Interview with: Erdem Balkan, Partner

1) What do you see as the main points that differentiate Güzeldere Balkan Göçen Attorney Partnership from your competitors?

At Güzeldere Balkan Göçen Attorney Partnership, we distinguish ourselves by ensuring that our partners are directly involved in client matters, not just in a supervisory capacity but as active legal practitioners. Unlike many firms where partners focus on managerial roles, our partners are deeply engaged in the cases we handle, maintaining close communication with clients and providing hands-on legal expertise. Their direct involvement ensures that our clients benefit from their extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of the legal landscape.

Furthermore, our boutique structure enables our legal team to operate with a multidisciplinary approach. Given the breadth of our practice areas and our lean team structure, our lawyers are well-versed in multiple fields of law. This flexibility allows us to foster a collaborative working environment where every team member contributes to complex matters, ensuring that clients receive comprehensive and well-rounded legal support.

Another key differentiator is our structured approach to case management and client reporting. Our internal processes ensure meticulous tracking of all legal work performed for each client, enabling us to provide transparent, detailed, and value-driven legal services.

Additionally, one of our Partners, Mr. Deniz Ulaş Göçen is also a certified public accountant, which allows us to offer strategic guidance in areas where law and finance intersect. Clients frequently seek our assistance in matters that require both legal and financial insight, such as corporate structuring, tax compliance, and financial risk management. This unique expertise enables us to deliver more holistic and commercially pragmatic solutions to our clients.

2) Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

We anticipate significant growth in two key areas over the next 12 months: compliance and M&A.

The increasing complexity of regulations, both globally and in Turkey, is driving demand for compliance-related legal services. In particular, areas such as competition law, data protection (including recent amendments to Turkey’s Personal Data Protection Law), employment law, and sector-specific regulatory compliance have become critical for businesses. As regulatory authorities intensify enforcement measures, companies are seeking proactive legal support to ensure full compliance and mitigate potential risks. We foresee a growing demand for compliance audits, policy development, and advisory services in these areas.

Additionally, after a period of relative stagnation, we expect a resurgence in M&A transactions. Over the past year, market conditions have shown signs of recovery, leading to renewed investor interest in strategic transactions. Our firm is well-positioned to assist clients in navigating the complexities of M&A, providing due diligence, contract negotiation, and regulatory guidance.

3) What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

We have recently joined Innangard, a global alliance of leading employment law specialists, further strengthening our ability to provide international legal support in employment law and human resources matters. Providing employment law services to a growing number of global clients with employees working in several different countries, in a time where employment mobility as well as remote working is at a rise, requires the legal knowledge of several different jurisdictions. Collaborating with experts of employment law from different countries also brings the national diversity that has become an indispensable part of globalizing companies. In addition to securing seamless cross-border solutions to our clients, this membership also allows us to stay ahead of evolving global trends.

We have embraced technological advancements to enhance our efficiency and service quality. One of the most impactful changes has been our integration of AI-powered tools into our daily operations. These tools allow us to streamline tasks such as legal translations, document automation, and the adaptation of standard templates to case-specific needs. As a result, we can deliver faster and more cost-effective solutions to our clients.

Additionally, we have implemented an advanced knowledge management system that consolidates past case files, legal precedents, and industry-specific know-how. This system enables us to retrieve and utilize relevant legal resources with ease, ensuring consistency and efficiency in our legal services. Moreover, it enhances data security, allowing us to safeguard our clients’ sensitive information with the highest level of protection.

Relocation to our Maslak office has also contributed to our firm’s development. The modern infrastructure and enhanced resources available at our new premises allow us to operate more efficiently and provide a better client experience.

All these changes, collectively enable us to respond more quickly, operate more efficiently, and provide legal services in a more practical and cost-effective manner, while also enhancing our ability to offer flawless international support.

4) Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Absolutely. Technology has revolutionized the way we interact with clients and the efficiency with which we deliver legal services. Virtual meetings and digital communication channels have become an integral part of our client interactions, reducing the need for in-person visits and physical document exchanges. This shift allows us to work more flexibly and efficiently while also reducing costs for our clients.

