About

South Korean multinational electronics company Samsung has been one of the more visible actors in the Turkish market in recent years. In 2016 it secured €100m in funding from the Korea Development Bank through its multilateral development bank special fund to build a hospital in Gaziantep, Turkey. The legal function, led by Ahu Yılmaz, has been a key strategic advisor to the business on this and many other matters. Following a fault in 2016 with one Samsung’s flagship products, the Galaxy Note 7 mobile phone, which led to a global recall of 2.5 million devices, the Turkish team were quick to set up an exchange program to minimise the effect on the company’s business operations in the country. With experience at a number of multinational companies, Yılmaz joined Samsung in 2012 and has led its Turkish legal team since August 2016. The team is praised for ‘[appreciating] the dynamics that shape an Asian-domiciled business operating in Turkey’ while delivering ‘outstanding commercial support to some highly challenging projects’.