Utku’s practice focuses on advising international strategic investors, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, financial institutions and project sponsors in local as well as cross border mergers and acquisitions, project developments, privatizations and joint ventures involving a variety of sectors, including energy, telecommunication, fintech and insurance.

He also represents sponsors and local as well as international financiers in the healthcare, infrastructure, mining, transport and energy sectors with a particular focus on finance documents, project agreements, EPC contracts, O&M agreements, environmental issues and expropriation procedures on projects in Turkey and in the Middle East.

• Master of Law and Business, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany (2010)
• Ankara University Faculty of Law (2006)

• Admitted to Istanbul Bar Association

Maral Celepyan Avşar has broad experience in large scale, sophisticated dispute resolution matters. With over 17 years of experience, she represents local and international clients in commercial litigation and corporate dispute resolution matters. She handled landmark cases.

Maral joined Pekin Bayar Mizrahi in 2021.

• Istanbul University, LL.B. (2003)
• Haydarpasa Anatolian High School (1999)

• Istanbul Bar Association (2004)

Duygu Özmen specializes particularly in real estate law, M&A transactions, commercial law, international business transactions. Has been the core team member and leading counsel in major real estate acquisitions, leasings and M&A projects in recent years in various sectors.

Duygu Özmen is also advising major international companies, in their daily corporate affairs and in various issues related to Turkish jurisdiction.

Duygu Özmen has been with Pekin Bayar Mizrahi since 2006.

• 2008- 2009 American University, Washington College of Law, LL.M. in International Business Law
• 2001 – 2005 Başkent University Law School (LL.B.)

• Admitted to Istanbul Bar Association (2006)

Senem Gölge Yalçın specializes in corporate law, contract law, employment law, insurance law, capital markets law and intellectual property law and also has experience in mergers&acquisitions. She has been providing ongoing consultancy to many local and international clients in relation to Turkish law, drafting, negotiation and execution of commercial contracts including agency, franchise, distribution agreements, share purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements, shareholders and joint venture agreements, bacassurance and reinsurance agreements. She has been acted as leading and core team
member in major M&A projects, involved in due diligence team in connection with the contemplated purchase of a certain percentage of shares in various companies. Involved in applications made before the Turkish Patent Institute and provided legal advice on intellectual property law. Provided legal advice on establishment of hedge funds, porfolio management companies.

Senem Gölge Yalçın has been with Pekin Bayar Mizrahi since 2007.

• 2006-2007 Université Catholique de Louvin (Erasmus Porgram)
• 2003 – 2007 GalatasayUniversity (LL.B.)
• 1998-2003- Lycée Galatarasay- High School

• Admitted to Istanbul Bar Association (2007)

Meral Arabaci specializes particularly in Litigation, Banking and Finance Transactions, Commercial Law, Corporate Restructurings, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate Transactions, Contract Management, Corporate Transactions and Due Diligence.

Has been the leading counsel in various M&A projects relating to a range of companies acting in different sectors, such as advertisement, insurance, chemical-, automotive-, pharmaceutical industry, production, etc. and engaged in the drafting of and advised on share purchase agreements, shareholders’ agreements, joint venture agreements, other corporate documentation required for completion of the merger and acquisition, license agreements, technology transfer agreements, antitrust matters, etc.

Has been the leading counsel in various real estate projects, involving among others structuring-, financing- and M&A transactions of international funds and engaged in drafting of numerous acquisition-, development-, management agreements in relation to real properties.

Currently focuses on international commercial litigation, handles a range of litigation and claim collection processes, provides ongoing legal consultancy services for a client base comprising of international and domestic reputable clientele in a wide range of civil cases and administrative law matters, including shareholding disputes, labor law cases, commercial claims, tax cases, administrative lawsuits, real estate disputes, bankruptcy and execution proceedings, competition law matters, decisions of regulatory authorities.

Meral Arabacı currently also represents foreign banks and companies in various cross-border financing transactions.

She has been with Pekin Bayar Mizrahi since 2005.

• 2021 – 2022 University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas, LL.M. in US Law and Taxation
• 1999 – 2003 Istanbul University, Law Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey LL.B.
• 1989 – 1998 Gymnasium Essen Nord Ost, Germany

• Bursa Bar Association between 2003 – 2005
• Admitted to Istanbul Bar Association (2005)

S. Aslı Kucuroglu Alkan specializes in competition law, intellectual property law, M&A’s, contracts, corporate law and commercial law. Has represented with a large number of Turkish and international clients in various M&A transactions particularly the sale and purchase of companies within different sectors. Has been the leading counsel for competition notifications and represented Turkish and international clients in connection with merger and acquisition filings, individual exemption filings, has represented clients in certain pre-investigations conducted by the Turkish Competition Authority. Has been the leading counsel for trademark, patent and industrial design applications before the Turkish Patent Institute, prepared trademark, patent and industrial design application files, opposition files and provided legal consultancy in connection with protection of intellectual property rights. Provides on-going legal consultancy services to Turkish and international clients regarding M&A’s, corporate law, competition law, intellectual property law and corporate law issues.

S. Aslı Kucuroğlu Alkan has been with Pekin Bayar Mizrahi since 2005.

• Istanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Law, Istanbul, Turkey LL.B, 1998 – 2003

• Admitted to Istanbul Bar Association (2004)

Ferhat Pekin specializes in M&As, securities law and offerings, international business transactions, corporate transactions, arbitration, contracts and sector-specific transactions in energy, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications areas.

Has been a member of the core team in the a number of major international public offerings of significant Turkish companies, secondary offerings and bond offerings and has been the leading counsel in more than two dozens of major acquisitions and M&A projects in recent years in various sectors such as cosmetics, retail, appliances, food, textile, services etc.

Has been involved in half-dozen International Chamber of Commerce arbitration proceedings as claimants’ and respondents’ counsel and led the arbitration team, both with respect to petition submissions and oral hearings before the Tribunals.

Has been the leading counsel in more than half-dozen energy-related transactions and has been advising international energy companies, with respect to energy legislation and various aspects of their energy projects. Mr. Pekin has also been the leading counsel in various pharmaceutical and healthcare-related transactions and has been advising major international pharmaceutical companies, in their daily corporate affairs and in issues related to pharmaceutical regulations.

Ferhat Pekin has been with Pekin Bayar Mizrahi since 2004.

• University of Minnesota, MN, U.S.A.; Juris Doctor (J.D.) 2000 – 2003
• Boğaziçi University; B.A. (POLS), Istanbul – Turkey, 1995 – 2000
• Lycée de Galatasaray, Istanbul – Turkey, 1987 – 1995

• Admitted to New York Bar Association (2004)