Okan Demirkan leads the Firm’s dispute resolution, energy and infrastructure, ethics and compliance practices. He has been strategically involved in all legal and regulatory matters of many pipelines, including the BTC and TANAP transit pipeline projects. He has advised on major natural gas sale and import projects as well as a number of electricity generation facility projects.

He has successfully represented several international clients as well as local entities, both in institutional and ad hoc arbitration proceedings concerning major infrastructure projects, including build-operate-transfer (BOT) model investments, share purchase agreements, shareholders agreements, EPC contracts and licensing contracts. He also represents clients in litigation proceedings in Turkey and, from time to time, acts as expert witness in foreign jurisdictions on Turkish law matters. Okan regularly acts as presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator in ICC and ISTAC arbitrations. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb).

Okan is a prominent figure in the area of ethics and compliance. He has conducted several investigations related to various regulatory and anti-bribery/anti-corruption allegations.

Okan leads the Firm’s French Desk.

Practice Areas

Dispute Resolution
Energy and Infrastructure
Ethics and Compliance

Education

University of Sussex School of Legal Studies (LL.B., 2000)
Rijnlands Lyceum, Leiden - The Netherlands (International Baccalaureate, 1997)

Awards

Recognized as a “World Leading Arbitration Lawyer” by Who’s Who Legal and GAR in 2024
Listed in “Commercial Litigation” by Who’s Who Legal in 2023
Recognized as a “Global Leader of the Arbitration World” by Who’s Who Legal and GAR in 2022 and 2023
Recognized as a “Global Elite Thought Leader” in the field of Energy by Who’s Who Legal in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024
Recognized as a “World Leading Energy Lawyer” by Who’s Who Legal in 2019
Recognized as a “Future Leader of the Arbitration World” by Who’s Who Legal and GAR in 2019 and 2020
Client Choice Award 2017, 2014, 2013: Best Energy and Natural Resources Lawyer of the Year (granted by International Law Office Magazine)

Foreign Language

English