About

A joint venture between US automobile maker Ford and Turkish industrial conglomerate Koç, Ford Otosan has been established in Turkey since 1977. Since 2007 Ahmet Serdar Kayhan has served as its chief legal adviser. During his tenure the legal team has developed into formidable business function that has secured a number of contracts crucial to the company’s recent growth. The team was heavily involved in facilitating the construction of a $670m new factory in the north-western province of Kocaeli, which opened in 2014. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Ford chairman William Ford – the great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford – attended the opening ceremony. The legal team then played a crucial role a year later with the construction and opening of the largest automotive R&D centre in Turkey which had a total investment of $25 million. In the words of one private practice nominator, ‘Turkey’s automotives sector is extremely competitive and that means you have to keep moving forwards. To do this in a market like Turkey you need to make sure you are always protected. The Ford Otosan legal team has been crucial in providing this protection.’