Agenda

Tuesday 12 December

8.15am Breakfast and registration 

9.00am Welcome from The Legal 500 Editor

9.10am Welcome speech from Keynote Speaker

Selahattin Bilgen, CEO, İGA, İstanbul Airport

9.25am Formulation of sustainability strategies and internal adaptation of companies

The panel will explore the impact of the concept of sustainability on businesses in Turkey and the European Union and the formulation and implementation of sustainable policies by companies will be extensively examined by professionals. Discussion will particularly emphasize the impact of Turkey’s legislation in the realm of sustainability and the requirements outlined in the European Union standards on companies’ operations. Within this framework, the challenges faced by companies in their implementation processes will be highlighted, accompanied by a discourse on potential solutions to enhance the more efficient application of these policies. The panel aims to bring together the perspectives of stakeholders and experts from various disciplines involved in shaping and overseeing sustainability strategies and to provide multifaceted insights into sustainability through the presentation of legal, academic and in-company perspectives by legal experts, sustainability directors and academics, providing a comprehensive understanding of sustainability.

Speakers
Dr. Duygu Erten, PHD, Boğaziçi University
Begüm Taşçioğlu, responsible business specialist ,Garanti BBVA
Engin Güvenç, founder and managing director, SVS Türkiye
Eren Dündar, senior associate, head of governmental affairs department, regulation department and real estate department, Kılınç Law & Consulting

10.15am Legal intricacies of OTC derivatives

As Turkey’s financial markets continue to evolve, understanding the legal framework governing OTC derivatives, repo and securities lending transactions is crucial. Our distinguished panel of legal experts will dissect the nuances of Turkish regulations, examining the impact on derivative transactions, risk management, and compliance from a Turkish law perspective. Whether you’re an industry professional or an enthusiast, this panel offers a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into the Turkish legal landscape, ensuring you are well-equipped to navigate OTC derivatives with confidence in this dynamic financial environment.

Speakers
Göze Yıldırım, partner, Pekin-Pekin
Prof. Dr. Ali İhsan Karacan, former chairman, Capital Markets Board of Türkiye
Ali Yılmaz, chief legal officer and executive vice president, QNB Finansbank

11.05am Coffee Break

11.25am Navigating in troubled times for IPOs and M&As: Material adverse changes (MAC) and information disclosure requirements (knowledge)

This session is designed to evaluate the effect of MACs and disclosure requirements of the seller/issuer on the transactions.

Especially nowadays, sudden changes in the economic and political sphere and unforeseeable events in such spheres affect the decision of actors in M&A sectors and gradually we are witnessing adjustment requests or change in the minds of the parties to an Agreement. Most of the M&A transactions include MAC clauses with differing scopes which affects the result of the transaction. Also, certain changes trigger the action of the issuer in IPO processes as well.

Speakers
Prof. Dr. H. Ercüment Erdem,  founder and senior partner, Erdem & Erdem
Tuna Çolgar, partner, Erdem & Erdem
İbrahim Onur Baysal, partner and capital markets leader, Erdem & Erdem
Kenan Yılmaz, chief legal and compliance officer, Koç Holding
Mustafa Yelligedik, president legal affairs, Anadolu Group

12.15pm Cyberattacks, data breaches and Turkish Data Protection Authority investigations

In a highly digitised world, it is inevitable for organisations to face cyberattacks and data breaches. The panel will discuss the intersection of cyberattacks, data breaches, and investigations by the Turkish Data Protection Authority. It will mainly focus on legal intricacies surrounding cyberattacks and data breaches such as the differences between a cyberattack and a data breach; when and how to make a data breach notification; how the Turkish Data Protection Authority carries out an investigation on a data breach; what are the issues to be mindful about, do’s and don’ts in a cyberattack and data breach.

Speakers
Bora Yazıcıoğlu, managing partner, Yazicioğlu Legal

1.05pm Lunch

2.05pm The interaction between Senior management and general counsel in a company’s life cycle: Change-making collaboration

Along with the incorporation of a company, a life cycle starts, which is in fact not much different from that of living organisms. In this cycle where incorporation may be associated with birth, there are different phases such as growth-development, maturity-stability. There is no doubt that a company’s sole purpose is to set the right objectives in critical periods and to make the right moves in accordance with such objectives for avoiding aging-slowdown phase in this cycle. At this point, introducing new strategies, new targets, new products with the right timing and taking associated risks are the decision points the senior management encounters. While the senior management is challenged with this, the General Counsels read the steps taken from a legal perspective and reflect them on the management perspective. Synergy and team play between these two forces aimed at the same target serve to taking the right decisions at the right time. Ultimately, this cooperation which contributes to continuous development and change is one of the factors that make a difference in the life cycle. In what ways this collaboration can be of importance both in the course of a company’s daily operations and project-based transactions as well as the actions that need to be taken for setting up and maintaining this cooperation will be discussed in the panel.

