With preparations for the 2025 CEE Legal Matters Turkiye General Counsel Summit in full swing, Kolcuoglu Demirkan Kocakli Partner Melis Oget Koc shares her thoughts about the upcoming event and what she's looking forward to the most.
CEELM: Why did Kolcuoglu Demirkan Kocakli decide to participate in the CEE Legal Matters General Counsel Summit in Istanbul?
Koc: We chose to sponsor and participate because we believe it offers an exceptional opportunity for everyone involved to gain valuable insights into their respective areas of practice, their priorities, expectations, approaches, and the overall ways in which they deal with similar challenges. We expect it to foster a truly constructive dialogue, which can often be difficult to achieve in the midst of our daily work. In the rush of client matters and internal demands, it’s not always easy to dedicate the time and space needed for genuine idea exchange.
That is why an event like the CEE Legal Matters General Counsel Summit is so important: it allows us to step out of our everyday environment and immerse ourselves in a setting that encourages reflection, ideation, and professional exchange. It creates an atmosphere very different from the office, one that allows us to engage deeply with peers, share knowledge openly, and refine our own approaches to problem-solving and strategic collaboration.
There is also a personal dimension to this that should not be underestimated. Reconnecting with colleagues, building new professional networks, and sharing moments together in person carry real meaning. It enriches our broader sense of professional belonging and community. We are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to participate in an event that not only encourages professional dialogue but also nurtures relationships that extend well beyond the summit itself.
CEELM: What are you most looking forward to at the General Counsel Summit?
Koc: Honestly, what I look forward to most is the opportunity to hear firsthand how General Counsels are navigating the increasingly complex environments in which their companies operate today. Most of all, I am curious to learn how they are addressing practical challenges, what innovative approaches they have developed, and how they collaborate with external counsel to achieve their objectives in an efficient and sustainable way.
For transactional lawyers, and particularly for M&A practitioners, understanding these perspectives is invaluable. It allows us to anticipate potential concerns, better align our work with in-house priorities, and ensure that our support is strategic, timely, and in tune with the operational realities of corporate legal teams.
The GC Summit provides a rare and unique opportunity to gain practical insights into how in-house counsels balance regulatory obligations, strategic goals, and operational pressures simultaneously. Understanding how GCs manage these often-competing demands helps us, as external counsel, redefine the ways in which we support them, how we anticipate their needs, structure our advice, and engage in problem-solving in ways that are aligned with their internal processes and corporate cultures.
And needless to say, I’m also looking forward to the coffee breaks! Some of the most interesting conversations often start with a cup in hand.
CEELM: And what about the discussions themselves – what topics are you most looking forward to tackling at the event?
Koc: Compared to the past, companies today operate under a far broader and more complex regulatory landscape. Compliance requirements are evolving rapidly and often across multiple jurisdictions and domains simultaneously. This reality places a significant responsibility on legal counsel to manage both risks and expectations within an environment that is constantly changing and growing more demanding.
For that reason, I believe the discussions at the GC Summit will offer a particularly enriching and encouraging environment for all participants. Topics such as data protection, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance are no longer niche – they are central to every company’s operational and reputational well-being. Legal professionals must not only ensure compliance but also act as strategic partners who understand the implications of these evolving frameworks on business performance and sustainability.
In this context, I am especially looking forward to the conversations around ESG priorities and crisis management, how legal teams contribute to corporate sustainability objectives, help companies meet their environmental and social commitments, and manage both operational and reputational risks. This is still a relatively new but fast-developing area of practice in Turkey, and I expect the exchange of experiences among participants to be particularly valuable.
And of course, no discussion of today’s legal environment would be complete without addressing artificial intelligence adoption and broader legal technology trends. These topics are already prominent across every level of the profession. Seeing firsthand how participants are integrating these tools into their daily practices, how they are using them to increase efficiency, improve risk management, or support decision-making, will be truly invaluable.
CEELM: Why should General Counsels make sure to attend this summit?
Koc: The GC Summit is much more than a series of panels and discussions. It is a dedicated platform for open exchange, a space where peers can speak candidly about shared legal and business challenges, exchange perspectives, and build meaningful professional relationships in a relaxed and collegial atmosphere.
What makes this event particularly valuable is the balance it strikes between insight and connection. It provides practical takeaways that can be applied immediately, fosters genuine and thought-provoking conversations, and offers an environment that encourages both learning and collaboration.
The opportunity to draw upon the experience of leading legal professionals across the region, to learn from their successes, their strategies, and even their lessons learned, is something that cannot be replicated in a purely digital or isolated setting. It’s an experience that is both enjoyable and professionally enriching. Participants come away not only with new ideas and perspectives but also with a stronger sense of community and shared purpose within the regional legal landscape.
