The internationally oriented team at CIFTCI Attorney Partnership in association with Clifford Chance acts for an impressive roster of domestic and foreign financial institutions, including commercial banks, and bilateral and multilateral development agencies. Demonstrating a marked emphasis on project finance, the team is primarily noted for its expertise in the infrastructure, healthcare and energy sectors, where it frequently acts in tandem with lawyers from the wider Clifford Chance network. Alongside its projects prowess, the group’s recent experience also spans syndicated financings, Islamic finance, structured finance and capital markets work. Department head Sait Eryılmaz handles a broad range of banking and finance matters, with a focus on project finance and structured finance. At junior level, counsel Gökçe Uzun and senior associates Başar Kırka and Ali Can Altıparmak are all recommended.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Highly professional, open to communicate, easy to access at any time, well experienced, and supportive.’

  • ‘Each individual in the team is very dedicated and professional. Lawyers are very supportive and it is obvious they are doing their work with great dedication. One of their key strengths is client management skills.’

Key clients

  • UK Export Finance (UKEF)
  • TAV Havalimanları Holding
  • Rönesans Holding
  • Barclays
  • Credit Suisse
  • Standard Chartered Bank
  • Leading Turkish banks: Ziraat Bank, Akbank, Yapı Kredi, İşbank, Garanti BBVA, Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası, Denizbank, QNB Finansbank, Türkiye Kalkınma ve Yatırım Bankası
  • FMO: Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank
  • TAV Tunisie
  • EBRD
  • IFC
  • Actis
  • Invest International
  • Arçelik
  • TurkExim Bank
  • SOCAR
  • KfW IPEX-Bank
  • Emirates NBD
  • Export Development Canada
  • Citibank
  • Fraport Frankfurt Airport Services
  • AIIB
  • China Development Bank
  • Türkiye Wealth Fund
  • ICBC
  • Uludağ Energy

Work highlights

  • Advising JP Morgan, UKEF and other lenders on the ECA-backed financing of the Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep high-speed rail project.
  • Advising the joint venture (comprised of airport operators TAV Havalimanları Holding and Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide) on a €1.2bn bridge financing regarding the renewal of operational rights for Antalya Airport.
  • Advising Ziraat Bank, Akbank, Yapı Kredi and İşbank on the secured syndicated financing of the Aydın-Denizli Motorway Project.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Sait Eryılmaz

Other key lawyers

Gökçe Uzun, Başar Kırka, Ali Can Altıparmak