Interview with: Sidar Tunca, Founding Partner

Founding and Managing Partner Sidar Tunca, explains how the Firm is adapting to its growth strategy and clients’ changing needs.

 

1) What do you see as the main points that differentiate TUNCA ATTORNEY PARTNERSHIP from your competitors?

First and foremost, in a world that constantly evolves into an integrated system with each passing day through globalization and constantly developing technology, being able to adapt quickly and swiftly to the changing conditions and emerging innovations in the world is among the essential points that distinguish us from our competitors. It is very important for us to provide a fast and effective response mechanism to the changing demands of our clients under any and all circumstances. In addition, the utmost importance we attribute to a well-established and constantly-enhancing human resources, which can arguably be regarded as the most significant element in the success of a law firm, sets us apart from other firms. The enriching perspective provided by the diversity of our employees plays an active role in the quality of our services. Another important factor that differs us from other law firms is our ability of spot-on problem analysis with the correct problem determination and proper risk analysis process. In this regard, we anticipate, calculate and manage the risk involved in a legal issue, and accordingly, we take the appropriate measures immediately and stay in constant communication with our clients by producing innovative and creative solutions to the legal problems identified that defy the conventional wisdom. Moreover, we have a special team for daily follow-up of the Official Gazette, the regulatory authorities’ websites and other channels for legislation amendments. We make regular follow-up of the legislations related to our clients’ activities and we summarize notable amendments in tailor made memorandums and bulletins for them. Last but not least, we see all of our clients as part of the “Tunca Attorney Partnership” family and stand by them no matter what business difficulties they face. This approach is one of the most important features that sets us apart from our competitors.

 

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

Arbitration has become a practice that is appealed to and carried out very frequently in commercial and business disputes in Turkey in the recent years. In addition, considering Turkey’s strategic position and its emerging economy; renewable energy, banking and mergers-acquisitions are topics that will always be in demand.

In the next 12 months, blockchain technology and the smart contracts will accordingly develop, and legal consultancy services will thus evolve into a nature with more accessibility, data integrity and transparency, automation and reduced costs in the sector. Again, in the next 12 months, the use of personal data protection, cyber security, cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence in law will become widespread and the reflections of innovative approaches in informatics law will begin to take a common place in practice. Besides, considering the expanding energy demand because of blockchain technology and the spreading use of electric vehicles, as well as the energy demand required by ever-evolving technology to meet the expanding demand in a sustainable way, the number of large-scale projects on renewable energy sources will also be continued to rise in the next 12 months. In this regard, our main practice areas, energy and project finance will also continue to grow substantially over the next year.

In addition, construction law will also be one of the areas of law that continues to gain importance in Turkey. As a result of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey, real estate law and construction law issues will remain to be on the top of the agenda for a long time. As always, “Tunca Attorney Partnership”, which has a team of experts in the field of tender, city planning, and construction law, will be the proper address to provide legal consultancy and support to companies participating in tenders for the construction of new buildings and living zones.

As a result of globalization, issues related to consortiums, joint-ventures and all kinds of company partnerships, mergers and acquisitions will continue to remain on the legal agenda in order for companies to achieve their goals, to carry out their activities with international characteristics, and to achieve the optimum level of profitability and efficiency.

 

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

The internationalization of our legal services has become one of our major priorities in the last years and its topicality in our firm is gaining further importance with every single day passing. This is due to the demands of our clientele whose position and importance has elevated into the international sphere. With their practices internationalizing, we, as our clients’ supporters see our duty of providing qualified legal services of international standards. Therefore, we put a lot of effort in acquiring in-depth knowledge regarding general legal systems of various countries including common law jurisdictions. In addition, we have established communication mechanisms that enables our clients to reach our law firm 24/7. We have enabled our clients to receive top-quality service at any moment and under any circumstances.

We also developed our international law department, which we had previously established. We provide specially tailored consultancy that we named “several countries – one office”. To illustrate, our client company representative comes to our Ankara office and there receives update on ongoing litigation in Turkish courts; advising, concerning his trading activities in Russia by Russian lawyers; conducts consultations via videoconference with lawyers in Paris or Washington for his pending arbitration case in ICC or ICSID, without having to travel to different countries for this. This saves both time and cost for our clients.

 

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

Surely it does. Although the legal industry, which is essentially a conventional one, is in general quite persistent to the adoption of technological innovations, we manifest in this regard our difference within the sector with our openness to innovation. Therefore, integrating facilitative solutions provided by developing technologies into our practice is a sine qua non for us. The efficient and smart utilization of technological means is not only favorable in regards of corporate organization but also comes quite handy in the communication with our clients. In this context, while we offer services to our clients in a more effective and faster manner through the up-to-date legal automation programs we deploy in our firm, our clients can also access our legal services whenever they want via these programs. Accordingly, our bond and relationship with our clients, which is based on mutual trust, is strengthened and cemented.

We also value the efficiency of distributing information via social media and e-mail client alerts. We frequently share new legislation, changes in law, precedents and other relevant developments so that our clients can take early action to avoid finding themselves in conflict with or contravention of them.

 

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

For instance, operations of one of our client’s hydroelectric power plant (HPP) was suspended due to the annulment of their environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. Once we started to cooperate with them, we revised their EIA in accordance with current legislation in force. Thereafter, we succeeded to obtain an affirmative EIA report for the HPP, so that our client became able to resume operating the HPP.

However, we invest efforts to change the perception of the lawyer as “emergency worker coming for lifesaving operations”. While the conglomerates take into account the importance of the strategic business legal consultancy, the middle sized enterprises or family companies still rely on their in-house counsels to handle all legal issues and seek established law firms only when, for instance, their operations are suspended. In regards of the example herein, before the EIA for the HEPP was canceled, the EIA could have been revised in accordance with the legal conditions and we could have protected our client from loss of profit during that time period. In this respect, as we know well the business of our permanent clients, we follow and regularly provide them with analysis on all legislation amendments regarding their business sector to keep them in compliance with the current legislation. Thus, we help them better via navigating them in the changing and complex legal environment.

 

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

The maintenance and furtherance of the bond established between law firms and clients is based on ensuring credibility, for which both stability and strategic progress are indispensable. Therefore, it is impossible for a law firm to grow in a sustainable and systematic way without these two elements. Tunca Attorney Partnership, which is well aware of this matter of fact puts value on the preservation of continued exchange of ideas in order to maximize stability and specify strategic direction. Over the years, we have acknowledged and praised that sustainable success can only be achieved through dedicated, meticulous and patient planning. It is with great joy to observe that our patience is being awarded on a daily basis and that our clients can simultaneously benefit from it.

The amount of international and cross-border disputes that we handle gradually increase and our law firm’s interaction with global players is being admired by diverse circles. In this regard, we are convinced that international studies will further intensify its topicality in our practices and that, in cohabitation with our favorable geographical position and our vision, we will visibly succeed on the international sphere. As said above, this can only be achieved through determination and patience. We are looking forward to realizing this objective together with our expanding clientele. Thus, deriving our motivation and strength towards the future from our achievements and dedication to our clients, TUNCA Attorney Partnership envisages itself to be an eminent law firm that is widely-known and acclaimed for upholding the rule of law as the basis both verbally and spiritually, and carrying its national recognition for excellency into international legal arena. Furthermore, we aim to engage more actively in law-based projects of civil society organizations and international networks of professionals in the upcoming years.. We are also planning to realize an academy project with the support of the Tunca Attorney Partnership. This project aims to create an environment where university students can gather under one roof and organize organizations such as seminars, conferences, and training for law school students. In this way, we aim to contribute to the development of our future colleagues who will work in the field of law as Tunca.