Esra Bicen

Professor Esra Bicen is our Managing Partner and heads our project teams. She has over 20 years of experience as a litigator and a transaction lawyer in Turkey and in the United States. An originally European trained jurist, her extensive experience as a litigation lawyer in the United States is unique, which sets her apart and makes her well-regarded by her peers.

She is a highly sought-after expert by local and international Clients for her seasoned advocacy skills at both trial and appellate levels and qualifications both in law and finance, which enable her to advise on investment strategy as well as to develop creative business solutions in overcoming conflict.

Her practice, lectures and publications focus on corporate, commercial (gaming, fintech, healthcare) and financial compliance, ISDA, EPC, procurement contracts and international arbitration. She advises corporations in large scale cross-border acquisitions, venture capital investments, public tenders and international arbitration involving investment, commercial and construction disputes.

She started practicing law with a leading Istanbul law firm in 1997, specializing in international investments, cross-border financings, public tenders and dispute resolution. From 2003 until 2008, she practiced complex civil litigation with a leading American trial litigation firm. Upon her return to Turkey the same year, she joined Ernst Young, where she served as one of the four Cluster Heads responsible for Ernst Young Central and Southeast Europe area General Counsel Office and co-headed Ernst Young Danışmanlık Ltd., EY’s investment consulting firm in Turkey.

In 2011, she was appointed as a part-time faculty member at John F. Kennedy University, School of Law, which made her move to private law practice with a tier-one Istanbul law firm. Since 2015, she departed to dedicate her time to teach at John F. Kennedy University, School of Law on international contracts and international arbitration and has maintained her law practice, EB LEGAL, in Istanbul and Silicon Valley.