Lawyers

CIGDEM AYOZGER ONGUN

CIGDEM AYOZGER ONGUN

SRP-Legal, Turkey

Position

FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER

Career

Att. Dr. Cigdem Ayozger Ongun has extensive experience in Technology, Media, and Communication (TMC) Law, Financial Technologies, E-Commerce Law and Corporate Law, Competition Law and Data Protection & Privacy Law. Dr. Ongun is the Founder and Managing Partner of the SRP-Legal Law Office, headquartered in Istanbul.

Dr. Ongun studied Law in Ankara University Law of Faculty. She obtained her LL.M. (Master of Law) degree on Competition Law studying both at Istanbul University and London School of Economics. Her PhD degree on Data Protection and Privacy Law was awarded by Istanbul University, and she also completed Koc University Executive MBA Program.

Dr. Ongun started her professional life at a local branch of Cadbury-Schweppes, local corporate of BBVA Bank, followed by over 10 years at the largest regional Telecommunication Operator, Turkcell. Leading up to top management positions at the headquarters of Group companies. She worked as the Chief Legal & Regulation Strategies Officer of Turkcell Superonline for 2 years and prior to this duty, as the Head of Group Regulation Strategies and Policies of Turkcell Group for 8 years, respectively. To date, she has provided legal consultancy and regulation strategy consultancy on various issues, including her time with Turkcell, and has become experienced in many different issues such as licensing, legislation, and compliance.

In 2015, Dr. Ongun founded SRP-Legal Law Office in Istanbul. True to its name, in SRP-Legal, the S stands for Strategy, the R stands for Regulation, and the P stands for Policy. Although many law offices stand on their founding partners’ names, Dr. Ongun always aimed to establish a law office where the most qualified and distinguished lawyers and professionals gather for the same vision. In order to succeed this vision, the law office was named as SRP-Legal. Under SRP-Legal, Dr. Ongun has been providing consultancy services to clients, not only in legal matters but also in regulation strategies and regulation policies.

Her academic achievements coupled with her wide ranged experience in Technology domain of law have been instrumental in her successful career to date. For the same reasons, she was able to set up the Data Protection and Technology Law Commission at Turkish Industry & Businessmen Association (“TUSIAD”), where she chairs.

She is a Board Member of the Blockchain Turkey Platform (“BCTR”), the President of the Law, Regulation and Governmental Relations Committee of BCTR and is the only Independent Member of the FinTech Industry Council at the Turkish Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchange (TOBB). In addition, she is the Founding Board and Ethics Committee Member of the Women in Technology Association (“Wtech”), Board Member of the International Women Forum (IWF) Turkey, and Member of the Turkish Informatics Industry Association (TUBISAD), Turkey Informatics Foundation (TBV), International Association of Privacy Professionals (“IAPP”) and Endeavour Turkey’s Consultant Mentor and the Advisory Board Member of the FintechTime Magazine. Dr. Ongun is mostly and uniquely the only female executive in the above outlined posts.

Dr. Ongun is a visiting Ass. Professor of Bahcesehir University Institute of Social Sciences.

Dr. Ongun is also the author of the book on Personal Data Protection Law. She is the co-author of Fintech Sector Players’ Competition with Banks Section of the Book on Applied Competition Law. She is the co-author of the Data Protection Law Section of the book named as Gift to Prof. Dr. Huseyin Hatemi. She also published and presented an academic article on Blockchain and Data Protection Law at the 2nd National Blockchain Congress.

In addition to the above Dr. Ongun has been engaged with the Presidency’s of Turkish Republic Finance Office as its advisor on New Technology Financial Laws and Regulations. She is named the Advisor of the Presidency.

Languages

ENGLISH, TURKISH

Memberships

Chair of Data Protection and Technology Law Group at the Turkish Industry & Business Association (TUSİAD), Board Member of the Blockchain Turkey Platform (“BCTR”), the President of the Law, Regulation and Governmental Relations Committee of BCTR and is the only Independent Member of the FinTech Industry Council at the Turkish Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchange (TOBB). In addition, she is the Founding Board and Ethics Committee Member of the Women in Technology Association (“Wtech”), Board Member of the International Women Forum (IWF) Turkey, and Member of the Turkish Informatics Industry Association (TUBISAD), Turkey Informatics Foundation (TBV), International Association of Privacy Professionals (“IAPP”) and Endeavour Turkey’s Consultant Mentor and the Advisory Board Member of the FintechTime Magazine. Member of Istanbul Bar, mentor of Endeavour Turkey. 

Education

Dr. Ongun studied Law in Ankara University Law of Faculty. She obtained her LL.M. (Master of Law) degree on Competition Law studying both at Istanbul University and London School of Economics. Her PhD degree on Data Protection and Privacy Law was awarded by Istanbul University, and she also completed Koc University Executive MBA Program.

Leisure

Classical cars

Mentions

Turkey

Competition

Turkey

IT and telecoms