Turkey

Intellectual property lawyers in Turkey are busy these days. While the dramatic decline in the value of the Turkish lira has led to an upswing in overseas investment in Turkish companies, there have also been interesting regulatory – and political – matters for lawyers, including the numerous regulations imposed by the country’s Internet Law No. 5651. 

More recently, president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in December 2021, proclaimed that social media platforms are one of the main threats to democracy, and announced plans to pursue legislation that would criminalize publishing disinformation and “fake news” online. A more comprehensive social media bill is also reported as being on its way to Parliament. While Turkish officials have said this legislation will be similar to laws recently passed in Germany and France and to regulations imposed by the United States government, critics say the proposed legislation holds little in common with the laws of Germany and France.  

Most law firms in Turkey are based in Istanbul, the country’s largest city. Some have lawyers stationed in Ankara and Izmir, as well.  

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Alfa Patent Stan Advoka, the firm resulting from the 2018 merger of Alfa Patent and Stan Advoka, handles everything from prosecution to IP litigation. Selda Arkan, who founded Alfa Patent, manages the firm’s life sciences, chemistry and biotechnology group, while Barış Ataly, who founded Stan Advoka, manages the electrical engineering and computer-implemented inventions group. Ataly is mainly involved in drafting for international teams of researchers active in Turkish universities in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics, software engineering and optics. He has extensive experience with prosecution of inventions in the field of electrical household appliances.  

Ankara Patent handles, in addition to patents and utility models, trademarks, designs, copyright, domain names, new varieties of plants and integrated circuit topographies, from the prosecution through maintenance, monitoring, audit and dispute management stages. E. Korhan Dericioğlu is chairman of the board. 

Balcıoğlu Selçuk Ardıyok Keki (BASEAK) is the Dentons member firm in Turkey. Kağan Dora advises Turkish and international clients active in the fields of IP, information technology, payment services, media, entertainment, advertisement, transportation and defense industries. 

In addition to its intellectual property practice, full-service BTS & Partners offers a full range of services related to IP, including competition, dispute resolution, electronic communications, fraud and cybersecurity, IT, fintech, media and entertainment, outsourcing and technology transfers, personal data protection and privacy and regulatory compliance. Partner Tuğrul Sevim is a key contact for complex IRT and telecommunications contracts; he also excels management of IP portfolios and establishment of market strategies on complex ICT projects. Senior associate Erdem Aslan is head of innovation at the firm. 

Çiğdemtekin Çakırca Arancı (CDCA) is a full-service law firm with offices in Istanbul and Ankara. The firm’s TMT practice encompasses IT law, media and advertising and the defense industry; it also has a practice that focuses on the protection of personal data. Ankara-based partner Ayça Arancı is highly-recommended for IT & IP work. 

Deris is a one-stop-shop for IP work in Istanbul, boasting both a large, competent prosecution advisory practice (Deris Patents & Trademarks Agency) and a talented litigation and enforcement team (Deris Attorney-at-Law Partnership). Mehmet Nazım Aydın Deriş is the law firm’s former senior partner; he continues to manage the IP agency. Managing partner Nükhet Serra Coral is an active litigator in numerous fields, including IT law media, advertising, competition and telecommunication. She advises renowned brands in the food and beverage, consumer goods and luxury goods sectors. 

ELIG Gürkaynak’s IP team provides the full-range of IP services, including undertaking anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting campaigns, drafting technology transfer agreements and structuring licensing arrangements. It also advises on contracts for the acquisition and exploitation of computer software, databases, creative works, designs and publishing rights. Partner Gönenç Gürkaynak is a key contact. 

Erdem Kaya Partners has a team of more than 40 IP professionals – including patent attorneys, attorneys at law, engineers, IP specialists and administrators – handling IP matters in Turkey from filing to litigation. The firm serves more than 1,500 domestic and international clients, including the top patent and trademark filers in Turkey, more than 25 well-known universities, 10 technology development zones and 40 companies with government-supported R&D centres. The firm has offices in Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa and Izmir. The firm is led by general manager Erdem Kaya. 

