Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli

Dispute Resolution, Energy and Infrastructure, Ethics and Compliance

Partner

Okan Demirkan has significant experience in arbitration and litigation, energy and infrastructure, ethics and compliance.

Okan has been heavily involved in arbitration proceedings concerning major infrastructure projects and has successfully represented several international clients as well as local entities, both in institutional and in ad hoc arbitration proceedings concerning disputes arising from build-operate-transfer (BOT) model investments, share purchase agreements, shareholders agreements, EPC contracts, sales contracts and licensing contracts. With significant experience of more than 20 years in international arbitration, he has been extensively involved in numerous ICC, DIS, SAC, LCIA, ISTAC and UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings where he serves as counsel, arbitrator or expert witness. He also regularly acts as presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator in institutional as well as ad hoc arbitrations. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and the Swiss Arbitration Ambassador to Turkey.

In addition to international arbitration, Okan represents domestic and international clients in a wide range of litigation matters, including commercial disputes, employment-related disputes, intellectual property claims, administrative disputes, enforcement and set-aside lawsuits, as well as criminal proceedings in relation to white-collar crimes at all levels of the Turkish courts.

Between 2004 and 2010, Okan was extensively involved in all legal issues surrounding the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline Project (BTC), where he played a key role in regulatory, real estate and litigation issues. In addition to BTC, Okan has advised clients in connection with the Nabucco Gas Pipeline and the Samsun-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline. In 2011, Okan took an active role in the Shah Deniz Stage 2 Natural Gas Sales Project, where he led the KDK team advising on the project’s legal structure in Turkey, including intergovernmental agreements, Turkey’s natural gas market legislation and on related commercial and public international law matters. In 2012, Okan led the KDK team in the Firm’s key role in the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP). In this multibillion-dollar project, the KDK team drafted the Host Government Agreement and negotiated it along with the Intergovernmental Agreement.

Okan Demirkan is a prominent figure in the area of ethics and compliance. He has conducted several investigations related to various regulatory and anti-bribery / anti-corruption allegations.

Among the Firm’s clients, he represents various leading individuals, multinational and domestic companies, such as Fatih Terim and the Terim Family, Porsche, ArcelorMittal RZK, Hepsiburada, DHMI (Republic of Turkey, General Directorate of State Airports Authority), Bahrain Middle East Bank, Bedeschi, Coca Cola İçecek, Deloitte, OMBI SRL, XCMG, Dikey Vitamin, Liebherr, SOCAR AQS, Transamine, AS Mintos Marketplace,  Mak 4 You, X Trade Brokers, Atlas Ship Supply, Abdi İbrahim, Agence France-Presse, Alsim Alarko, Arempa, Galatasaray, Gates Corporation, Global Founders Capital, Hinduja Bank, Inveon, LR Health & Beauty Systems, Marelli, Mitsubishi Corporation, Odea Bank, Oliver Samwer, RAY Sigorta, Roxcel, Ströer SE, Terumo Europe, Upfield, VHV Allgemeine Sigorta, Vinmar and Vossloh AG.

After spending ten years with a major Istanbul-based law firm, Okan joined the Firm in 2010 as a partner. He currently leads the Firm’s dispute resolution, energy and infrastructure, ethics and compliance practices.

He is the co-author of “Import of Gas: How Liberal is Turkey?”, “Turkish Commercial Law Review,” Vol. 4 Issue 1 (2018), “Developing Court Practice in Turkey Regarding Applications to Set Aside Arbitral Awards,” “The American Review of International Arbitration,” No. 4 Vol. 26 (2015), and “Turkish and International Legislation and Treaties on the Security of Critical Energy Infrastructure,” Vol. 5 of the “Critical Energy Infrastructure Security Project Final Report,” published by the International Strategic Research Organization (2012).

In 2013, 2014 and again in 2017, Okan was awarded the Client Choice Award by the International Law Office for his work on energy and natural resources projects. In 2019, Who’s Who Legal recognized Okan Demirkan as a “World Leading Energy Lawyer” and, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, Who’s Who Legal recognized him as a Global Elite Thought Leader in the field of Energy. In addition, Who’s Who Legal and GAR recognize him as one of the world’s leading arbitration practitioners since 2019, and in 2023, Who’s Who Legal also listed him in the field of Commercial Litigation.

English, Turkish

Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb); Ambassador to Turkey, Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA); Istanbul Bar Association; International Bar Association (IBA); International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Turkey; Turkish – British Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TBCCI); Turkish Corporate Governance Association (TKYD); Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK); Turkish Ethics and Reputation Society (TEID); Yenibirlider (A New Leader) Association; Galatasaray Sports Club Association.

University of Sussex School of Legal Studies (LL.B., 2000); Rijnlands Lyceum, Leiden – The Netherlands (International Baccalaureate, 1997).