M&CO Legal

Arbitration

Of Counsel

SUMMARY PROFILE

Melis, Turkish qualified lawyer, is Of Counsel in the Arbitration and DIFC Courts department at M&CO Legal. She advises local and international clients in construction, FIDIC, commercial and corporate litigation, ADR, insolvency, restructuring and bankruptcy law. After graduating from Istanbul University's Faculty of Law, she embarked on her career in 2004 at a renowned boutique Law Firm in Istanbul, Türkiye, initially as a legal intern and later as an Attorney until 2006. Concurrently, she pursued her LLM, completing her first year during this time. Her article on "Construction Agreements and the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC)" was published in the Journal of the Istanbul Bar Association. From 2009 onwards, she served as a partner for 14 years. In August 2021, she relocated to Moscow with her family and continued working remotely until June 2023. She gained valuable experience in construction, FIDIC, real estate, corporate governance, arbitration, mediation, litigation, media & sports law, debt execution, labor, and employment law.

EXPERIENCE

With over two decades of experience, she has provided legal assistance to both local and international clients in construction, commercial litigation, and corporate dispute resolution. Throughout her career, she has successfully managed a wide array of highly contentious, complex, and high-volume cases for various entities including banks, multinational groups, contractors, artists, anchormen, volleyball players (before CEV and FIVB), as well as foreign and Turkish investors.

Her expertise extends to providing legal counsel on corporate and commercial matters, conducting thorough legal investigations, and securing preliminary injunctions for time-sensitive disputes. She has played a pivotal role in advising companies during construction contract negotiations, particularly in addressing potential defaults and exploring available remedies.

Some notable transactions she has been involved in include advising Turkish Flavor Company Aromsa and Swiss Retail Luxury Brand Richemont Istanbul, as well as collaborating with architectural firms like Sevimli; Pergel and Minimale and Murat Cengiz. She has also assisted over 175 foreign investors on real estate transactions from various projects in Bodrum, Kusadasi, (Artev Global, Ozyer Group Projects) and Istanbul (Kullar, Yalcintepe, Emaar Tr, Gul Insaat) among others.

Furthermore, she has provided legal opinions to Russian individuals, local Russian law firms, and consultancy companies on the establishment of Turkish company procedures and the transfer of assets and funds between companies.

Melis is actively engaged in representing clients before the Courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and various international and domestic arbitration bodies including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC). She also oversees M&CO Legal's Turkish Desk, representing both Turkish and international clients before Turkish courts and authorities. In addition to her role in the Arbitration Department at M&CO Legal, where she primarily focuses on construction law,

Melis works closely with the firm's Corporate and Litigation teams. She regularly provides guidance to clients on disputes related to construction, commercial litigation, and corporate matters.

FOCUS AREA

Melis has experience in a wide range of fields of Turkish and UAE Laws, with a specific focus on matters concerning construction, the most widely used form of contract internationally FIDIC, real estate, ADR, contracts, corporate and regularly advise clients on the same.

English & Turkish

Bachelors of Laws (LLB) – University of Istanbul Master of Laws (LLM) – University of Istanbul (first year graduate) Le Lycée St-Michel, French High School, Istanbul