WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 10, 2008 – Arent Fox LLP is pleased to announce that Sule Akyüz has joined the firm as a senior international trade attorney in its Washington, DC office. Ms. Akyüz comes to Arent Fox from Baker Donelson, where she practiced in the firm’s international transactions and trade group.

As a member of Arent Fox’s international trade practice, Ms. Akyüz will advise clients on a broad range of transnational issues including private transactions, securities and trade regulation.

“Sule is an immensely talented attorney with a remarkable depth and breadth of experience in Turkish and US transactional and corporate law,” said Arent Fox Chairman Marc Fleischaker. “Her legal abilities and experience, combined with her keen understanding Turkey as an emerging market, will be of tremendous benefit to our firm and, more importantly, our clients.”

Ms. Akyüz has provided strategic and practical advice on a wide rage of legal and legislative issues, including:

• Participating in a number of USTR proceedings; preparing and filed waiver requests, other submissions and applications on behalf of Turkish clients regarding the Generalized System of Preferences Program (GSP).

• Organizing meetings and lobbying efforts to educate certain members of the Congress on Turkish business interests for issues related to the GSP.

• Preparing strategic business plans for investments and advising companies on a wide range of issues involving United States and Turkish foreign investments matters.

Ms. Akyüz served as a counsel to Takasbank Settlement and Custody Bank Inc. in Turkey, providing legal opinions to senior management on issues related to securities markets such as amendments to the Turkish Capital Markets Law, custody agreements, and international agreements related to securities law. In addition to representing the bank in court, Sule coordinated its relations with the Bankruptcy and Enforcement Departments of the Turkish government.

In addition to her law firm experience, Ms. Akyüz has worked for a major securities broker in Turkey, conducting research and providing legal opinions to senior management on company activities and clients; drafting contracts for clients in portfolio management, margin trading, brokerage services, and internal company matters including employment agreements and lease contracts while also handling legal aspects of shareholder and board of directors' meetings. 

She has represented clients in a wide array of areas, including labor, tax, civil, criminal, commercial and administrative law at both the trial and appellate levels with the Turkish legal system, including the High Supreme Court.  Additionally, she has advised clients on domestic and international legal matters including sales/procurement contracts, distributor and joint venture agreements in international transportation, iron steel and construction transactions.

Ms. Akyüz received an LLM in International Legal Studies from American University and her law degree from Ankara University, Turkey.