Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli

Corporate and Commercial, Real Estate and Construction

Partner

Serhan Koçaklı leads the Firm’s corporate and commercial as well as real estate and construction practices.

He advises a number of foreign capital companies in connection with their activities in Turkey on a broad range of issues, including joint ventures, corporate law, contracts and employment in several different sectors, including retail, hospitality, aviation, construction, energy, textiles, chemical and metal industries. He has significant experience in establishing/improving corporate governance structures of family-owned businesses by creating mutually acceptable solutions to address the shareholders’ conflicting interests.

Among the Firm’s clients, he advised Vitol, TPI Composites Inc, Deloitte, Cummins, Mediterra Capital, Goodrich Corporation (UTC Aerospace), Vinmar Group, Bunzl, TOSAF, Duracell, Dyson, Decathlon, Folkart, RZK Çelik, Actera, Aldiana, Söke Un, LR Global Holding, Huntsman Group, Italferr, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Otto Group, Boston Consulting Group, Hugo Boss, Comau, UN RoRo, SolarReserve, Spotify, Vansan, Fujifilm, Ajax System, Ruhrpumpen, Züber, AptarGroup, Petrol Ofisi, Porsche, Marriott International/Design Hotels GmbH, Merlin Entertainments, Saya Group, Rönesans Holding, Turkven Private Equity, UL LLC, Alterna Gıda, Elba Bant, Bozzetto Group, Pfizer, Yu Group, Odea Bank, Losta Turizm, Advaita Trade, Alexander Dennis Limited, TDC Parsons Peebles Limited, DM İnşaat, Kent Proje Yönetimi, QTerminals, RWE and Abu Dhabi Ports Company PJSC, all of which are leading companies in their respective sectors. He has been advising the majority shareholders of a USD multi-billion FMCG company, which is among the top 100 Turkish companies, in connection with disputes between family members regarding the company’s management and control.  

Serhan has a particular focus on the real estate sector, where he advises on all types of real estate transactions. He has a substantive degree of experience in commercial and industrial property transactions with a specific focus on zoning, construction and structuring matters. Serhan has special expertise on specific legislation governing the real estate aspects of complex projects (e.g., development of mixed-use projects, ports, renewable energy projects, port development projects and tourism facility developments concerning the use of treasury/state-owned land). He has assisted a UK-based retail giant in connection with the development and acquisition of approximately 40 sites throughout Turkey for its hypermarket activities in more than 20 cities. He advises major property developers, investment funds, construction companies, landlords, tenants and other parties involved in property development.

Serhan lectures on real estate law in various Istanbul-based university certificate programs.

After spending seven years with a major Istanbul-based law firm, Serhan joined the Firm in 2010 as a partner.

He is a co-author of “Doing Business 2020,” The World Bank, U.S.A. (2020), “Doing Business 2019,” The World Bank, U.S.A. (2019) and “International Franchise Handbook,” Turkey Chapter, 2nd edition, DWF Germany (2017).

English, Turkish

Audit Board Member of Turkish Corporate Governance Association (TKYD); Istanbul Bar Association, International Bar Association (IBA); Beşiktaş Sports Club Association.

Istanbul Bilgi University School of Law (2018) LL.M.; Istanbul Bilgi University School of Law (2003) LL.B.; Istanbul American Robert College (1998).