Zihni Gonen

Gonen Law Office is a full-service Turkish law firm headquartered in Ankara and led by its Managing Partner, Zihni Gonen. The firm has been named Construction Law Firm of the Year in Turkey at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2025, recognising its expertise in one of the country's most active and technically demanding sectors, and the standing of a practice that advises clients on complex domestic and cross-border projects.

The firm brings significant experience across many business sectors and describes itself as having particular expertise in local and international transactions. Its construction practice is a dedicated strand of that work, reflecting an understanding that the increasing complexity and technological challenges of modern construction projects demand a dynamic approach. Gonen Law Office advises clients at various levels of participation throughout the lifecycle of a project, from the early contractual and structuring stages through to delivery and, where they arise, disputes.

Construction law calls for advisers who can move fluently between detailed contract drafting, regulatory requirements and dispute resolution, often on projects that involve multiple parties, substantial investment and demanding timescales. The firm's capabilities are well suited to these pressures. It offers world-class services in challenging and complex commercial and investment arbitration, as well as in national proceedings that can involve multiple legal systems, giving construction clients robust support when disagreements over delay, defects, payment or performance need to be resolved.

Gonen Law Office's construction expertise is set within a notably broad, full-service offering that spans more than two dozen practice areas, including energy, banking and finance, corporate matters, maritime law, intellectual property, tax and general dispute resolution. This breadth allows the firm to address the many dimensions of a construction project, whether financing, corporate structuring, regulatory compliance or contentious matters, in a coordinated way. The firm has also developed specialised desks for Middle East and Russia-related work, supporting clients on cross-border transactions and reflecting its international orientation. Turkey has one of the most active construction and infrastructure sectors in its region, with domestic development and Turkish contractors' extensive international work generating substantial demand for specialist legal support. Construction projects are inherently complex, involving multiple parties, long timescales, significant investment and detailed technical requirements, and they can give rise to difficult disputes over delay, defective work, variations and payment. Effective construction lawyers must therefore combine strong contract drafting with the ability to manage risk across the life of a project and to resolve disputes efficiently when they arise, frequently through arbitration, and Gonen Law Office's dedicated construction practice, backed by its arbitration expertise and specialised regional desks, is well suited to these demands.

Under the leadership of Zihni Gonen, who has been recognised in a range of industry awards, the firm continues to serve clients on significant local and international matters from its Ankara base. Its recognition as Construction Law Firm of the Year in Turkey at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2025 reflects both the depth of its construction and arbitration expertise and the confidence that clients place in the firm to guide them through complex, high-value projects and the disputes that can accompany them.