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Devin Law & IP · Practice Areas

Our Services

Comprehensive legal services combining sector expertise with strategic legal insight: clear, practical and result-oriented solutions for businesses and individuals. Eight dedicated practice groups cover intellectual property, media and advertising, data protection, technology, corporate matters, dispute resolution and maritime law, for multinational groups and early-stage ventures alike.

07Dispute Resolution & LitigationStrategic case planning and disciplined procedural management across commercial, administrative and enforcement proceedings.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Disputes are decided by what was documented before they began and by how quickly the first move is made. We litigate commercial, corporate, labour, criminal and real estate matters for companies, and we choose the route deliberately: an attachment that secures the asset, a mediation that preserves the relationship, or a judgment that settles the question for good.

The first question in every file is not what the claim is worth but whether it can be collected. A judgment against a company that has already moved its assets is a document, not a remedy. Precautionary attachment, asset tracing and enforcement strategy therefore come first, and the substantive case is built around a security position that already exists.

Employment disputes are won in the personnel file, not in the hearing. Termination grounds that were never documented, warnings that were never signed, overtime records that were never kept — each becomes a presumption against the employer. We work with HR before termination wherever possible, and reconstruct the defensible record where we are brought in afterwards.

White-collar files run on two tracks at once. There is the criminal proceeding, and there is the commercial and reputational damage that continues regardless of its outcome. Coordinating the two, and deciding what is said publicly while an investigation is open, is as much a part of the mandate as the defence itself.

Not every dispute belongs in court. Mandatory mediation now precedes most commercial and labour claims, and institutional arbitration resolves technical cross-border matters faster than litigation can. We assess at the outset which forum actually delivers the commercial result, rather than defaulting to the courthouse.

Commercial cases turn on documents that already exist by the time we are instructed: what was ordered, what was delivered, what was objected to and when. The first phase of every file is reconstructing that record, because it determines which arguments are actually available.

Breach & Damages
  • Breach of commercial contract and supply chain failure claims
  • Material damages, loss of profit and penalty clause enforcement
  • Defective performance, warranty and hidden defect actions
  • Guarantee, surety and letter of credit disputes
Networks
  • Termination of exclusive distribution agreements
  • Commercial agency and portfolio compensation claims
  • Franchise termination, inventory repurchase and post-term obligations
  • Territory and exclusivity breach actions
Change of Circumstances
  • Contract adaptation for excessive hardship
  • Force majeure assessment and lawful termination
  • Currency and indexation disputes in long-term contracts
  • Renegotiation strategy where litigation would destroy value
Breach of Contract & CompensationVigorous representation in high-stakes disputes arising from breaches of commercial contracts, supply chain disruptions, and vendor failures. Pursuing and defending against claims for material damages, loss of profit (yoksun kalınan kar), and penalty clauses (cezai şart).
Distribution, Agency & Franchise DisputesHandling complex litigation involving the termination of exclusive distribution agreements, commercial agency contracts, and franchises. Strategically managing claims for portfolio compensation (portföy tazminatı), goodwill indemnities, and inventory repurchases.
Contract Adaptation & Force MajeureLitigating claims for the adaptation of commercial contracts due to extreme hardship (aşırı ifa güçlüğü) and unforeseen macroeconomic circumstances, or executing lawful terminations based on force majeure events.
Determination of Evidence & Expert ExaminationSecuring evidence before it is altered through determination-of-evidence proceedings, and managing court-appointed expert examinations in technically complex commercial files.

Recovery is a race against the debtor's balance sheet. An attachment obtained in the first week is worth more than a judgment obtained in the third year, which is why enforcement strategy is designed before the claim is filed rather than after it succeeds.

Receivables
  • B2B debt recovery and unpaid invoice enforcement
  • Cheque and promissory note (kambiyo) proceedings
  • Fast-track collection strategy matched to the debtor's profile
  • Set-off, assignment and receivable purchase structures
Security
  • Precautionary attachment (ihtiyati haciz) over accounts and assets
  • Ex parte applications and asset tracing before transfer
  • Injunctions preserving the subject matter of the dispute
  • Pledges, mortgages and collateral enforcement
Insolvency
  • Execution proceedings and foreclosure actions
  • Bankruptcy lawsuits and creditor representation
  • Concordat (konkordato) processes and creditor committees
  • Debt restructuring negotiations and settlement protocols
Strategic Receivables ManagementAggressive and systematic recovery of B2B corporate debts, unpaid invoices, and bounced cheques/promissory notes (kambiyo senetleri). Implementing fast-track debt collection strategies tailored to the debtor’s financial profile.
Precautionary Attachments (İhtiyati Haciz)Securing corporate receivables by obtaining rapid ex parte court orders to freeze debtors' bank accounts, real estate, and commercial assets before they can be unlawfully transferred or hidden.
Execution & Bankruptcy ProceedingsInitiating and managing comprehensive execution proceedings (icra takibi) and foreclosure actions. Representing creditors in bankruptcy lawsuits, concordat (konkordato) processes, and debt restructuring negotiations to maximize asset recovery.
Fraudulent Transfer & Annulment ActionsPursuing annulment actions where assets were transferred to defeat creditors, tracing the recipients and restoring the assets to the enforcement pool.

Reinstatement cases are decided almost entirely on documentation prepared before termination. Where the file shows a documented process, valid cause is arguable; where it shows a decision taken and papered afterwards, the outcome is usually settled before the first hearing.

