Pinsents sets sights on Turkey after signing deal with local lawyer

The firm will work with the former arbitration head of Hergüner Bilgen Özeke, Noyan Göksu, who will establish his own practice and form a joint venture with Pinsents once granted regulatory approval.

Local bar rules in Turkey demand that international firms tie-up with a local market player in order to practise in the country. Pinsents aims to get the necessary approval by April 2013.

The office will focus on infrastructure deals across Turkey, Eastern Europe, Asia, the Gulf and Africa, and in particular, the international contractor market. The firm aims to have around 20 lawyers in the office by 2016, although it has not yet confirmed which partners, if any, will be seconded to Turkey to help run the base.

This latest international expansion by Pinsents trails launches in Paris (31 August 2012) and Germany (26 June 2012), and expansion in China (11 September 2012). The moves were preceded by the collapse of its alliance with Salans (12 December 2012), which is now set to complete a three-way merger with SNR Denton and Canadian firm Fraser Milner Casgrain (7 November 2012).