İHSAN ÖMÜR YARSUVAT

Mr. Ömür Yarsuvat leads the Firm’s corporate and commercial practice groups.  He is a graduate of the University of Istanbul, School of Law (JD equivalent, 1985) and Columbia University, School of Law (LL.M., 1987), following which he spent the first eight years of his professional life practicing law in New York.  In 1994 he returned to Istanbul and joined the Firm.  Since then, he worked on matters, which became relevant and in demand in Turkey at any particular point in time.During the 1990’s, as private power opportunities first arose in Turkey, he advised foreign investors in the establishing of one of the first three Turkish private power generation facilities.  As Turkey started to re-build its transportation infrastructure, the Firm’s clients took an active interest in various public tenders, which led to several build-operate-transfer projects and concessions in related industries.  Mr. Yarsuvat led the legal teams that advised the clients in such tenders and concessions.  He developed an expertise in, and rendered extensive legal advice on public procurement and administrative law related to concession rights, and public tenders.  As such large-scale projects often require outside financing, Mr. Yarsuvat also assisted these clients in project finance issues.

The concession projects Mr. Yarsuvat worked on require an understanding of multiple disciplines.  The most obvious examples of this are investments in the telecommunications, gaming, and transportation services industries.  These are often affected by administrative law, commercial law, corporate law, and capital markets law.  Mr. Yarsuvat built and led legal teams to satisfy in full the requirements of such intensive projects.  He also developed a significant understanding of each such discipline, which allows him to provide his clients with overall advice and team-leading services to oversee, in all legal aspects, the client’s project.

In parallel to his professional practice as a lawyer, for over ten years Mr Yarsuvat taught contracts law, corporate law and introduction to law at the Bosphorus University in Istanbul and for two years international business transactions at the Bilgi University School of Law. In parallel to his professional practice as a lawyer, for over ten years Mr Yarsuvat taught contracts law, corporate law and introduction to law at the Bosphorus University in Istanbul and for two years international business transactions at the Bilgi University School of Law.

Since 2019, he is also serving as the honorary consul of Republic of Ecuador, in Turkey.

Mr. Yarsuvat is fluent in English.  Being a graduate of the German High School in Istanbul with an Abitur degree, he also speaks German.  He is a member of the alumnae associations of Columbia University, Istanbul University School of Law, and the German High School in Istanbul.  As an avid sailor, he is a member of the Turkish Offshore Racing Club where he also served as member of the Board for a two year term.  Other memberships include the Istanbul Classic Car Club and the Galatasaray Sports Club.