on all types of real estate transactions. He has a substantive degree of experience in commercial and industrial property transactions with a specific focus on zoning, construction and structuring matters. Serhan has special expertise on specific legislation governing the real estate aspects of complex projects (e.g., development of mixed-use projects, ports, renewable energy projects, port development projects and tourism facility developments concerning the use of treasury/state-owned land). He has assisted a UK-based retail giant in connection with the development and acquisition of approximately 40 sites throughout Turkey for its hypermarket activities in more than 20 cities. He advises major property developers, investment funds, construction companies, landlords, tenants and other parties involved in property development.

Serhan lectures on real estate law in various Istanbul-based university certificate programs.