Speakers
Turhan Talu, former managing director, Philip Morris International
Eşref Hamamcıoğlu, board member, Sütaş Group
Pinar Parlak-Koyuncu, chief legal counsel, GE HealthCare Turkiye, Iran and Central Asia
Nazan Diri Bal, partner, Diri Sevi Mergen

2.55pm The use of legal technologies for the management of legal challenges in corporate life

In a rapidly evolving landscape where new technologies and artificial intelligence drive unprecedented change, knowledge and risk management is transforming as well. The panelists will focus on three aspects of this transformation for corporate world; the use of legal-tech as a service provider or receiver from the perspective of an attorney; role of tech in management of risk to be addressed from a client and corporate perspective; and transformation of data and document management with a special reference to legal data from an academic perspective.

Speakers
Dr. Furkan Akıncı, lecturer,  Boğaziçi University
Ali Göksu, founder, New Mind
Dr. Bahattin Yalcınkaya, professor, Marmara University
Ali Şir Yardım, chief risk and audit advisor, SASA

3.45pm Coffee Break

4.05pm First 72 hours in data breach! By whom and by what ways should the process be conducted?

Speakers
Bilge Baykurt, information security and privacy governance manager, Paycell
Özlem Kurt, managing partner, Kurt & Partners
Oguzhan Arslan, head of commercial legal, Türkiye & Adriatics (non-EU), Microsoft Corporation
Mehmet Türkarslan, Director of legal, Paribu

4.55pm The changing nature of legal knowledge and taxonomy and how AI can transform its future

The session would be a very brief introduction of Mecellem platform in order to exemplify the capabilities of AI to be used in law. Mecellem is a integrated and smart platform designed and produced uniquely by New Mind, that offers 360 degree integrative legal-tech ecosystem with various individual products Each of which is designed to take into account of the entire life cycle of legal knowledge, from the research phase, to production, classification, analysis, visualization and presentation of knowledge, and to address all the potential needs of those who either provide or receive legal services. Based on artificial intellegience which works in Turkish language and trained in accordance with the expertise of Turkish law, Mecellem aims at empowering the corporate world and their managers with an ability to make data-driven decisios in legal sense as well.

Speakers
Ali Goksu, founder, New Mind

5.25pm Closing remarks

5.30pm Conference concludes, followed by networking drinks and canapés

Wednesday 13 December

8.15am Registration and light breakfast

9.00am Welcome from the Legal 500 Editor

9.10am Opening address from Türkiye’s Minister of Industry and Technology

Speakers
Mr. Mehmet Fatih Kacir, minister of Industry and Technology

9.30am Impact of Trends in Technology Law and Regulations

Law and regulations can inhibit or stimulate technological trends. The relationship between technology and law depends on the design and instrument choice of regulatory policy. The panel will examine the choice of regulatory instruments, the assessment of regulatory impacts, and the influence of each of these on the innovation, diffusion and adaptation of technology.

Speakers
Dr. Çiğdem Ayözger Öngün, founder and managing partner, SRP-Legal 
Necip Fazıl Kaymak, vice president, Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Finance Office
Orhan Öğe, board member, Information Technologies and Communication Authority
Dr. Adem Aslan, member of the 3rd Civil Chamber, Court of Cassation

10.20am IP highlights for 2023 : Use of trademarks in digital era, ADR in IP, trade secrets and unified patent court (UPC)

In this panel session on IP Highlights for 2023, industry experts will delve into the dynamic landscape of intellectual property. They will explore the evolving role of trademarks in the digital era, navigating alternative dispute resolution in intellectual property, and the strategic importance of safeguarding trade secrets. Additionally, gain valuable insights into the latest developments surrounding the Unified Patent Court and its impact on the global IP landscape.

Speakers
Serra Coral, partner, attorney at law, Deris Attorney
Oya Yalvaç, partner, Turkish and European patent attorney, Deris Attorney
Okan Çan, partner, attorney at law, Deris Attorney

11.10am Coffee Break

11.30am A never-ending story – group of companies and company law risks

Group of companies has been a crucial element of business life on national and international level for decades. A complex structure, group of companies bring many legal risks of their own. Our team will focus primarily on the most common company law issues regarding a group of companies. In this context, potential cases of lifting the corporate veil within a group of companies shall be discussed first. Then, we are going to focus on the most important do’s and don’ts for the liability of directors of controlling and member/dependent companies. Debt enforcement practice against members companies is another important aspect as injunctions may cause important setbacks for whole group in some cases which shall be our last subject. Legal risk management structure of group of companies shall also be discussed with case studies from real life to provide an insight for the distinguished participants.

