Alliance Healthcare Turkiye Director of Legal Affairs and General Counsel Basak Gurbuz reflects on her nearly two-decade legal journey, from private practice to leading in-house roles across media, tech, payments & finance, and now healthcare.
CEELM: Tell us a bit about yourself and the career path you took leading up to your current role.
Gurbuz: This year marks my 19th year in the legal profession. I began my career in a law firm, starting with a brief practice in Ankara before moving to Istanbul. I had the opportunity to work at Pekin & Bayar and then at Gun + Partners. When I was on the verge of becoming a partner, I realized I wanted a new challenge and decided to transition in-house. I received an offer from The Walt Disney Company – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I couldn’t turn down.
Moving in-house had always been in the back of my mind, and I felt the timing was right. The transition, however, wasn’t easy. It’s a completely different mindset compared to private practice. But what really attracted me was the chance to be at the heart of the business, not just offering legal advice from the sidelines. I served as Legal and Compliance Director at Disney for nearly five years. Due to some professional reasons, I made the very difficult decision to move. It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to Mickey Mouse, and Disney will always have a special place in my heart.
After that, I joined Visa – a completely different environment and industry. Payment services are highly regulated, and I didn’t have prior expertise in this sector, but I welcomed the challenge. The first six months were particularly difficult, and even the internal language was unfamiliar. But over time, I learned, adapted, and began to enjoy it. I delved into payment regulations, worked on exciting tech and AI-related projects, and was responsible for legal matters across nine countries in Southeastern Europe. Over time, my responsibilities expanded, and by my fifth year, I found myself once again looking for a new challenge.
After a year of consideration, I decided to move into a new field. Healthcare had been on my mind for some time – it’s both evergreen and highly regulated. Fortunately, an opportunity at Alliance Healthcare came at the right time. I’m still in the early days here, just starting to explore and understand the business, but I love this phase of learning and adapting. That’s a key purpose in both my career and my life: to keep growing and learning.
CEELM: Since you touched on it, what was the biggest shock when transitioning to the in-house world? On the flip side, what was the most pleasant surprise?
Gurbuz: One thing I genuinely enjoyed is the constant sense of motion – you never get bored. There’s always something happening, some new challenge or a new riddle landing on your desk. You’re not just there to provide legal answers but to satisfy multiple stakeholders and keep things moving. The agility, the dynamics, the opportunity to learn new things daily – these were all pleasant surprises.
The biggest shock, however, was realizing how essential it is to truly understand the business. Legal advice doesn’t live in a vacuum. Sometimes, business goals and legal considerations don’t align perfectly, and you can’t just say “no” and walk away. You have to find secure, workable alternatives to show you’re not there to block progress but to help steer it safely. Over the last 10 years, I made it my mission to shift perceptions – from “legal as a blocker” to “legal as a stakeholder and a team player.” We are gatekeepers, yes, but we’re also collaborators and enablers.
CEELM: How large is your in-house team currently, and how is it structured?
Gurbuz: Right now, we’re a small but capable team of three: myself, an experienced legal counsel who handles much of our local work, and a paralegal. I’m still getting to know them, but I already feel we have a strong team dynamic and the right foundation to support the business effectively.
CEELM: What has been keeping GCs in Turkiye busy over the last 12 months? What about the upcoming 12 months?
Gurbuz: The past year was filled with exciting tech projects, both internal and external, that kept us incredibly busy. Across sectors, one of the biggest challenges is the rapid pace of regulatory change. Whether in media, payments, or healthcare, it’s intense. Data privacy remains a major focus area, as we need to ensure that all personal data is handled and protected in line with evolving laws.
Looking ahead, I believe artificial intelligence will be a significant part of legal and business discussions. I’ve already undergone training in this area and will be participating in panels to exchange insights with both legal and tech experts. I’m especially interested in the concept of responsible AI, including legal issues around liability, copyright, and even criminal responsibility. The EU has the AI Act now, but Turkiye doesn’t yet, and when it does arrive, it will have a major impact.
On a personal note, I also believe in giving back. I’m part of the Women in Law network as well as ACC, proudly, where I actively mentor young professionals. I see this as an important responsibility for in-house counsel.
CEELM: How do you decide if a project should be outsourced or handled in-house, and what criteria do you use to pick an external counsel?
Gurbuz: Unfortunately, we often face budgetary constraints, so we’re very careful when deciding to outsource. That said, I’ve been lucky to work with excellent external counsel over the years. I don’t outsource everything – not just because of cost, but because often, with the right resources and teamwork, we can find answers internally. But for complex issues like competition law, data privacy, or niche regulatory questions, it makes sense to seek external advice to combine with internal expertise and memory.
When choosing an external counsel, quality and budget are the two primary factors, and I always look for a balance. I want tailored, relevant advice – not dozens of pages of boilerplate content. Reachability is also key. I don’t expect to call someone at midnight, but in urgent situations, it’s important to be able to speak to a senior person directly. I want to feel like I have a true partner on the other side.
CEELM: What do you foresee as the main challenges for GCs in Turkiye in the near to mid-term future?
Gurbuz: Turkiye’s legal market has grown rapidly over the past five years, and I’m pleased to see more collaboration among external counsel and in-house. Initiatives like mentoring programs and industry events are encouraging signs of a legal community that’s becoming more connected and supportive. The big legal hubs – Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir – are at the center of this shift and we partner with contacts in each to promote this connectivity.
In terms of challenges, I believe GCs will need to be even more agile and tech-savvy. Navigating regulatory change while aligning with business goals will require creativity and resilience, as well as familiarity with responsible AI.
CEELM: Finally, if you were to advise a young lawyer aspiring to become a legal director one day, what would you tell them?
Gurbuz: Be patient and stay curious, very curious. Many young lawyers want to specialize and define their career path on day one, but that’s not necessary. Take the time to try different things and gain broad experience. Eventually, you’ll find your direction. There are many stimuli for all of us nowadays, and it is important to be aware and stay connected.
Also, be ready to work hard. These roles aren’t easy, and shifting from private practice to in-house can be especially tough. Not every colleague needs to do that. Persistence, flexibility, and a genuine interest in following legal trends, especially in fast-changing areas like data privacy, are essential. The legal world is evolving rapidly, and staying ahead means never stopping your learning journey.
Finally, love your job and respect what you are doing as it will be your signature.
This article was originally published in Issue 12.5 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the magazine, you can subscribe here.