Team size: Five

Can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently (cases, transactions, projects)?

The significant projects that we have been involved in during the pandemic is as follows: (i) regulatory audit without penalty and findings; (ii) digital insurance projects – InsurTech, (iii) big agreements with three different companies. We implemented RegTechs before the pandemic, and this allowed us to carry out our workloads without needing to go to the office. We managed legal controls, regulations, e-signatures, e-stamp, and e-correspondence.

In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in your region over the next few years?

In-house lawyers in Türkiye will work closely with AI while getting use to remote audits from regulatory bodies. Communication skills will be emphasised more than ever, and transactional analysis knowledge will be required. Having knowledge in financial technologies will be an asset for in-house lawyers, especially to develop their expertise in competition and personal data law. I believe that in-house counsel must be supporters not stoppers; we need to ensure that the company takes risks in a more adjusted way.

In a changing financial landscape, how does the company remain competitive against new phenomena such as fintech and blockchain, and how does the legal team assist with this?

As a head of legal and compliance, I support the business in every opportunity regarding InsurTech and blockchain. In 2022, Nonlife Insurance companies have two main targets to increase the penetration of insurance: health and nonmotor. These agenda cannot be achieved without expertise in digital law and fintech law. Our legal team assisted the company by taking part in regulation strategies in both legal and business perspectives. To become successful in our industry, in-house lawyers have to follow legal as well as business and digital trends in Türkiye.