Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?    

In this context, I strongly believe that in-house legal role should be well integrated into the main business processes of the companies in order to provide a proactive approach in the light of preventive law, aiming to minimise possible future conflicts. The legal function should be recognised as an indispensable stakeholder to the business functions.

Nowadays, more companies are understanding the added value of the in-house legal functions and their role within their organisation. Hence, they are increasingly integrating them into their regular business processes to make use of the conscious and preventive approach. I strongly believe that in-house legal roles will become inseparable from the companies’ business streams in the upcoming years. If other departments are fully equipped with internal training and operations, legal disputes are reduced both money and time are saved.  

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

I currently work as a legal counsel and have been part of Halk Bankası (the “Bank”) legal team for the past 5,5 years. My present position is a key role within the legal team and is regarded as the initial stage of several executive positions. My function, apart from the regular legal tasks, is to ensure the orientation of intern and junior lawyers’ to the general business climate in the Bank.

As a stand-out task amongst others, I have been part of a team which followed a significantly important fraud case where we ensured the suspects to be duly sentenced. Besides, we also put an effort to prevent such fraud actions to reiterate by providing legal advice to internal departments within our Bank, as well as other Governmental Banks and The Banks Association of Türkiye (TBB) in order to fix the system bug.  

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?  

I think that people who practice law are people who guide society. Lawyers must not only perform their profession properly but also comply with ethical and moral principles. I believe that a lawyer’s behavior in society is as important as the way they do their job.