Ahu Akin Sezgin
Chief Legal Officer / Head of Legal & Compliance
Istanbul
Summary
Dynamic and results-oriented C-Level Legal and Compliance Executive with over 21 years of international experience, recognized for leadership roles in prestigious global law firms and multinational corporations, including Schindler Group, Borusan Holding and Borusan EnbW Energy. Proven track record in steering cross-functional teams across EMEA, USA, and APAC regions, successfully managing high-stakes transactions with aggregate deal values exceeding USD 3 billion. Expertise includes Commercial and Corporate Law, Cross-border M&A Transactions, Joint Ventures, Intellectual Property Rights, and Compliance, complemented by a history of accolades from the Legal500 GC Powerlist as one of Turkey’s Top 100 General Counsels. Renowned for delivering strategic legal counsel that fosters business growth while ensuring regulatory compliance and effective risk management aligned with overarching business objectives.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
2
2
Languages
Work History
Partner
AS Law Firm
11.2024 - Current
- Providing corporate & commercial legal advisory services including drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex contracts.
- Advising on cross-border M&A transactions, handling legal due diligence, share purchase agreements and post-merger integration matters.
- Delivering compliance and regulatory counsel with focus on data privacy, anti-bribery / anti-corruption, competition and governance frameworks.
- Supporting multinational clients in contract lifecycle management, risk allocation and dispute prevention.
- Acting as a strategic legal partner for technology-driven companies, providing guidance in digital business models, market entry and risk management.
- Assisting in legal entity structuring, corporate housekeeping and regulatory filings for international business operations.
- Led complex legal negotiations, ensuring favorable outcomes for clients and firm.
- Developed and implemented strategic initiatives to enhance operational efficiency within practice areas.
- Mentored junior attorneys, fostering professional growth and improving team performance.
General Counsel & Head of Legal and Compliance
Schindler Group
04.2017 - 11.2024
- Provided C-level strategic legal counseling to the Board and Executive Committee. Acted as Member of European General Counsels Board, and Member of MENA Compliance Board.
- Led the legal department; played a crucial role in strategic decision making, compliance oversight and risk management in a dynamic global environment.
- Led cross-functional teams across EMEA, USA and APAC Regions with aggregate deal values exceeding USD 3 billion. Selected to the Global M&A Management Team (2022) led numerous high-stakes transactions worldwide managing a team of 15 in-house counsels.
- Represented and advised Schindler Group in many landmark infrastructure project and global tenders, such as the EUR 7 billion IGA (Istanbul Grand Airport), the world’s largest.
- Completed the largest share deal in Schindler Turkey’s history by initializing the buy-out of 100% stakes in Omak Electric, which marked a strategic shift by positioning Turkey as a manufacturing hub for the company’s EU operations.
- Provided leadership to Ethics & Compliance organization, which is a member of European & MENA Compliance Council.
- Designed and implemented compliance frameworks in alignment with global corporate governance standards. Acted as the first point of legal support for compliance-related inquiries, including anti-bribery, data privacy, competition law, and economic sanctions, through the provision of hands-on guidance to operational and legal teams.
- Developed and implemented compliance training and awareness campaigns to promote ethical culture and understanding of regulatory obligations at all levels of the organization. Led risk assessments and investigations that ensured early identification of compliance vulnerabilities and the establishment of mitigation plans in cooperation with cross-functional teams.
- Coordinated with internal audit and external counsels during compliance audits and regulatory inspections to ensure timely and accurate reporting, while also implementing export controls and trade sanctions.
- Contributed to the development and implementation of policies and procedures in the local and global context that related to conflict of interest, GDPR, anti-bribery, money laundering, as well as other matters relating to the Code of Conduct.
- Initiated compliance checks and assessments for global and local M&A deals on micro and macro level, while supporting M&A transactions through the legal due diligence, risk flagging, and post-acquisition integration from a compliance and data privacy perspective; provided leadership in the dawn raid process and liaison with competition authorities during audits and inquiries, while also managing external counsels.
Partner
A&A Law Firm
09.2015 - 05.2017
- Represented Devenish Nutrition in its purchase of shares in the Turkish Premix Production Company YEM VIT.
- Represented Effect Burson, a leading Public Relations Company, in its sale of 60% of shares to Russell Square Holding BV.
