Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye
As a seasoned legal professional with over 18 years of experience, I am currently serving as the Deputy GM and Legal Director for Microsoft Türkiye and Adriatic countries within Microsoft Europe South region. During my 12+ years tenure at Microsoft, I first assumed responsibility for providing support to Microsoft Türkiye on commercial legal matters, mainly focusing on strategic agreements, IP, privacy and digital crimes. In 2018, I joined Microsoft’s Middle East and Africa HQ organization and provided an extensive legal support around responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, privacy, digital transformation, strategic partnerships and led the commercial legal organization for Microsoft Türkiye. In 2023, I joined CEMA regional commercial legal team and in 2024, became the Legal Director for Türkiye and non-EU Adriatic countries, joined Microsoft Türkiye leadership team as Deputy GM. Finally in 2025, our region has transformed into a new region called Europe South and I became the Legal Director for Türkiye and entire Adriatic countries, joined both Microsoft Türkiye and Microsoft Adriatics leadership teams. Prior to Microsoft, I worked in automotive and FMCG industries as an in-house legal counsel between 2006 and 2013.
- supporting a wide array of commercial matters, including drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements, and providing advice across a broad range of subject matters across the region working effectively with the local business and broader regional and corporate teams to help analyze legal risks, resolve issues and improve overall business strategy, - ensuring Microsoft follows all laws and regulations, in coordination with HR, Finance and the business leadership, - partnering with the business, partners and commercial attorneys in the region in order to manage defined workloads and structure regional programs, - drafting, negotiating and advising the business in the region on software licensing, consulting services, marketing, Memorandum of Understandings, channel RFPs & other agreements with customers and partners, - managing and coordinating legal matters handled by external counsel for the same matters, - supporting HR teams and the business on policy related questions, - driving greater internal efficiencies for both legal and business groups through the development or redesign of legal support processes, simplification, standardization and centralization programs, template documents, and Microsoft technologies, - coordinating and working with Corporate, External and Legal Affairs stakeholders from the region, other regions and Corp to support Corp requests for local legal risk assessment, - supporting trainings, best practice and information sharing within the regional team.
I was acting as a Commercial Attorney which was a managerial position and leading the digital crimes unit function in Turkey, reporting directly to Legal and Corporate Affairs Director and MEA Associate General Counsel. The job discription is briefly consisting as follows: ● Supporting, negotiating and advising on matters related to licensing, services, strategic alliances, distribution, consumer matters, compliance, data protection, legal environment regarding cloud technologies and in general in all legal needs including but not limited to labor, commercial, intellectual property, advertisement issues related to company's area of business, ● Supporting the negotiation of commercial, services and software + services transactions (including customer and partner deals), ● Providing training on diverse legal subjects and corporate policies, ● Supporting the legalization and anti-piracy campaigns and the management of the local law firms responsible for enforcement, ● Working closely with Global Digital Crimes Unit and leading the function in Turkey with supporting the business, establishing the narrative around cybersecurity, proper licensing and digital risk.
Acting as a senior legal counsel on all aspects for the successful growth and operation of the company and its branches; handling all legal matters, * by effectively conducting negotiations to reach commercially satisfying contracts, by preparing and reviewing contracts especially lease, purchasing, sales, employment, template customer, service contracts concluded with sub-contractors, and other contracts for different business projects such as call center, e-commerce, construction projects, and projects made with multi contractors offering additional guarantee services for goods purchased, * by providing legal advice for the management, departments of the company and its branches. Legal advice is given pursuant to the relevant regulation and business purposes of the company and frequently for company’s corporate governance, day-to-day management and employment policy; * by forming internal guidelines and policies in cooperation with the Legal Affairs Department of the shareholder companies in Germany, by creating template contracts or contract provisions and booklets comprising basic legal principles and practices for non-lawyer colleagues, by retaining official documents in the legal archive to establish a proper company infrastructure, * by providing trainings especially regarding Anti-Trust Law, Labor Law, Advertising-Media Law, compliance principles, data protection and privacy principles, and signature guideline to ensure an effective implementation of legal rules, company guidelines and policies, * by monitoring new regulations relevant to the company’s scope of activity, submitting memorandums containing a road map – prepared under the principles of the new regulations – to the management, relevant departments and branches and by tracking the compliance with the new regulation within the company, * by handling court cases, preparing the petitions, and representing the company before institutions and courts.
Advised on legal issues related to Consumer Law and corporate affairs. My main fields were Commercial-Corporate Law, Execution and Bankruptcy Law, Labor Law, Contract Law, Intellectual Property Law, Administrative Law, Consumer Protection Law and Competition Law. I assumed responsibility for preparing contracts and transactions on behalf of the Company. I also dealt with numerous commercial, corporate, consumer disputes and matters; drafted petitions and represented the Company before courts.