Lately frustrations have been voiced in Turkey due to sweeping judicial changes and a lack of technical specialisation in the courts. However, efforts are being made to streamline processes and increase efficiency, providing the country’s practitioners with much-needed optimism. General awareness of the importance of IP protection is on the rise and the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office is making positive strides in this direction. It recently established the Intellectual Property Academy, a platform to share and develop knowledge of intellectual property through formal education and practical training, with the aim of aligning Turkey with international standards. Foreign investment is still the main driver of innovation; it is hoped that the initiatives put in place to strengthen the nation’s IP structures will increase investor confidence and promote further growth in the comingyears.
Firms: litigation and transactions
Gold Tier
- Deriş Attorney-At-Law Partnership
- Gün + Partners
Silver Tier
- Kenaroğlu Avukatlik Burosu
- Moroğlu Arseven
- NSN Law Firm
Bronze Tier
- OFO VENTURA
- Suluk Intellectual Property Law Firm
Firms: prosecution
Highly recommended
- Deriş Attorney-At-Law Partnership
- Gün + Partners
Recommended
- ALFA PATENT STAN ADVOKA Ltd Co
- Ankara Patent Bureau Ltd
- INVOKAT Intellectual Property Services Ltd
- Stock Industrial Property Services AS
ALFA PATENT STAN ADVOKA Ltd Co
A well-oiled machine, ALFA PATENT STAN ADVOKA Ltd Co systematically produces meticulous applications without compromising on quality. The set communicates in all three official languages of the EPO and is home to the country’s first-ever qualified European patent attorneys, Selda Arkan and Baris Atalay. Having mastered eight languages, Arkan is a smart choice for internationally minded clients with pan-European needs in the pharmaceutical space. Atalay oversees tricky computer-implemented inventions and electrical engineering instructions with finesse: “He is incredibly switched on and provides great support laced with shrewd opinions and commercialinsight.”
Ankara Patent Bureau Ltd
Having protected innovations for over five decades, Ankara Patent Bureau is a stalwart presence on the Turkish legal landscape. It draws on the talents of over 90 technical experts, lawyers and business consultants to deliver trenchant counsel to companies around the world. Leading the team with verve is Gizem Dilan Özmen, who has a refined understanding of patent, design and plant varietylaw.
Deriş Attorney-At-Law Partnership
“One of the best firms in Turkey, Deriş produces outstanding work and always comes through in a pinch. Its lawyers are highly responsive, really easy to work with and always on the lookout for cost-effective solutions.” The set - comprising lawyers, registered trademark and patent attorneys, as well as European and US patent attorneys - is often entrusted with high-profile mandates and nationwide projects with significant commercial ramifications. Department figureheads Serra Coral and Emre Kerim Yardımcı are in high demand for their intelligent approach to litigation and assured performances in court. Of late, Yardımcı has been working closely with IAM Patent 1000 debutant and all-rounder Muazzez Korutürk. “The pair always cooperate efficiently and come up with a successful plan of action in a quick turnaround time.” Another star in the contentious line-up is Okan Can, “a reliable attorney who never loses sight of wider business objectives. He is proactive in his approach and devises enforcement strategies with his clients to achieve the most desirable outcome”. Recently appointed to the partnership, Oya Yalvac expertly handles oppositions and other non-contentious briefs, drawing on her 10-year stint as in-house counsel at a pharmaceutical company. The ensemble has a sounding board in world-renowned Mehmet Nazim Aydin Deriş, who has helped to shape the country’s patent landscape through his superb work and still contributes to its development.
Gün + Partners
The magnitude of operations at full-service outfit Gün + Partners is unparalleled: the group directs a significant portion of the nation’s IP traffic, much of which is on behalf of global industry titans. “When it comes to patent litigation, no one does it better. The team follow trends judiciously on both a local and international scale, and put their heart and soul into every mandate.” Firm talisman Mehmet Gün “is one of the toughest and most passionate litigators in the country. He is extremely hardworking and an excellent mentor who has built up the country’s patent scene”. Pharmaceutical and life sciences heavyweights Özge Atilgan Karakulak and Selin Sinem Erciyas provide further contentious firepower. Atilgan Karakulak co-chairs the IP group, while Erciyas is a repository of trust for domestic research bodies and foreign embassies. Managing associate Aysel Korkmaz Yatkin likewise handles infringement proceedings on behalf of technology companies with a deft touch. Overseeing the smooth operation of the unit’s non-contentious offering is Uğur Aktekin. A premier choice for European patent validations, the IP co-chair has over 20 years of experience in the technology and fast-moving consumer goods sectors under his belt. Prosecution director Pinar Arikan and pharmaceutical whizz Burcu Sucuka add further strength in depth. Arikan’s talents know no bounds: widely published and highly respected, she has become a crucial ally for clients across a myriad of industries. IAM Patent 1000 newcomer “Sucuka is “super-helpful and monitors applications very closely. She provides insightful information, conducts training sessions and is an asset to anybusiness”.
INVOKAT Intellectual Property Services Ltd
SMEs and global organisations alike flock to INVOKAT courtesy of its resolute focus on quality, tailored, transparent advice and refined prosecution services. Managing partner Aydin Mutlu leads the technically and legally astute fleet from the front. The chemical engineering sage is a qualified European patent attorney who performs exceptionally before the EPO and has earned considerable market credibility as aresult.
Kenaroğlu Avukatlik Burosu
“The professionalism, responsiveness and precision of the work conducted by Kenaroğlu Avukatlik Burosu always impress. It is the go-to firm in Turkey when your most valuable assets are at stake.” Founder and versatile practitioner Yasemin Kenaroğlu consistently showcases these traits on even the most daunting of mandates. “Heated disputes are one of her strong suits - she is highly experienced and remains calm when the going gets tough. Her advice is clear and timely, and the service she provides is of the highest possiblestandard.”
