Team size: Seven

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

There is no doubt that the hospitality and food service industries have suffered a lot from the global pandemic. Legal departments’ workloads also increased significantly during that period. In 2020 and 2021, the national and international business activities of the company was impacted by restrictive and preventive decisions, alongside occasional incentive regulations.

During that period, Nusr-Et continued its investments, retaining a strong financial structure. Thus, we took up new investment projects in the hospitality industry in Türkiye and abroad. Our legal department actively played a key role in the management of the company during this time. Furthermore, the in-house legal team also proved to be an indispensable part of the business team, providing expertise on a wide array of topics such as labour and employment matters, compliance, global case management and investment decisions.

Our priority in 2022 was to consolidate and simplify legal operations and processes across the globe without compromising on quality. Due to commercial activities carried out over a wide geographical area, we had to deal with many legal parties. Hence, we considered each country or state separately, taking into account its unique conditions. As a result, the steps we took reduced bureaucratic burdens and our legal costs.

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

A strong business relationship between in-house lawyers and other departments would elevate not only in-house lawyers but also the departments they are working with. Certainly, lawyers form an essential part of decision-making mechanisms. Therefore, they should be able to adapt to business needs, accommodate solutions within the applicable legal framework and find ways to minimize legal risks. Effective communication skills are the key to understanding financial and operational challenges and addressing the needs of businesspeople that eventually contribute to the company.

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?

As an in-house legal team, we try to benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of the parties we work with. In some jurisdictions, law firms provide unique legal solutions by providing online access to updates regarding new legislation, reference manuals, legal guides, libraries, and online trainings. In 2022, we entered an arrangement with a law firm that provides innovative solutions. Having direct access to this database has significantly reduced the workload and costs incurred for such services. I am proud to report that by using such services efficiently, we have been on top of the work that we do.