Okat Law

The firm: Okat Law is a corporate commercial law firm with a special expertise in banking, finance and capital markets and which has experience in litigation. The firm focuses on cross-border transactions with Turkish banks and corporate counterparties. We are a flexible and dynamic law firm catering to the growing needs of modern financial entities and companies, with client satisfaction at the center of our philosophy.

Okat Law is an İstanbul-based law firm that redefines legal practice with its unwavering commitment to excellence by providing timely, innovative, high-quality legal services to its international and local clients. We have profound expertise across a diverse spectrum of products and industries. Our success originates from this particular understanding, which enables us to continuously produce the correct outcomes in any circumstance.

At Okat Law, we seek to provide clients with the highest international standards of legal services and advise leading international and local financial institutions and growing companies on the most challenging legal matters. We are experienced in the most complex transactions and we are well-known for our sharp, to-the-point advice on most complex regulatory issues by delving deeply into the nuances of each subject.

Okat Law was established by Y. Özge Okat after 25 years of transactional and regulatory legal practice, 12 years with law firms and 13 years at the Capital Markets Board. Legal 500 lists Okat Law at Banking, Finance and Capital Markets rankings and IFLR selected Özge Okat as a "Highly Regarded Lawyer” five years in a row.

Teams: Okat Law has (i) banking, finance and capital markets, (ii) dispute resolution and (iii) corporate, M&A teams and a tax counsel.

Areas of practice: Okat Law provides legal and professional consultancy services to both domestic and foreign companies and represents companies and individuals in dispute resolution matters.

The firm practices in the below areas:

• Capital markets

We are sophisticated capital markets lawyers. For this reason, we really understand you and we are able to span the spectrum of capital markets offerings and to provide individually tailored capital markets law solutions.

• Banking and finance

Clients rely on our banking and finance team for both day-to-day banking and finance issues and on their most significant financing transactions.

• Fintech/ crypto assets

We provide our clients with a combination of experience and regulatory knowledge in the fintech area. We are one of the leading firms in this sector.

• Corporate, M&A

We serve our clients for both routine M&A engagements and the most complex M&A transactions. The team is also very active in competition, compliance, employment, insurance, IP, and personal data protection matters.

• Dispute resolution

Our dispute resolution lawyers assist clients in confronting local and international litigation, mediation and arbitration challenges and protect their business interests.

• Tax

Our tax experts serve businesses and individuals in local and international tax planning and tax litigation. They are experienced in many areas.

The firm’s range of services is outlined below.

Capital markets: Okat Law has sophisticated capital markets lawyers. For this reason, they really understand you and are able to span the spectrum of capital markets offerings and to provide individually tailored capital markets law solutions customized for your needs.

Okat Law’s capital markets practice reflects 25 years of unrivaled experience of Ozge Okat in Turkish capital markets in both law firm and Capital Markets Board capacity. “We did not read the rules, we drafted the rules.”

Its clients rely on the firm to cope with significant regulatory uncertainty for several years and to reduce regulatory risk with its knowledgeable, smart approach built on a vast experience.

Our experience includes a broad range of legal services in the area of capital markets, including:

• • Equity capital markets (IPOs etc.),
  • Debt capital markets,
  • Structured finance, securitizations,
  • Compliance,
  • Derivatives,
  • Financial M&As.

Banking and finance: Okat Law’a clients rely on its banking and finance team for both day-to-day banking and finance issues and on their most significant financing transactions. The firm has the unmatched ability to include its capital markets, crypto assets and government affairs experience to banking and finance matters such as applications to the Capital Markets Board, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, and Insurance and Annuity Regulation and Supervision Institution of Turkiye.

Clients look for the firm’s leadership and its strategic, efficient approach to most complex transactions and regulatory matters.

Fintech/ crypto assets: Okat Law provides its clients with a combination of experience and regulatory knowledge in the rapidly evolving fintech area. The firm is one of the leading firms in this sector and serves the most prominent companies in the sector, utilizing its experience and resources.

Corporate and M&A: Okat Law serves its clients for both routine M&A engagements and the most complex M&A transactions. The team is particularly experienced in transactions where the target company is heavily regulated or publicly listed. The lawyers understand business goals well, never lose focus and always insist on getting results as quickly as possible.

Okat Law is also experienced in competition, compliance, employment, insurance, IP, and personal data protection matters and provides the most efficient services to its clients for their legal challenges.

Dispute resolution: Okat Law’s dispute resolution lawyers assist clients confront litigation and other dispute resolution challenges and protect their business interests on the matters such as commercial disputes, administrative proceedings, employment and tax disputes and claims for compensation and debt. The firm is particularly experienced in banking, capital markets and crypto assets litigation.

Tax: The firm’s tax experts serve businesses and individuals in local and international tax planning and tax litigation. They are experienced in many areas including banking and finance, capital markets, fintech matters which Okat Law intensively works on.

Clients: Immediately upon the establishment of Okat Law, many major international and local banks and firms selected Okat Law as their legal counsel and/or asked Okat Law to represent them in their transactions.

Clients include:

• • Foreign banks
  • Turkish subsidiaries of multinational banking groups
  • Asset management companies
  • Portfolio management companies
  • Public companies
  • Fintechs
  • Brokerage companies
  • Cryptocurrency exchanges
  • International law firms
  • Investors
  • Many multinational companies
  • Major Turkish companies

Most of the clients are top tier companies and market leaders in capital markets.