Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş

Data Protection and PrivacyCorporate and M&ALife SciencesCompetitionTechnology, Media and Telecom

Partner

Begüm Yavuzdoğan Okumuş has been with the firm since 2007 and became a partner in 2021. Her practice focuses on data protection and privacy, corporate and M&A, life sciences, and competition.

Begüm deals with all aspects of data protection and privacy, including supervising and conducting data privacy compliance projects, advising multinational clients in their activities on a day to day basis as well as in their specific projects. She has sector specific knowledge in regulated sectors and advises clients on newly developed devices/apps to ensure compliance. Begüm advises clients on international data transfer of personal data and represents clients before the Turkish DPA. She assists clients in data breach notifications and investigations, provides appeal strategies to object to Turkish DPA decisions rendered against our clients. Begüm represents multinational companies operating in various industries including pharmaceutical, medical device, telecoms, banking and automotive industry. She holds Certified Information Privacy Professional Europe (CIPP/E) designation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals and she is one of the former co-chairs of IAPP Knowledgenet Istanbul Chapter, and founding member of Data Protection Association in Istanbul.

Begüm led several M&A projects including due diligence processes and assisted various local and foreign companies during incorporation of their partnership in special projects which also include transfer of technology, know-how and thus needs protection in this respect. She drafted and negotiated several joint-venture agreements, shareholders agreement, share pledge and voting agreements. In addition to her corporate law expertise, she has experience in competition law related matters and provides full service to clients in their corporate law related matters. Apart from providing consultancy services and trainings, she is also representing clients before the TCA about notifications and investigations.

Having wide range of experience in pharmaceutical and medical device industry, Begum advised and represented several multinational pharmaceutical and medical device companies on their commercial deals and needs, including advising on their new investments in Turkey, marketing authorization and asset transfers, corporate restructuring projects, negotiating distributorship agreements and termination of these agreements, and advising on localisation projects.

Bournemouth University, International Commercial Law, UK (LL.M. 2007)İstanbul University, Faculty of Law, Istanbul (LL.B. 2005)