Esin Attorney Partnership, a member firm of Baker McKenzie, was established in 1997. As with other Baker McKenzie offices, the firm offers a full-range of legal services, from banking and finance to real estate and tax. But the Istanbul-based firm also offers advice on contentious and non-contentious IP, information technology and communications, fintech, and dispute resolution. Partner Mine Guner Sunay is a key contact in the IP practice, while Can Sozer comes recommended for IT and communications work. Partner Muhsin Keskin, who has a banking and finance and capital markets background, is a key contact for fintech work. 

Grup Ofis Marka Patent, also known as Group Trademark & Patent Office, is an Ankara-based firm with offices in Istanbul, Izmir and London. The firm has handled more than 200,000 applications and 25,000 oppositions in the past 30 years. Gürşen M. Sevinç founded the firm, which is today run by general manager Cenk Sevinç.  

Istanbul-based Gün + Partners is a full-service international law firm with a strong IP practice. The firm provides a full range of legal services including civil, criminal and administrative litigation, arbitration and meditation, advisory, transactional, registration, opposition, maintenance, enforcement, anti-counterfeiting and investigation advice; the firm also has strong life sciences and TMT sector specializations. Partner Mehmet Gün, founder of the firm, was among the pioneers in the development, regulation, promotion and enforcement of modern Turkish IP laws. Partner Aysel Korkmaz Yatkin has 15 years of experience in patents; she also represents pharmaceutical companies before the Ministry of Health in relation to regulatory matters. 

Günner Law Office is a full-service law firm with recommended IP and TMT practices. Founder, managing partner and one of Turkey’s leading experts on cross-border M&A work, Ece Güner Toprak brings important expertise in telecoms sector  

Invokat Intellectual Property Services is a full-service IP firm based in Istanbul. Founder and managing director Aydın Mutlu advises major domestic and international clients in a wide variety of fields such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, metallurgy, automotive, household appliances and machinery. He actively participates in patent infringement and nullity actions as a court-appointed expert at the Specialized IP Courts of Istanbul. Nazlı Deniz Kol handles the establishment and prosecution of trademark, design applications, and plant breeders’ rights before the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office/Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as well as international trademark offices; in her law practice, she concentrates on the resolution of legal disputes. 

Istanbul Patent services local and international clients across nearly all aspects of intellectual property, from filings and prosecution through to litigation. Founder Guven Calik heads the domestic trademarks and industrial designs department. Partner Erkan Sevinc heads the firm’s patent department; he is frequently appointed by the specialized IP courts of Istanbul as a court-appointed expert for helping courts handle patent disputes. 

IP boutique Kenaroğlu covers the full range of intellectual property matters, including investigations. Founding partner Yasemin Kenaroğlu comes highly recommended; she has worked in the field of IP since 2003 and represents mainly top-tier fashion, textile, automotive, cosmetics, electronics, telecommunications, retail chains, media and entertainment, food and beverage and pharmaceutical companies on trademark, patent, design, domain name, copyright and unfair competition matters. The firm’s main office is in Istanbul; it also has offices in Ankara and Izmir. 

Kılınç Law & Consulting’s IP team has significant experience resolving disputes before proceeding to the litigation stage, on areas including trademarks, copyright and design rights, patents, technology contracts and licenses, use and protection of brands, trademark registration procedures, preparation and negotiation of various commercial contracts as well as directing litigation procedures. It also advises on issues concerning IP rights related to M&A, competition law, regulatory actions and data protection. The firm also has practices covering data protection and cybercrime, innovation and fintech, and dispute resolution. Partner Duygu Doğan Şahiner is a key contact for dispute resolution; she has additional expertise in the fields of fintech and start-up law, esports, ecommerce and artificial intelligence. 

Independent, full-service firm Moroğlu Arseven has a strong IP practice with a number of star lawyers on board. Partner Ezgi Baklacı Gülkokar is extremely highly recommended by clients and competitiors alike; she has worked with many high-profile brand owners to develop multi-faceted anti-counterfeiting programmes, coordinating the use of investigations, raids, seizures, customs processes, negotiation and litigation. Gökçe İzgi, another of the firm’s stars, concentrates primarily on trademarks and patents, along with a range of intellectual property issues which arise within heavily regulated industries. Işık Özdoğan leads the IP team and has a global reputation for advising clients on all aspects of counseling, strategy, prosecution, enforcement, litigation, transactions, and regulatory issues.  