Full-service firm Moroğlu Arseven stands out for its technology transfer work in the R&D space, but has also been packing a punch in enforcement proceedings and dispute resolution of late. The team operates across technical and geographical borders and is led by Işık Özdoğan, “a tenacious and hardworking litigator whom you can always trust and rely on”. Joining her are enforcement guru Ezgi Baklacı Gülkokar and regulatory and commercial law whizz Gökçe İzgi, who both deliver measured, thoughtfulcounsel.
Operating out of four bases across the country – in Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and İzmir – and having forged meaningful relationships with foreign offices, NSN Law Firm is perfectly placed to provide meaningful assistance to rights holders both at home and abroad. Star litigator Selma Ünlü is the name to note for convoluted disputes. Frequently appearing as a court-appointed expert, she understands clients’ prospects of success and is not afraid to lay down hard facts. She often works side by side with Gülay Göksu, another tried-and-tested courtroom advocate. Of late, Göksu has also been involved in growing the firm’s prosecution practice, taking on several mandates for companies in the automotive and pharmaceuticalsectors.
A new name in the IAM Patent 1000, OFO VENTURA is a fine choice for the full gamut of patent work, receiving high praise from all corners of the market. “The ensemble grasps the issue at hand quickly, dives deep into the fine print and provides top-level solutions that allow clients to pursue their goals in a cost-effective way”. “Always a pleasure to work with” across the contentious/non-contentious divide, Özlem Fütman and Yasemin Aktaş form a “super-collaborative” dream team. As a Turkish trademark and patent attorney, European patent attorney and seasoned litigator, Fütman excels at any task. “She communicates effectively and ensures her patrons know the pros and cons of each solution before moving forward.” Complex infringement proceedings are no obstacle for Aktaş, who “keeps level-headed at all times and provides the most accurate and detailed advice from the start of the process all the way to the end. Her work is simplyoutstanding”.
Stock Industrial Property Services AS
Although Stock Industrial Property Services has been embedded in the Turkish IP landscape for over a century, it maintains a dynamic, modern approach which is appreciated by an impressive multinational clientele. Users of its services benefit from bespoke management software that is consistently updated and fine-tuned in-house, complementing the A-grade prosecution talents of Kazim Dündar, Pinar Sen and Bahadir Gursoy. Dündar draws on a profound pool of wisdom to dispense finely honed guidance to both colleagues and clients. Sen brings ample in-house pharmaceutical experience to the table and has an eye for devising strategies that invariably ensure effective protection. Gursoy shines when drafting, filing and conducting grant procedures in the mechatronics, nanotechnology and automotive sectors, where his “advice is prompt, clear and to thepoint”.
Suluk Intellectual Property Law Firm
The perfect blend of first-rate industry knowledge and sound business acumen can be found at Suluk Intellectual Property. A diverse range of industry-leading corporations are smoothly navigated through the choppy waters of litigation thanks to its effective, outside-the-box solutions. The troop has a strong captain in Cahit Suluk, whose influence and academic excellence are felt throughout the country. Flanking this esteemed litigator is a Bahattin Çarkacı, a new face in the IAM Patent 1000. He capitalises on his knowledge of designs, unfair competition and media law to provide holistic counsel in disputeproceedings.
Other recommended experts
A former lawyer at the Turkish Patent Institute Administration, Samiye Eyuboğlu of the eponymous Eyuboğlu Law Firm executes instructions flawlessly and is often found developing ironclad strategies for generic pharmaceuticalcompanies.
Recommended Individuals: litigation and transactions
Gold Tier
- Özge Atılgan Karakulak - Gün + Partners
- Okan Can - Deriş Attorney-At-Law Partnership
- Selin Sinem Erciyas - Gün + Partners
- Mehmet Gün - Gün + Partners
- Selma Ünlü - NSN Law Firm
Silver Tier
- Mehmet Nazim Aydin Deriş - Deriş Attorney-At-Law Partnership
- Yasemin Kenaroğlu - Kenaroğlu Avukatlik Burosu
- Işık Özdoğan - Moroğlu Arseven
- Emre Kerim Yardımcı - Deriş Attorney-at-Law Partnership
Bronze Tier
- Yasemin Aktaş - OFO VENTURA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND LITIGATION
- Ezgi Baklacı Gülkokar - Moroğlu Arseven
- Bahattin Çarkacı - Suluk Intellectual Property Law Firm
- Serra Coral - Deriş Attorney-At-Law Partnership
- Samiye Eyuboğlu - Eyuboğlu Law Firm
- Özlem Fütman - OFO VENTURA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND LITIGATION
- Gülay Göksu - NSN Law Firm
- Gökçe İzgi - Moroğlu Arseven
- Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın - Gün + Partners
- Muazzez Korutürk - Deriş Attorney-at-Law Partnership
- Cahit Suluk - Suluk Intellectual Property Law Firm
Recommended Individuals: prosecution
- Uğur Aktekin - Gün + Partners
- Pinar Arikan - Gün + Partners
- Selda Arkan - ALFA PATENT STAN ADVOKA Ltd Co
- Baris Atalay - ALFA PATENT STAN ADVOKA Ltd Co
- Serra Coral - Deriş Attorney-At-Law Partnership
- Kazim Dündar - Stock Industrial Property Services AS
- Bahadir Gursoy - Stock Industrial Property Services AS
- Aydin Mutlu - INVOKAT Intellectual Property Services Ltd
- Gizem Dilan Özmen - Ankara Patent Bureau Ltd
- Pinar Sen - Stock Industrial Property Services AS
- Burcu Sucuka - Gün + Partners
- Oya Yalvac - Deriş Attorney-at-Law Partnership