Speakers
Dr. Argun Karamanlıoğlu, assistant professor, commercial and company law department, Kadir Has University Faculty of Law
Dr. Esra Hamamcıoğlu, associate professor, commercial and company law department, Kadir Has University Faculty of Law
Başak Abidin, legal director, Toros Tarım San
Ziya Fırat Gültekin, LLM Partner, Fırat Gültekin&Partners Law Firm
Bilal Gezer, partner, Fırat Gültekin&Partners Law Firm

12.20pm Turkish Competition Law Flashback 2023

The year 2023 witnessed significant developments in Turkish competition law, marked by the Turkish Competition Authority’s active investigations across various sectors and notable legislative initiatives. Key focal points included investigations into human resources practices, recent decisions concerning resale price maintenance and limitations on online sales, as well as investigations targeting technology undertakings. Alongside these investigations, proposed legislative amendments such as the introduction of the concept of technology undertaking in merger and acquisition activities and the anticipated DMA-like amendments to the Competition Law were prominent on the agenda. These topics, among others, will be discussed in an upcoming session to provide an overview and analysis of the noteworthy developments in 2023 within Turkish competition law and policy.

Speakers
Özlem Tavaslıoğlu, legal director, Migros Ticaret
Zeynep Ayata PhD, assistant professor and Jean Monnet Chair,
Fevzi Toksoy PhD, managing partner, ACTECON
Bahadır Balkı, managing partner, LL.M., ACTECON

1.10pm Lunch

2.10pm Unmasking digital dilemmas: Corporate managers’ criminal liability, cybercrimes, and prohibiting access to unlawful news

Join us for a thought-provoking panel session, where experts delve into the complex nexus of corporate managers’ criminal liability, the rising tide of cybercrimes, and the contentious issue of prohibiting access to unlawful news online. Explore the legal challenges, ethical implications, and technological solutions shaping the digital landscape of today.

Speakers
Mustafa Tırtır, partner, Mustafa TırTır Law Firm
Muharrem Kazak, partner, Mustafa TırTır Law Firm
Halim Özgün Alemdar, legal affairs and compliance, ICA
Ebru Yamaner, in-house counsel, Ahmet Veli Menger Holding 

3.00pm The multifaceted landscape of data privacy compliance in the digital era: Legal obligations, best practices, and intricacies of cross-border data management

In an age where data is key, understanding the intricacies of data privacy has never been more critical. Join us as we navigate the legal obligations that organisations face, uncover best practices for data protection, and unravel the complexities of managing data across borders.

In this enlightening session, audience will gain invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of data privacy, learning how to not only meet legal requirements but also establish a robust framework for safeguarding sensitive information.

Speakers
Onur Küçük, managing partner, KP Law, Türkiye
Mustafa Nihat Zincirlioglu, head of legal and compliance, Samsung
Merve Öney Barlas, head of legal and compliance, Turknet
Başak Gürbüz, regional head of legal, Visa
Esma Gül Nalbantoğlu Kocaman, vice president legal, Mastercard

3.50pm Coffee Break

4.10pm Business worlds’ perspective regarding legal matters

Discover the intersection of business and law in this thought-provoking panel session. Industry leaders and legal experts will discuss the evolving landscape of legal considerations in the corporate realm. It will explore how businesses navigate regulatory challenges, compliance issues, and the strategic integration of legal frameworks to drive success. Gain valuable insights into the symbiotic relationship between business strategy and legal acumen, and learn how forward-thinking enterprises are leveraging legal perspectives to thrive in an ever-changing economic environment.

Speakers
Mehmet Kutman, chairman and CEO, Global Investment Holdings
Begüm Kayum Ağar, partner, Namlı Kayum Demir
Kaan Demir, partner, Namlı Kayum Demir
Fırat Namlı, partner, Namlı Kayum Demir

5.00pm Cultivating success: Empowering excellence through diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion have become crucial aspects of the modern corporate landscape. Our distinguished panel of seasoned general counsel and C-suite executives will discuss the significance of fostering an inclusive workplace. Discover practical strategies and best practices for cultivating an environment that promotes innovation, growth, and gender equality for creating an inclusive workplace for everyone to achieve their best potential.

Speakers
Baran Gen Partner Gen Temizer Ozer
Hande Karakülah, legal and scientific director, diversity, equity and inclusion country leader, data privacy officer, L’Oréal
Niyazi Koça, expert global diversity and inclusion, HUGO BOSS
Barış Karakullukçu, Türkiye İş Bankası, Next Gen Entrepreneurship President
Duygu İnce Yılmaz, regional legal director, Reckitt Benckiser

5.50pm Closing remarks

6.15pm Gala dinner welcome drinks

7.00pm – 3 course meal served

10.00pm – Gala dinner concludes