Burcu Çelikçapa-Bilgin is a co-founder of the firm and has practised in shipping, transport, insurance and dispute resolution since 1996. With 30 years of experience, she has developed a leading practice in complex and technically demanding matters involving maritime trade, transport, logistics, insurance and international commerce. She co-heads the firm’s Transport and Shipping practice and heads its German Desk.

Burcu advises leading national and international insurers, reinsurers, brokers, manufacturers, shipowners, charterers, carriers and logistics companies. Her practice spans both contentious and non-contentious matters, with particular experience in major cargo losses, marine casualties, fires, product liability and complex commercial disputes.

She has acted in several significant loss events in Türkiye, including major vessel and warehouse fires, a marina fire involving the total loss of seven yachts, and high-value marine casualties involving cargo interests. She also regularly advises manufacturers and product liability insurers in technically complex disputes arising from defective industrial products, property damage and recourse claims.

A substantial part of Burcu’s practice is devoted to insurance and reinsurance. She advises on coverage, indemnity, subrogation and recourse in connection with major maritime casualties, industrial and warehouse fires, construction projects, logistics losses, fraud and defective products. Her experience covers H&M, Marine Cargo, P&I, Liability, Construction All Risks, BBB, D&O, Product Liability and Manufacturer’s Liability insurance.

She also has a broad transport and maritime practice covering carriage, freight forwarding, logistics, warehousing and multimodal transport. Her experience includes high-value disputes under the CMR and other transport regimes, as well as shipbuilding, charterparty, cargo and international trade matters.

Burcu is an experienced litigator who regularly leads strategically significant and technically demanding disputes before Turkish courts, including multi-party proceedings involving contractual, tortious and insurance issues. Alongside her contentious practice, Burcu acts in international commercial disputes and has recently acted as Turkish law expert in an English-seated arbitration arising from a high-value post-M&A dispute involving Turkish law issues.

Her clients include leading international insurers, reinsurers, manufacturers, carriers, freight forwarders, logistics companies, shipowners, charterers and multinational industrial groups. She is particularly well known for advising German insurers, reinsurers and transport companies and is regularly instructed by German and other international law firms seeking Turkish law advice.

As Head of the German Desk, Burcu has developed longstanding relationships with the German insurance and transport market and advises German-speaking clients on disputes, commercial contracts, corporate matters and their operations in Türkiye.

Her practice is characterised by a practical and commercially focused approach to complex disputes, combining a deep understanding of Turkish law with extensive experience in international insurance, transport and maritime matters.

Burcu is a co-author of the Türkiye chapter of Karl-Heinz Thume’s Kommentar zur CMR and of Transport Law in Turkey, published by Wolters Kluwer. She is a co-author of the Transport by Road chapter of the International Encyclopaedia of Laws Transport Law in Türkiye, published by Kluwer Law International.

Burcu is recognised as a Leading Partner in Transport by The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 and is also ranked Band 2 for Shipping by Chambers and Partners 2026.