Employer Defence
  • Severance, notice pay and unpaid overtime claims
  • Annual leave, bonus and wage receivable disputes
  • Working time records and evidentiary strategy
  • Collective claims and multi-employee proceedings
Termination
  • Reinstatement (işe iade) defence and valid cause documentation
  • Just cause termination under Article 25 and its evidentiary burden
  • Job security compensation exposure management
  • Settlement and release agreement structuring
Conduct & Safety
  • Mobbing and discrimination allegation defence
  • Workplace accident liability, material and moral damages
  • Occupational health and safety compliance defence
  • Non-compete and confidentiality breach actions against former staff
Corporate Employment DefenseDefending corporate employers in complex labor disputes initiated by current or former employees. Vigorously litigating claims for severance pay (kıdem tazminatı), notice pay (ihbar tazminatı), unpaid overtime, and annual leave receivables.
Reinstatement Lawsuits (İşe İade)Formulating robust defense strategies in reinstatement cases. Proving valid or just cause (geçerli/haklı neden) for termination to protect the company from mandatory rehiring obligations and statutory compensation penalties (iş güvencesi tazminatı).
Mobbing, Discrimination & Workplace InjuriesDefending management against severe allegations of workplace harassment (mobbing), discrimination, and mitigating corporate liability and material/moral damage claims arising from workplace accidents (iş kazaları).
Non-Compete & Confidentiality BreachesTaking aggressive legal action against former executives and key personnel for violating post-employment non-compete agreements, soliciting clients, or leaking corporate trade secrets to competitors.
Pre-Termination Advisory & File PreparationWorking with HR before a termination decision is executed, so that grounds, warnings, defence statements and process steps are documented in the form a reinstatement court expects to see.

An internal fraud investigation has to satisfy two audiences at once: the prosecutor, who needs evidence gathered lawfully, and the company, which needs the loss quantified and recovered. Running the criminal complaint and the civil recovery together, from the same evidence base, is what makes both work.

Defence
  • Representation of executives and board members in investigations
  • Corporate entity defence and administrative fine exposure
  • Search, seizure and interview preparation
  • Coordination of legal and reputational strategy during proceedings
Company as Victim
  • Embezzlement (zimmet) and breach of trust complaints
  • Commercial fraud and document forgery proceedings
  • Internal investigations and evidence preservation
  • Parallel civil recovery of misappropriated funds
Digital
  • Unauthorised access to corporate IT systems
  • Industrial espionage and proprietary data theft
  • Source code theft and forensic examination
  • Cross-border cooperation where perpetrators are outside Türkiye
Corporate Criminal DefenseDefending C-level executives, board members, and corporate entities in white-collar criminal investigations and prosecutions. Managing the legal and reputational fallout of criminal allegations in the business environment.
Fraud, Embezzlement & Breach of TrustRepresenting victimized companies in filing criminal complaints and pursuing damages against employees or third parties for embezzlement (zimmet), commercial fraud (dolandırıcılık), forgery of documents, and breach of fiduciary duty (güveni kötüye kullanma).
Cybercrime & Data TheftInitiating urgent criminal proceedings against internal and external threat actors for unauthorized access to corporate IT systems, industrial espionage, and the theft of proprietary data or source codes.
Internal Investigations & WhistleblowingConducting internal investigations that preserve evidence admissibly, protect employee rights, and produce a report the company can act on, alongside the handling of whistleblower reports.

Mediation is now a procedural condition for most commercial and labour claims, which makes the first session a strategic opportunity rather than a formality. A well-prepared mediation file often produces a better commercial result than the judgment that would follow two years later.

Shareholder Disputes
  • Annulment of general assembly resolutions
  • Squeeze-out and dissolution for just cause proceedings
  • Directors' and officers' liability actions
  • Minority rights enforcement and special audit requests
Commercial Property
  • Eviction proceedings for factories, retail units and offices
  • Rent determination (kira tespiti) actions
  • Rent adaptation (kira uyarlaması) for long-term leases
  • Deposit, damage and restoration disputes at lease end
ADR
  • Mandatory and voluntary commercial mediation
  • Labour mediation and settlement structuring
  • Institutional arbitration before ISTAC, ITOTAM and the ICC
  • Ad hoc arbitration and enforcement of arbitral awards
Intra-Company LitigationRepresenting majority and minority shareholders in high-stakes corporate conflicts. Litigating actions for the annulment of General Assembly resolutions and managing shareholder squeeze-out (ortaklıktan çıkarma) or dissolution with just cause (haklı nedenle fesih) proceedings.
Directors' & Officers' (D&O) LiabilityInitiating or defending against corporate liability lawsuits (sorumluluk davaları) concerning board members and executives for alleged breaches of their duty of care, duty of loyalty, or ultra vires acts causing financial loss to the company.
Commercial EvictionsExecuting rapid eviction proceedings (tahliye davaları) for high-value commercial properties, factories, and retail spaces due to non-payment of rent, expiration of term, or breach of lease conditions.
Rent Determination & AdaptationFiling lawsuits for the determination (kira tespiti) or adaptation (kira uyarlaması) of commercial rent amounts to align long-term leases with current macroeconomic realities and market precedents.
Commercial & Labor MediationRepresenting corporate clients in mandatory (dava şartı) and voluntary mediation sessions for both commercial disputes and employee grievances, aiming for cost-effective and confidential settlements outside the courtroom.
Domestic & International ArbitrationActing as counsel in complex institutional (ISTAC, ITOTAM, ICC) and ad hoc arbitration proceedings, ensuring the swift resolution of cross-border and technical commercial disputes, followed by the enforcement of arbitral awards.