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

Our group operates in various sectors. Consequently, international regulations – especially those concerning aerospace and defence industries – have a significant effect on business life, more so after Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. It is therefore necessary to reconcile international and national regulations with each other and involves complying with US and EU regulations.

The distinct, and rapidly evolving business habits, sanctions and guidelines characteristic of the international commerce industry has made it challenging to predict the future – especially as the evolution of law is not as fast paced as the evolution of business.

As the legal team, we ready to discover and develop innovative approaches that are appropriate for the changing business environment. Although we try to mitigate risks, the widening business scope causes new legal nightmares for companies. Further to this, the main determinant of our success in this endeavour is the human actor’s choice to either violate or obey the regulations.

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

In the near future, in-house lawyers may focus on mediation, environmental sustainability, and personal data and technology-based matters – such as cyber security and artificial intelligence – to prove their value. In an intensively digitalised world, AI will support in-house lawyers with data protection, help in raising awareness and reshape internal compliance mechanisms. Mandatory mediation terms regarding conflict resolution between parties will further increase, which will place greater emphasis on the communication and conflict resolution skills of in-house lawyers.

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?

We use a specialised contract management software that was developed in line with demands to archive approvals, revisions, and comments on each contract signed by our group companies. The signed contracts are archived digitally, and legal reports are prepared for the accounting department and business partners. This eased business operations, as all team members and group companies can access draft contracts electronically when needed.