Team size: 11

What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

Over the past year, I faced a significant challenge in balancing my role as a legal counsel with a more commercial role in the Kalyon Energy M&A transaction. As the lead legal counsel for the transaction, my responsibilities included collaborating with the business teams to ensure that the deal aligned with the overall strategic objectives of the company.

This was a complex process that required a deep understanding of both the legal and business aspects of the deal. I had to work closely with stakeholders across the organisation to ensure a successful outcome. However, the challenge was in balancing my role as a legal advisor, ensuring that all legal risks were identified and mitigated,

To achieve this balance, I needed to communicate and collaborate effectively with stakeholders across the organisation to ensure that everyone was aligned on the key priorities and goals for the transaction. This taught me the importance of building strong relationships and effectively communicating with legal and non-legal stakeholders.

This experience enriched my role as a board member and C-level executive. By combining legal expertise with business and strategic acumen, I provided a unique perspective on the transaction. Collaboration with other senior executives and board members allowed me to not only identify legal risks but also assess the overall strategic fit of the deal with the company’s long-term objectives.

The experience reinforced the value of cross-functional collaboration in achieving successful outcomes. Effective collaboration with colleagues from different departments is crucial for any organisation, especially for legal professionals to align their advice with broader strategic objectives. In conclusion, this learning experience highlighted the importance of communication and collaboration with stakeholders, cross-functional collaboration, and deepening my understanding of the company’s overall strategy and goals to provide more effective counsel to leadership.

In your opinion, what areas should in-house lawyers focus on over the next few years to prove value to their organisations in Türkiye?

As the legal landscape continues to evolve, in-house lawyers must not only possess a deep understanding of the law but also have a comprehensive understanding of their company’s core business and finance and strong communication skills. They must have industry knowledge and comprehend their company’s products or services and business model to provide relevant legal advice that aligns with the organisation’s goals. To identify potential legal risks, in-house lawyers need to know the company’s operations, supply chain, and critical business processes.

Understanding the financial aspects of the business is essential for in-house lawyers to provide legal advice that is both legally sound and financially viable. They must interpret financial statements, identify potential financial risks, and ensure that legal decisions align with the company’s financial objectives. Effective communication is also essential for in-house lawyers to convey legal concepts and advice clearly to various stakeholders within the company. They must express legal jargon in an easy-to-understand manner and consider the company’s overall business goals and objectives when providing legal advice.

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?

One example of an innovation that improved how my legal team worked was the implementation of a shared drive for all legal documents and information. Prior to this, legal documents were saved on individual computers, making it difficult for team members to locate and access information when needed. The shared drive allowed us to store all legal documents in one location, making it easier for team members to find what they needed quickly and efficiently. This change did not require any significant expense and was simple to implement using existing technology. As a result, it improved our team’s productivity and streamlined our workflow, ultimately providing better legal service to my company.