Moreover, the legal research databases and subscription-based resources we utilize significantly enhance our ability to conduct thorough and time-efficient research. By leveraging these technological tools, we can provide clients with well-informed, data-driven legal advice in a much shorter timeframe.

Technology has also played a crucial role in optimizing our billing and case management processes, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the way we handle client matters. These advancements ultimately allow us to offer more cost-effective and strategically sound legal solutions.

5) Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

• We facilitated our client’s transition from a family-owned business to a global player by structuring a complex cross-border share transaction in the port operations sector. Through a strategic share exchange with an international port operator, our client expanded its global reach while maintaining operational control. By ensuring regulatory compliance, mitigating legal risks, and structuring agreements effectively, we enabled a seamless transition that strengthened their market position and long-term strategy.
• We played a crucial role in preserving the stability of a leading construction holding amid shareholder disputes. Faced with internal conflicts that could have risked the company’s governance, we strategically utilized legal mechanisms and facilitated structured negotiations to ensure the business remained operational and effective. By conducting thorough due diligence, managing shareholder negotiations, and overseeing general assemblies, we mitigated risks that could have led to prolonged legal disputes or corporate paralysis.Despite multiple legal challenges against shareholders’ resolutions, none of the resolutions during this process were overturned, reinforcing the strength of our legal strategies. Ultimately, our involvement not only safeguarded corporate governance but also prevented a major business disruption, allowing the client to successfully navigate a high-stakes restructuring process.
• We played a key role in securing the financial and operational stability of a pioneering hydroelectric power company amid significant regulatory and financial challenges. When our client faced administrative roadblocks delaying their licensed HEPP project and increasing financial strain on their non-licensed operation, we successfully challenged the ministry’s decision, ensuring the continuation of environmental assessment procedures.Additionally, through strategic legal analysis, we identified that our client was not liable for increased grid connection fees, allowing us to initiate negotiations with the local public authority for the sale of the non-licensed HEPP project. Despite cultural and bureaucratic obstacles, we successfully closed the transaction, securing a much-needed financial recovery for our client.The results, obtained through our ability to navigate complex regulatory environments, resolve commercial disputes, and execute high-stakes negotiations to deliver tangible business solutions was much appreciated by our client due to the unexpected added value we created for their business.
• We assisted a leading FMCG producer and retailer in reclaiming its trademark rights in Egypt after discovering that its distributor had registered the client’s brands under its own name. A traditional legal dispute would have taken approximately 10 years, leading us to develop a more strategic, business-friendly solution.By conducting due diligence, we determined that the distributor was not actively using the trademarks and identified that the renewal deadline was imminent. Anticipating that the distributor would not renew, we advised our client to remain strategically silent while preparing for new trademark applications. The moment the previous registrations expired, we promptly filed new applications on behalf of our client, successfully securing the trademarks without litigation.This approach saved our client significant time and financial resources while allowing them to regain full control over their brand in the Egyptian market.

6) Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

Clients increasingly seek law firms that offer not just legal expertise but also strategic business insights. As legal and commercial matters are deeply interconnected, our long-term client relationships allow us to provide tailored legal strategies that align with our clients’ business goals.

Trust is a fundamental aspect of legal representation, and we take pride in building strong, lasting relationships with our clients. Many rely on us not only for legal counsel but also for strategic guidance on key business decisions.

Over the next three years, we aim to leverage advanced legal tech tools, AI-powered document automation, and data-driven legal research to optimize our workflow and provide more agile, cost-effective solutions to our clients. By embracing digital transformation, we will continue to improve our ability to deliver strategic, high-quality legal services in a rapidly changing business environment.

With a focus on innovation, efficiency, and adaptability, we aim to strengthen our ability to provide technology-driven legal solutions, ensuring that we remain a trusted legal partner for both domestic and international clients in an evolving digital landscape.