About Us

Özcan Legal is a law firm based in İstanbul providing legal services particularly with respect to international and national arbitration. What makes Özcan Legal different from many other law firms is its pure focus on arbitration. This is because we consider arbitration proceedings as an art of advocacy that requires deep know-how and experience derived from real arbitration cases.

Özcan Legal has extensive and significant experience in representation of state entities and private companies operating in several sectors such as energy, construction, media and tourism in the investment arbitration proceedings under the rules of ICSID, UNCITRAL and SCC and in the commercial proceedings subject to the rules of ICC, LCIA, Swiss Arbitration Centre or ad hoc. Özcan Legal also represents its clients in the legal proceedings with respect to recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and annulment of arbitration awards in the relevant jurisdictions.

Özcan Legal renders legal advice to its clients with respect to drafting arbitration clauses in their commercial contracts and provides legal opinion on already signed contracts in terms of referral of possible disputes to arbitration including the steps to be followed at the pre-arbitration stages.

Özcan Legal has a very wide and close network with other arbitration law firms and is capable of giving tailor made legal services to its clients regarding every aspect of international arbitration proceedings in other jurisdictions such as Switzerland, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Middle East and Far East.

Turgut Aycan Özcan, LL.M.

Founding Partner

Bar Admission

İstanbul Bar Association

Education

University of London (Queen Mary & UCL) LL.M. on International Dispute Resolution

American University, Washington College of Law - Investment and Commercial Arbitration Education Programme

Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of Law - LL.B.

Languages

Turkish, English

Memberships

Young ICSID, ICC YAF, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, American Arbitration Association, International Centre for Dispute Resolution, Scottish Arbitration Centre

Recognized by

ARBITRATION FUTURE LEADERS

Peers and clients say:

"Aycan has in-depth knowledge and experience in the field"

"He is highly skilled and creative"

"Aycan is a very hard working and proficient arbitrator whom I have had the privilege of working with"

Turgut Aycan Özcan is the founding partner of Özcan Legal. Özcan has been dealing with international arbitration for more than 10 years. His main practice areas are International Investment & Commercial Arbitration, Public International Law and Energy Law.

Until today, he has represented many Turkish investors in their ICSID arbitration cases filed against several Central Asia and Middle East countries. On the other hand, Özcan was also involved in the teams representing sovereign states before ICSID. Before establishing Özcan Legal, Turgut Aycan Özcan has managed the legal team representing the Republic of Türkiye in two major ICSID arbitration cases, which were concluded in favour of the Republic.

Özcan also acts as a counsel in some international commercial arbitration cases before ICC and other arbitration institutions with respect to construction and energy disputes. He is also serving as an arbitrator in several international commercial arbitral proceedings. Özcan is in the arbitrators panel of Energy Disputes Arbitration Center (EDAC) as well.

Turgut Aycan Özcan is recognized by Who’s Who Legal as one of the Arbitration Future Leaders for 2023 in Türkiye.

Arbitration Experience

Investment Arbitration

ICSID Case No. ARB/21/61 - Enel S.p.A. v. Republic of Türkiye (Counsel for the Republic of Türkiye) - until March 2023
ICSID Case No. ARB/18/18 - Ipek Investment Limited v. Republic of Türkiye (Counsel for the Republic of Türkiye)
ICSID Case No. ARB/18/4 - Cascade Investments NV v. Republic of Türkiye (Counsel for the Republic of Türkiye)
ICSID Case No. ARB/10/24 - İçkale İnşaat Limited Şirketi v. Turkmenistan (Counsel for the Claimant)
Involved in the legal team represented an Eastern Europe Country in an ICSID case filed by a Dutch Claimant
Involved in the legal team represented a Turkish Investor in an ICSID case filed against a Central Asia Country
Involved in the legal team represented a Turkish Investor in an ICSID case filed against a Middle East Country

Commercial & Construction Arbitration

Represented a well-known Turkish Construction Company against an Italian and a Korean Construction Company in an ICC Arbitration Case as the Claimant’s Counsel
Represented a well-known Turkish Construction Company against a Russian Construction Company in an ICC Arbitration Case as the Claimant’s Counsel
Represented a Turkish Energy Company in a Swiss Chamber of Commerce Arbitration filed by a Swiss Energy Company as the Respondent’s Counsel
Represented a Turkish State Owned Entity in an LCIA Arbitration Case filed by a Multinational Company dealing with oil well services
Involved in the legal team represented a well known construction company in an ICC arbitration proceedings with respect to a dispute arising from a major energy project

Arbitrator Experiences

Acted as a co-arbitrator in an Istanbul Arbitration Centre (ISTAC) arbitration case
Acted as a co-arbitrator in an ad hoc construction arbitration between a Turkish and an Egyptian Company

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Let's Work Together

Unlike most law firms, we prefer not to deal with too many practices or sectors. We know what we are good at and work hard for it. And this understanding is what makes us one of the bests in our field.