International law firm Pinsent Masons has announced plans to establish a presence in Turkey focussing on the infrastructure sector.
In order to comply with local practising rules, the firm has agreed a deal which will see Noyan Göksu – formerly Head of Arbitration at Turkey’s largest law firm Hergüner Bilgen Özeke – found his own practice with which Pinsent Masons will form a joint venture as soon as regulatory approval is in place.
The firm aims to have the necessary approval in place by April 2013 and is keen to grow the operation to 20 lawyers over the next 3 years.
The office will have a clear focus on the infrastructure sector in Turkey, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Gulf and Africa, serving in particular the International Contractor market. With 31 of the “Top 225 International Contractors List” based in Turkey, it is second only to China in the number of construction companies it has active in international markets.
Pinsent Masons’ imminent launch in Turkey represents the latest step in a period of rapid international expansion at the firm. In the past 12 months it has opened offices in Paris and Munich and doubled the size of its team in Shanghai. Last May’s merger with McGrigors also saw the firm gain a presence in Qatar and The Falkland Islands. The Istanbul office will bring the firm’s total number of offices to 18, the majority of those being outside the UK.
Chris Mullen, Senior Partner at Pinsent Masons, says:
“Over the past 12 months we have made considerable progress in expanding our network. We have a clear focus on investment into those global sectors where we see significant client demand and the greatest potential for growth, so opening in Istanbul and targeting the infrastructure sector is a natural next step. The feedback from the market is that our sector focus and expertise in key geographies adds up to a compelling proposition and Noyan was a perfect match for our vision for Turkey and the region.”
Noyan Göksu, who will head up the new office, says:
“I am delighted to be setting up the Istanbul office during an exciting period of growth for the firm. Pinsent Masons is already well-known in the market and its sector-focussed approach represents a clear differentiator from several of the international firms which practice here. I look forward to working with my new colleagues from across the international network to develop a first-class practice focussed particularly on projects, construction, energy and international arbitration.”
