About us
A legal team that shows how it can be done, not why it can't.
Alongside technology-driven companies since 2006, with preventive, timely and integrated legal counsel.
Who we are
Our story
SCH-Legal is a law and consultancy firm founded in 2006. Today, with a team of more than 40 people, it provides legal counsel and litigation services to companies.
Clients do not come to us to learn that there is an obstacle; they come to find a way to run their business in compliance with the law. We start every matter with that question and build the answer together, grounded in an understanding of our client's business model.
SCH-Legal was founded in 2006. From the very first day, we have worked with an advisory model that supports companies' day-to-day legal needs before decisions are taken, not after a problem has arisen.
Over the years we have built deep expertise in IT law, personal data protection and intellectual property. We began working on data protection before a dedicated law in this field entered into force in Türkiye, and we brought lawyers and technical experts to the same table on trademarks, patents, designs and software rights.
Today we advise across a broad range of areas, from employment, contract, commercial, tax and competition law to mergers and acquisitions, and from venture and investment processes to artificial intelligence law. Working alongside certified public accountants allows us to see the financial consequences of a legal decision at the same time.
We make a point of keeping our accumulated experience in the memory of the team rather than of individuals. Instead of starting from scratch on each new matter, we draw on the knowledge distilled from earlier work, and we add every new situation we encounter to that body of knowledge.
Our principles
Our working principles
The internal working principles we set down in writing in our firm's early years still form the core of the method we apply to every matter.
01
We show how it can be done, not why it can't.
We do not stop at listing the risks; we map out the route that takes you to your goal in compliance with the law.
02
We talk about the law before the problem.
We do not wait to be asked. We monitor legislative and case-law developments that may affect our clients and take the first step when needed.
03
Work not delivered on time is incomplete, however good it is.
We run every matter on a timeline and a work plan, and we keep to the dates we give. If an unexpected delay arises, we say so in advance and openly.
04
We take a second look, even at what we know best.
We establish the legal characterisation of the specific facts, re-check the legislation, support our view with doctrine and case law where necessary, and consult within the team.
05
One voice, one consistent opinion.
The opinion we give a client stays on the same line, whichever team member it comes from. When a new development changes our view, we share it together with the reasons.
06
As much information as needed, in plain language.
We give our clients the information that makes their decisions easier, in a clear and concise form, and go into legal detail only as far as it is needed.
07
Solutions, not excuses.
When we face a mistake or an unexpected result, we first understand its cause, take the steps needed to prevent it from recurring and discuss the situation openly with our client.
08
The team comes before the individual.
Every team member shares the problems they encounter and the solutions they find with the team. What counts is the success of the client and the team, not personal credit.
Our commitments
Our promise to clients
We measure our success by our clients' satisfaction, and we have turned that measure into concrete working habits.
- A dedicated advisor at the next desk.Every client has a dedicated advisor who follows their matters from start to finish and is their first point of contact. We work side by side with you, like a colleague in the same office.
- Critical developments the same day.We report hearing outcomes and significant developments in your matters to you on the same day.
- You first.We share the petitions and documents we will file with courts or public authorities with you before filing them, and we proceed by agreement.
- Transparent effort reporting.We record the time spent on every matter and share these effort reports with our clients regularly. You can always see how much time has gone into what.
- Rigour against any loss of rights.In litigation and enforcement proceedings, our priority is to prevent any loss of rights by managing every deadline and procedural step without omission.
- Candour.If we believe we cannot handle a matter to the expected standard, we say so openly at the earliest stage and look for a solution together.
- Confidentiality.Everything you share with us is protected under the lawyer's duty of professional secrecy and data protection legislation.
What we want an executive of a client company to be able to say
They listen to me and they speak my language. I can reach them whenever I need to. They are large and strong, but not arrogant; nor are they too busy to neglect me. They are on my side.
Team
Our team
Full team →Our team of more than 40 works in specialised departments. Lawyers, trademark and patent attorneys, mediators, legal advisors and technical experts work together across departments as each matter requires. Alongside Turkish, we work in English, German, French and Japanese.
Advisory
Ongoing legal counsel for companies: contract, corporate, employment and commercial law.
Litigation and Enforcement
Conduct of litigation, enforcement proceedings and mediation.
Commercial Operations
Commercial transactions, contract processes and corporate transactions.
Intellectual Property
Trademarks, patents, designs, copyright and software rights; registration and disputes.
Personal Data
KVKK and GDPR compliance, audits, data breach management and proceedings before the Turkish Data Protection Board.
Legal Technology
Our legaltech products and the digitalisation of legal processes.
There are no walls between departments. When a matter calls for more than one area of expertise, the team works as one under the coordination of the responsible advisor.
Academia and the profession
Our ties to academia and the profession
We do not only apply knowledge in our files; we teach it, debate it and share it.
In academia
Our managing partner Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Karslıoğlu teaches R&D Law at Istanbul Technical University. Our managing partner Dr. Sertel Şıracı teaches in the IT law master's programme at Bahçeşehir University. The current questions we discuss in the classroom also inform the opinions we give our clients.
In civil society
We are among the founding members of the Data Protection Association and the Open Data and Technology Association. Through these associations we follow developments in data protection and open data closely and contribute to the debate.
In professional associations
We are members of the International Trademark Association (INTA), the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA) and the British Chamber of Commerce of Turkey (BCCT). These memberships help us follow international developments in intellectual property and speak the same language as our international clients.
In international guides
We are listed in the Türkiye section of the international legal guide The Legal 500.
Our own tools
Supporting law with technology
While advising technology companies, we also use technology in our own work. We make the tools we have developed for contract, compliance and litigation processes available to our clients as well.
Legaltech
Harmonity
A legal platform that brings research, document drafting and contract review together, powered by AI agents.
harmonity.ai ↗Legaltech
LegalX
An AI platform built for Turkish law that analyses case files to provide risk assessments, case-law suggestions and the detection of contradictions in evidence.
legalx.ai ↗For us, technology is not a shortcut that replaces legal judgement; it is a tool that lets our team devote its time to the questions that really matter to our clients.
Contact
Let's work together.
We are strong because we are a team, and we do our work better because we work together with our clients. Get in touch to discuss your company's legal needs before problems arise.
Get in touchServicesinfo@sch-legal.com · +90 212 709 08 50