NSN Law Firm, also known as Ünlü Kuru Selek, focuses on sectors including IT, health care, media, logistics, construction and maritime law. Senior partner Nazlı Selek is a well-known legal consultant on copyright protection, representing domestic and international broadcasting and production companies. The firm has a leading practice in advertisement, media and entertainment law in Turkey, led by Selek and Selma Ünlü. The firm advises on complex promotion mechanisms in accordance with the national advertisement rules, and represents them before relevant governmental authorities such as the Advertisement Board and National Lottery Administration and advise them on sweepstakes and contests planned to be conducted. 

Ofo Ventura is an IP boutique handles everything from prosecution, counseling and enforcement to litigation of IP rights. The firm has particular expertise in cosmetics, food and beverage, pharma, fashion and luxury products, sporting goods, electronics, automobiles and online games. The firm also provides advice in media and entertainment law and on GDPR law. Founding partner Özlem Fütman is a renowned litigator who receives consistently high marks from clients. Partner Yasemin Aktaş advises on a wide range of IP issues and transactions regarding trademarks, patents, designs, domain names and tradenames. The firm is based in Istanbul, with offices in Ankara and in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. 

Özdağıstanli Ekici Attorney Partnership is an independent local law firm covering IP and a broad range of intellectual property-adjacent matters, including advertising, esports, fintech, licensing and franchising, media, gaming and entertainment and others. Partner Hatice Ekici Tağa has a focus on trademarks and patents, as well as large-scale franchising transactions for multinational food and beverage companies, and the transfer of IP assets in large M&A transactions. Partner Burak Özdağıstanli has extended experience advising in information technology, telecommunications, privacy, IP, copyright, gaming and regulatory fields. He is noted for his work in anti-counterfeiting and anti-smuggling actions in Turkey.  

Özdirekcan Dündar Şenocak is a full-service firm with notable IP, TMT, competition, international trade and dispute resolution practices. Partner Esra Dündar Loiseau specializes in intellectual property and IP litigation, IT, consultancy, licensing and distribution. She also pleads before the civil and criminal IP-specialized courts, and regularly acts on seizures of counterfeit products throughout Turkey, on behalf of major multinational companies in diverse sectors including luxury goods, perfumes and cosmetics, textile, automotive spare parts, toys, jewellery, and technology. 

IP specialist Sezekkaplan Lawyers is led by founder Ufuk Sezekkaplan, who brings experience working as an auditor in the banking sector and assistant manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Turkey. Feride Özdemir is a key contact for trademark and design matters; Buğra Süküt is a litigator with expertise in customs matters, unfair competition cases and commercial contracts. The firm has had recent success in having Instagram and Monster Energy recognized as well-known marks in Turkey. 

Stock Intellectual Property Services was established more than 130 years ago; today, the firm is a family-run firm, with six members of the family actively engaged in daily work, led by patriarch and chairman of the board Kazım Dündar. The firm is noted for its work representing clients before the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, the Ministry of Culture, the Turkish Domain Name Registrar and customs authorities. It also represents clients before the Office of the Registrar in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. 

Suluk Intellectual Property is an IP boutique in Istanbul handling trademarks, patents, designs, copyright and unfair competition work, on both the contentious and non-contentious sides. The firm is often involved in groundbreaking cases in Turkey in sectors including pharmaceuticals, software, electronics, manufacturing, telecommunication, publishing. broadcasting, textiles and food; its reputation often draws blue-chip clients to the firm. Founder Cahit Suluk is a highly-regarded IP strategist. Partner Bahattin Carkaci has extensive experience in IP litigation, before both first instance and appeal courts. 

Turunç is a full-service law firm with a notable IP practice led by Esin Çamlıbel. The firm also advises on the IP aspects of corporate transactions, representation before the Turkish Patent Institute, claims against third parties, investigations at customs and marketplaces, and applying for and executing raid actions. The firm has offices in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.  

Yalçıner Patent is an Ankara-based IP specialist. The firm was founded in 2000 to provide consultancy and training services including representing national and foreign entities and researchers in the field of industrial property protection and legislation. The firm’s founder, Ugur G. Yalçıner, is also the former founder president of Turkish Patent Institute (now the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office) and a former consultant to WIPO. He was involved in the drafting and implementing of Turkish industrial property legislation.