Güniz Gökçe

Association Partner, Istanbul

Biography

Güniz is “always tenacious,” and “she is determined and a fighter. With the combination of these and the drive to defend her clients, I felt safe.”

“genuinely fantastic banking lawyer” who has expertise in all aspects of finance mandates. She’s very knowledgeable, not just about legal points but the commercial side as well, and we can always call her - she’s easy to access.
Chambers and Partners – Türkiye

Overview

Güniz Gökçe's practice involves a wide range of banking and structured finance transactions. Güniz advises arrangers, lenders and multilateral financial institutions on complex financing operations and has developed particular expertise in cross-border financings and securitisations.

Güniz also acts for various Turkish borrowers, mainly Turkish banks, in a wide range of financings including syndications, structured financings and trade financings.

Güniz offers an extensive experience in financial structuring and insolvency matters, where she represents debtors, sponsors and lenders in all aspects of restructuring, workouts and insolvency matters and provides an efficient guidance throughout the entire restructuring process.

Bars and Courts
Istanbul Bar Association
Education
LLM (Dist.)
Georgetown University Law Center

Washington D.C

LLB
Ankara University Law School
Languages
English
Turkish
For Turkish law matters, White & Case works with GKC Partners in Istanbul.

Experience

Enerjisa in connection with EUR 650 million Corporate financing provided by Akbank, HSBC Bank, ING Bank, Garanti Bankası and İş Bankası.

Borusan Holding in its borrowing of a dual-tranche US$155 million and EUR87 million syndicated loan by an international and domestic consortium consisting of 11 banks from 7 differential geographic regions.

Mayhoola in the purchase of 43.9% of Boyner Perakende ve Tekstil Yatırımları A.Ş. from Boyner Holding A.Ş., increasing its stake in the company to 98.004%, as well as the corporate re-organization and the refinancing of the financial indebtedness of BRTI and its subsidiaries.

Garanti Bank and VakıfBank in connection with the acquisition financing of İzgaz İzmit Gas Distribution Company by Palmet Energy Group.

EBRD, IFC, The Dutch Development Bank (FMO) and DenizBank A.Ş. in providing the Turkish lira (TRY) equivalent of US$320 million to Osmangazi Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. (OEDAŞ), a Turkish electricity distribution company.

The consortium of Senior Financiers, including İş Bankası, Garanti BBVA, DenizBank, Vakıfbank, Halkbank, TSKB, Türkiye Finans Katılım Bankası and Albaraka Türk led by İş Bankası in the refinancing (including a Turkish Lira tranche) and additional financing of the electricity distribution and retail companies (Uluğ Enerji, UEDAŞ and UPESAŞ) owned by the Limak Group, as the sponsor.

The lenders consisting of Garanti Bankası, Ziraat Bankası, Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası, Halk Bank, Türkiye Kalkınma ve Yatırım Bankası in the financing of the Aşağı Kaleköy Combined Dam and Hydroelectric & Solar Renewable Power Plant, the first hybrid renewable energy project in Türkiye. The project, sponsored by the Cengiz and Özaltın groups, combines a 500 MW hydro and 80 MW solar renewable energy resource and the solar power facilities to be constructed on a 1.1 million sqm zone will be the largest solar power plant to be constructed out of the YEKA model. The hydro power plant will also be the 6ᵗʰ Largest HEPP by Installed Capacity in Türkiye developed by the private sector.

The Banks Association of Turkey in the review of The Framework Agreement on Financial Restructuring. She also provided a high level description of the features that make up "best practices" in restructuring with particular focus on Chapter 11, UK practices and konkordato in Italy.

IFC and EBRD on the drafting and introduction of amendments to the Turkish financial restructuring programme that has been adopted by the Turkish government.

The lenders consisting of Ziraat Bankası, DenizBank, Halk Bankası and Yapı Kredi Bankası in the financial restructuring of the big four Turkish premier league football clubs; Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, with a total transaction size of US$1.1 billion.

Yapı Kredi Bank and a syndication of 17 other domestic and foreign Lenders, in relation to the restructuring of the existing financial debt of Arkas Holding and its group companies that are active in the maritime, transportation and port sectors, and the extension of additional cash and non-cash facilities.

The lenders consisting of EBRD, Garanti Bankası, İş Bankası, DenizBank, VakıfBank and Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası in the restructuring of the existing debt of İdo İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (İDO), where Akfen Holding A.Ş., Tepe İnşaat Sanayi A.Ş., Sera Gayrimenkul Yatırım ve İşletme A.Ş., and Souter Capital LLP acted as the sponsors.

A Turkish syndicate of Turkish banks as lenders in the EUR 2.3 billion financial restructuring of the EUR 5 billion existing financial debt of Doğuş Holding A.Ş. and its group companies and the extension of additional cash and non-cash facilities.

Akbank, Kuveyt Türk, TSKB, İş Bankası, Yapı Kredi, Vakıfbank, Halkbank, Garanti Bank and Ziraat Bank as lenders in the financial restructuring of Bereket Enerji.

Astaldi in connection with its restructuring discussions with Turkish banks in Türkiye.

EBRD and İş Bankası in relation to financing of a portfolio of licensed and license-exempt solar photovoltaic power plants of Akfen Yenilenebilir Enerji with a total installed capacity of approximately 85 MW in Türkiye.

Akbank in connection with the financing package up to US$178.7 million (including a non-cash loan backed by a loan extended by Korean Export-Import Bank (KEXIMBANK) to Akbank), extended to an SPV incorporated in Ireland, sponsored by KOLİN and KALYON for the financing of the purchase of an FSRU vessel, ordered from Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea.

A syndication of Turkish lenders composed of several Turkish banks in both the bridge financing and the project financing of the Third İstanbul Airport constructed and operated on a BOT basis.

Awards and Recognition

Band 1: Banking & Finance
Chambers and Partners, Türkiye 2023

Leading Individual in:
Banking, Finance and Capital Markets
Project Finance / Projects
Financial Restructuring & Insolvency
The Legal 500, Türkiye 2023

"Güniz Gökçe demonstrates strong commitment. She is a problem solver and has commercial awareness."

"She is very hands-on and inspires confidence to both the clients and the opposite side with her character and experience."

Chambers and Partners, Türkiye 2023