Levent Lezgin Kilinc

(The following information was supplied by the firm)

Founding Partner

Levent Lezgin Kılınç is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kılınç Law & Consulting. He advises foreign investors and assists them in their transactions and also advises in relation to dispute resolution matters, both internationally and in Turkey.

Levent’s practice focuses on corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, investigations and dispute resolution. He advises clients extensively on matters involving cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments, strategic investments, investigations and litigation across a wide range of sectors including financial services, retail, transportation, energy, and logistics and manufacturing.

Prior to founding Kılınç Law in 2014, Levent worked at the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). He contributed to the legal processes of major projects highly significant in the energy field in Turkey today, such as Star Refinery, Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline, Wind Power Plant Project and Thermal Power Plants Projects. Prior to this, Levent trained at an international law firm in Arizona, United States, as a foreign legal counsel. He has worked on energy projects related issues, as an advisor to major energy companies. He then joined one of Turkey’s leading Participation Banks as the legal counsel responsible for international banking transactions.

Experience

• Acting for SOCAR in respect of its litigation, corporate, regulatory, and competition areas, as well as SOCAR Fiber’s corporate and regulatory matters.
• Representation of SOCAR in the multi-jurisdictional projects that the Company is planning to undertake in the SOCAR Turkey Special Industrial Zone with other sector leading energy companies.
• Advised on a project regarding the acquisition of EWE Turkey Holding as a fourth gas producer in Turkey and its subsidiaries by SOCAR.
• Advised on the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) Project. Assisted with agreements and protocols on the purchase of products and services, education services, leasing and project financing both during the establishment of the pipelines and the Project’s roll out.
• Advised on the investment of SOCAR on the Project of STAR Refinery, the largest single-location investment in the Turkish real estate and energy sector.
• Advised SOCAR on their cooperation with various Turkish Companies in the development and implementation of various confidential oil and gas related projects in the territory of Turkey.
• Representing Pasha Investment Bank in respect of all of its acquisitions, joint ventures and financings in Turkey and Azerbaijan.
• Representing PD Turizm, a subsidiary of Pasha Investment Bank on the project financing of an hotel in Turkey and the government relations requirements on tourism operating certificate for the hotel.
• Representing RETAJ Hotels, a Doha based, sector leading hotel group in respect of its litigation, corporate, regulatory, and competition areas,
• Advising Qimia; a Germany based IT Company in their investments and initiation of operations in Turkey, establishment of the Turkish subsidiary, revising of every necessary contract including employment, banking and commercial contracts.
• Represented investors from different countries in respect of their litigation, corporate, regulatory and investment related acquisitions and adjustment of corporate structures of firms to comply with Turkish legislation.
• Represented Bor Şeker Anonim Şirketi on the privatization of the Bor Sugar Factory at the tender, the establishment of the Company, initiation of its commercial operations and finalized the roll-out of the project.
• Instructed YU Group, a foreign real estate development company, in respect of its real estate projects, including public tenders and shopping malls in Sakarya and Istanbul.
• Advising ECOLAB-NALCO, a U.S.A based global leading company of water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, in respect of its joint ventures, litigation, corporate and all regulatory issues.
• Instructed SEDCO Holding, a Saudi Arabian investment company focusing on real estate projects, in respect of its joint ventures and potential acquisitions in Turkey.
• Acting for DOKA Group, an Austrian international producer and supplier of framework used in all fields of the construction sector, in respect of its projects and litigations in Turkey.
• Instructed by one of the leading aviation operators in Turkey in respect of all its acquisitions, financings, regulatory and litigation matters.
• Attended conferences on the legislation of PPP of Turkey in order to increase investment to Turkey, has made presentations on the current legislation and business development projects to the potential investors in South Korea.

Education
Arizona State University, Faculty of Law, LLM
Istanbul Kultur University, Faculty of Law, LLB

Bar Admissions
Istanbul, Texas

Languages
Turkish, English, Azerbaijani, Spanish