YKK was the talk of the market last year as it secured a partnership with international firm DLA Piper, and it would appear that this link-up has been a positive one as the firm moves up a tier in banking and presses for a move in project finance, while representing a solid presence elsewhere.Over the course of the last 12 months the firm has grown in size, adding a number of international senior associates, which give a greater breadth to the team, as well as adding partner Ekin Gokkilic, who joined as partner from Özel & Özel in January 2011....
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YKK was the talk of the market last year as it secured a partnership with international firm DLA Piper, and it would appear that this link-up has been a positive one as the firm moves up a tier in banking and presses for a move in project finance, while representing a solid presence elsewhere.
Over the course of the last 12 months the firm has grown in size, adding a number of international senior associates, which give a greater breadth to the team, as well as adding partner Ekin Gokkilic, who joined as partner from Özel & Özel in January 2011.
The banking team is currently engaged on a number of significant mandates, including advising the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on its equity investment into a mid-market Turkish company. The team has also carved a niche for itself advising on all manner of Islamic Finance instruments, including murabaha (deferred sale) and sukuks (Islamic bonds). In particular YKK is advising Asya Katilum Bankasi on an ongoing basis with regard to this kind of work.
In the capital markets, much of the firm's work is under confidentiality, but YKK has been active advising the Bank of Tokyo as regards the trading of derivatives on markets within Turkey.
M&A has been strong for the firm, with leading lawyer Cuneyt Yüksel heading the teams on two noteworthy deals. In 2011 teams advised a leading private equity house on its $112 million acquisition of a majority stake in a private education establishment in March 2011 and Enel Green Power on a joint venture in Turkey with a local investor to develop at least four 100MW geothermal power plants, each for requiring investments of €90 million of investment each.
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