Okan Demirkan

Practice Areas

Dispute Resolution, Energy and Infrastructure, Ethics and Compliance

Career

After spending ten years with a major Istanbul-based law firm, Okan joined the Firm in 2010 as a partner. He currently leads the Firm’s dispute resolution, energy and infrastructure, ethics and compliance practices.

Professional Memberships

Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb); Ambassador to Turkey, Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA); Board Member, Transparency International; Istanbul Bar Association; International Bar Association (IBA); International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Turkey; Turkish British Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TBCCI); Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK); Society of Construction Law Turkey (SCL Turkey); Yenibirlider (A New Leader) Association; Galatasaray Sports Club Association

Publications

‘Import of Gas: How Liberal is Turkey?’, ‘Turkish Commercial Law Review’, Vol.4 Issue 1 (2018); ‘Developing Court Practice in Turkey Regarding Applications to Set Aside Arbitral Awards’, ‘The American Review of International Arbitration’, No.4 Vol.26 (2015)

Personal

Okan was educated in four countries: the Netherlands, Israel, Turkey and the United Kingdom. He received his law degree in 2000 from the University of Sussex School of Legal Studies.

Languages Spoken

English, Turkish

Experience

Okan Demirkan has significant experience in arbitration and litigation, energy and infrastructure, ethics and compliance.

With significant experience of more than 20 years in international arbitration, Okan has been extensively involved in numerous ICC, DIS, SAC, LCIA, ISTAC, DIAC and UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings where he serves as counsel, arbitrator or expert witness, thereby experiencing every possible role in arbitration. He regularly acts as presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator in institutional as well as ad hoc arbitrations. Okan has been heavily involved in arbitration proceedings concerning major infrastructure projects and has successfully represented several international clients as well as local entities in arbitration proceedings concerning disputes arising from build-operate-transfer (BOT) model investments, share purchase agreements, shareholders agreements, EPC contracts, sales contracts and licensing contracts. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and the Swiss Arbitration Ambassador to Turkey. Lexology and GAR recognize him as a “Thought Leader” in the field of Arbitration, and in 2023, Lexology also listed him in the field of Commercial Litigation.

In addition to international arbitration, Okan represents domestic and international clients in a wide range of litigation matters, including commercial disputes, employment related disputes, intellectual property related disputes, administrative disputes, enforcement and set-aside lawsuits, and criminal proceedings in relation to white-collar crimes at all levels of the Turkish courts.

Okan is highly specialized in energy, public procurement, PPPs and infrastructure projects. Lexology recognizes Okan as a “Global Elite Thought Leader” in the field of Energy since 2020.

He is also a prominent figure in the area of ethics and compliance. He has conducted several investigations related to various regulatory and anti-bribery / anti-corruption allegations.

Clients

Fatih Terim and the Terim Family, Porsche, ArcelorMittal RZK, Hepsiburada, DHMI (Republic of Turkey, General Directorate of State Airports Authority), Bahrain Middle East Bank, Bedeschi, Coca Cola İçecek, Deloitte, OMBI SRL, XCMG, Dikey Vitamin, Liebherr, SOCAR AQS, Transamine, AS Mintos Marketplace, Mak 4 You, X Trade Brokers, Atlas Ship Supply, Abdi İbrahim, Agence France-Presse, Alsim Alarko, Arempa, Galatasaray, Gates Corporation, Global Founders Capital, Hinduja Bank, Inveon, LR Health & Beauty Systems, Marelli, Mitsubishi Corporation, Odea Bank, Oliver Samwer, RAY Sigorta, Roxcel, Ströer SE, Terumo Europe, Upfield, VHV Allgemeine Sigorta, Vinmar, Vossloh AG, Shah Deniz Consortium, Glencore, Karadeniz LPG, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Vitol and TPI Composites.

Work Highlights

Some of Okan’s recent work highlights in dispute resolution include legal advice to and representation of Fatih Terim, an esteemed and globally renowned football coach, as well as his family, in relation to an exceptionally high-profile fraud case stemming from a fraudulent transaction by a bank branch manager; a consortium of six Middle Eastern financial institutions on a very complex cross-border scheme including the collection of almost USD 550 million from various Turkish companies and individuals; Porsche SE in a complex consumer lawsuit; OMBI S.R.L., a leading Italian manufacturing company, on all proceedings (including related the criminal complaints and trademark related lawsuits) concerning the termination of a distributorship agreement; XCMG, a Chinese multinational state-owned heavy machinery manufacturing company, in a portfolio compensation lawsuit initiated by its former long-term exclusive distributor based in Turkey; and Dikey Vitamin, a prominent athlete nutriment manufacturer and vending machine operator in Turkey, in a complex unfair competition dispute against a subsidiary of one of the country’s leading conglomerates as well as in the lawsuits filed against the former employees.

Okan has also advised on the region’s landmark projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline Project, the then contemplated Nabucco Gas Pipeline, the then contemplated Samsun-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, the Shah Deniz Stage 2 Natural Gas Sales Project as well as the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP). He has further advised Alsim Alarko, a prominent Turkish infrastructure company, on the Kabatas-Mecidiyekoy-Mahmutbey metro line project; and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in connection with Turkey’s contemplated second nuclear power plant, in the city of Sinop.