Personal bio
Okan Demirkan leads the Kolcuoğlu Demirkan Koçaklı’s Dispute Resolution, Energy and Infrastructure as well as Ethics and Compliance practices. He represents domestic and international clients before arbitral tribunals and in their local litigation proceedings, including commercial, administrative and employment lawsuits, as well as white-collar crime-related proceedings. Okan has been extensively involved in several institutional and ad hoc arbitration proceedings concerning disputes arising from major infrastructure projects, share purchase agreements, shareholders’ agreements, asset transfer agreements, operation agreements, construction contracts, license agreements and other types of commercial contracts. In 2016, he acted as co-arbitrator in an ICC arbitration and, in 2017, he was sole arbitrator in a dispute before the Istanbul Arbitration Center (ISTAC). In 2017, he was an expert witness in an LCIA arbitration concerning a USD 49 billion claim arising from a major international energy project. Okan regularly acts as presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator in ISTAC arbitrations. He and his dispute resolution team have represented several international clients in the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, with a 100% success rate since Okan joined Kolcuoglu Demirkan Kocakli as a name partner. Okan completed his education in Israel, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, respectively. He holds a law degree from the University of Sussex (2000). He started his legal career in 2000 and was admitted to the Istanbul Bar Association in 2003. With significant experience of over 20 years in international arbitration, he regularly serves as counsel, arbitrator or expert witness in various commercial disputes involving Turkish law.