- Advised Japan’s largest general trading company Sumitomo Excavators.
- Structured and advised various mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, foreign investment restructurings, joint ventures, post-merger and post-acquisition integration and management consulting.
Chief Legal Officer / Head of Legal & Compliance
Borusan EnBW Energy / Borusan Holding
09.2010 - 09.2015
- Member of Executive Committee / Provided C-Level Strategic Counseling to the Board.
- Advised and managed international partnerships with BMW AG, Arcelormittal, Salzgittermannesmann, Caterpillar and Terex/Genie Lift, while managing Yedigol-Aksu hydro power plants located in Erzurum.
- Implemented and completed investments into 4 WEPPs located in Mersin, Bursa, Izmir and Balikesir, as well as the capacity increase of Bandirma WEPP, which at USD 330m represented the Europe’s largest on-shore investment and Turkey’s largest single investment. Negotiated, drafted and closed Balabanli Wepp’s Wind Turbine Supply Agreement and Long-Term Service Agreements with Siemens, which supplied 22 wind turbines for the production of 152 m kWh.
- Drafted, negotiated and successfully closed various FIDIC-based contracts, EPC contracts, SLA’s, M&A projects, and international contracts which included license, agency and distributorship agreements, as well as dealership contracts.
- Initiated and led the compliance functions of the JV between Borusan Holding and Germany’s EnBW to ensure alignment with both Turkish legislation and German corporate governance. Developed and implemented a comprehensive compliance program that integrated both Borusan and EnbW Group policies in relation to anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and trade sanctions.
- Ensured full compliance during major energy project investments and M&A transactions through compliance for high value EPC, wind turbine and long-term service agreements, including those with global partners such as Siemens. Oversaw all aspects, from deal structuring to closing, contract negotiations, regulatory due diligence and post-closing integration, of the legal and compliance aspects of multiple high-value M&A projects.
Senior Associate
Taboglu & Ates & Demirhan Attorneys at Law
08.2007 - 01.2010
- Headed a team of 10 lawyers in various prestigious projects.
- Represented JP Morgan during the prospective international and domestic public flotation of Garanti Bank, Turkey’s second largest private bank.
- Represented BCP Portugues during the buy-out process, totaling to EUR 61.8m, of their 95% stakes in Millennium Bank by the largest bank in the Netherlands, Credit Europe.
- Advised Akenerji, Kale Group, Volharding Shipyards, AON, and KVK on a routine basis in terms of a wide range of Corporate & Commercial Law related matters. Structured and advised various mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, foreign investment restructurings, joint ventures, post-merger and post-acquisition integration and management consulting.
Senior Associate
Gurcan Law Offices
11.2005 - 08.2007
- Represented and acted on behalf of IFC (International Financial Corporation), Nederlandse FMO N.V. and Ronesans Holding.
- Represented Bodycote, the Dutch Leader in heat-treatment, in terms of their buy-out process of 60% stakes of ISTAS.
- Structured and advised various mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, foreign investment restructurings, joint ventures, post-merger and post-acquisition integration and management consulting.
Associate
Baker & McKenzie
10.2003 - 08.2005
- Structured and advised various mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, foreign investment restructurings, joint ventures, post-merger and post-acquisition integration and management consulting.
Education
LLM - International Commercial Law
Churchill College, University of Cambridge
2011
LL.B -
Marmara University, School of Law
2003
Sankt Georg Austrian High School
1998
Skills
HONORS & AWARDS
Awarded in 2023 – 2024 by Legal500 General Counsels Powerlist, which lists top 100 General Counsels of Turkey.
Timeline
Partner
AS Law Firm
11.2024 - Current
General Counsel & Head of Legal and Compliance
Schindler Group
04.2017 - 11.2024
Partner
A&A Law Firm
09.2015 - 05.2017
Chief Legal Officer / Head of Legal & Compliance
Borusan EnBW Energy / Borusan Holding
09.2010 - 09.2015
Senior Associate
Taboglu & Ates & Demirhan Attorneys at Law
08.2007 - 01.2010
Senior Associate
Gurcan Law Offices
11.2005 - 08.2007
Associate
Baker & McKenzie
10.2003 - 08.2005
LLM - International Commercial Law
Churchill College, University of Cambridge
LL.B -
Marmara University, School of Law
Sankt Georg Austrian High School