News | Private Equity

Wednesday 27th March 2002

SJ Berwin advised Turk Venture Partners Limited ("Turkven") on the successful closing of its first private equity fund, Turkish Private Equity Fund I. This is one of the few private equity funds established with a core focus on investment in Turkey with a Turkish team.

The fund, which closed on 8 March 2002, raised US$40.8 million. Investors included the International Finance Corporation and the National Bank of Greece.

The SJ Berwin team was led by John Daghlian, who was assisted by Nigel van Zyl.

John Daghlian said: "South-Eastern Europe is an exciting area for venture capitalists, much of it green field. We are delighted to be instructed by Turkven which is a new team in private equity, on such a ground breaking fund."

Seymur Tari, Director of Turkven, said: "We are grateful to the SJ Berwin team for their first class work and dedication in a difficult fund raising market. SJ Berwin was our first choice as legal counsel given their track record and reputation in the industry."

• SJ Berwin is a full-service international legal practice with more than 470 lawyers across its offices in London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Madrid and Paris.
• With a dedicated European private equity team comprising over 150 full-time corporate private equity lawyers together with support from its other departments, SJ Berwin advises clients on the full-range of private equity business, both in connection with the establishment of private equity funds and their associated incentive schemes, and on MBOs, MBIs, public-to-privates and venture capital investments.
• SJ Berwin recently won "Best Law Firm (fund documentation)" at the PrivateEquityOnline Awards, and was runner up in the category of "Best Law Firm (transactions)". It has also recently been shortlisted for "Legal Adviser of the Year" at the Private Equity Awards 2002.
• SJ Berwin has also recently won the European Venture Capital Journal Award for Private Equity Law Firm of the Year 2000, Law Firm of the Year and Property Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2000, and Competition Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2000.