Why Are Lawyers in Türkiye Not Allowed to Establish Corporate Law Firms?

In many countries, law firms operate under corporate structures such as limited liability companies (LLCs) or partnerships, giving them the flexibility to function as businesses while protecting individual lawyers from personal liability. However, Türkiye has taken a very different legal approach.

In Türkiye, lawyers cannot establish corporate legal entities (such as joint stock companies or limited liability companies) to provide legal services. Instead, they can only operate as individual practitioners or as part of a law office under their personal names. This often surprises foreign clients, especially when they are asked to make legal service payments directly to a lawyer’s personal account. But there are important legal and ethical reasons behind this unique system.

In this article, we will explain why lawyers in Türkiye are restricted to operating as individuals, the legal foundations of this rule, and how this differs from practice in other countries.

Legal Basis: Individual Practice Requirement

The prohibition on corporate law firms in Türkiye stems from the Attorneyship Law No. 1136 (Avukatlık Kanunu). According to this law:

• Only individuals registered as attorneys (avukat) can provide legal services.

• Law offices can be formed as a partnership or association of individual lawyers but cannot take the form of a corporate entity (such as an A.Ş. or Ltd. Şti.).

• Legal services are considered a public function intertwined with personal professional responsibility, not just a commercial activity.

This means that every lawyer in Türkiye bears personal professional responsibility for the services they provide. While lawyers can work together and share office expenses, they cannot shield themselves from legal accountability through corporate structures.

Why Is This Structure Important?

There are several reasons behind this rule, all connected to ensuring the integrity of the legal profession and client protection:

• Personal Accountability:
  Lawyers are personally liable for the legal services they provide, ensuring a direct professional responsibility toward the client.

• Public Trust:
  Since legal services affect individuals’ rights, freedoms, and assets, the Turkish system emphasizes ethical responsibility over commercial interest. A client knows they are dealing with a licensed attorney, not an anonymous corporate entity.

• Independence of the Legal Profession:
  The prohibition on corporate entities helps preserve the independence of lawyers from commercial pressures, investors, or non-lawyer stakeholders.

How Do Law Offices Operate in Türkiye?

While corporate entities are not allowed, lawyers can:

• Establish their own individual law practice.

• Work under the roof of a shared law office (ortaklık bürosu), which is a non-corporate partnership of lawyers.

• Employ other lawyers or interns under their name.

All client contracts, fee agreements, and payments are tied directly to the individual lawyer or the group of lawyers operating under the office.

Why Do We Request Personal Account Payments?

At Bayraktar Attorneys, we sometimes see clients surprised when we provide a personal bank account for payment of legal fees. For international clients, this can feel unfamiliar, as they expect to pay a company bank account.

However, under Turkish law, legal fees must be paid to the individual lawyer, not to a company, because:

• The lawyer is personally responsible for the legal service.

• The law office is not a commercial company but an association of individual professionals.

• The lawyer-client relationship is personal and trust-based, and the Attorneyship Law reflects this principle.

How Does This Differ From Other Countries?

In countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and many EU states, law firms can be incorporated as:

• Limited Liability Companies (LLCs),

• Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs),

• Professional Corporations (PCs),

• or similar entities.

These structures allow for:

• Limited personal liability for owners,

• External investments or non-lawyer management in some jurisdictions,

• Commercial branding separate from individual names.

Türkiye’s legal system, by contrast, prioritizes professional and ethical liability over commercial flexibility, seeing law as a regulated public service rather than a purely market-based activity.

Conclusion

Although foreign clients may find it surprising, the requirement for lawyers in Türkiye to operate as individuals, without corporate shields, serves an important purpose: protecting clients, maintaining public trust, and ensuring ethical accountability.

At Bayraktar Attorneys, we are proud to uphold these standards. When you work with us, you are not just hiring a company—you are engaging a dedicated lawyer who personally stands behind every piece of advice and representation.

If you have any questions about our services, payments, or how we operate, feel free to contact us. We are always happy to clarify the process and assist you with your legal needs in Türkiye.