Moroğlu Arseven has a reputation for clear, quality and strategic advice for the media, entertainment and sports sectors, tailored to suit the unique aspects of each client’s circumstances, as well as local politics. The firm has a proven track record of representing high-profile clients, operating within Turkey and abroad.
The firm assists a wide range of viewpoints in this context, including performing artists, sports players, content creators, publishers, broadcasters, tournament organisers, producers, coaches, agents, ticketing agencies, venues, as well as promotion and advertising agencies. We also regularly advise clients involved in financing or investing within these industries, such as financial institutions or private equity funds.
Moroğlu Arseven’s multidisciplinary approach means clients receive support from a range of practice areas, tailored to their specific industry, viewpoint or project. The firm assists with a full spectrum of legal issues which arise in these sectors, including significant experience advising on complex distribution, licensing, sponsorship, and merchandising agreements.
The firm guides clients to strategically structure, manage, amend and terminate these arrangements. We regularly assist clients during contract negotiations, amendments and terminations, often in high-profile environments, such as international transfers for sportspeople. Cross-border tax planning and immigration issues for sportspeople are a firm speciality.
Moroğlu Arseven has consistently been at the forefront of interpreting media and advertising legislation, supporting clients and regulators to understand obligations, as well as apply these to modern technologies. The firm’s combined strengths in technology, regulatory compliance and corporate transactions mean we often advise clients during innovative projects in new and emerging media fields. These include internet and multimedia ventures, digital rights, online gaming and entertainment software, virtual or augmented reality, as well as other developing platforms and convergence sectors.
A particular strength is advising clients on advertising disputes and issues with related compliance or interpretation. For example, strategic regulatory relations, conflicts stemming from audio or visual media used during advertising campaigns, use of taglines in advertising, nutrition claims, or sector-specific advertising restrictions (such as health, tobacco or alcohol). We regularly support clients to deal with investigations or questions from the Turkish Advertising Board. The firm’s knowledge of local interpretive approaches has proved valuable for media clients, regularly advising major foreign media outlets on the legal consequences and practical risks which their content faces in Turkey.
Moroğlu Arseven’s strong intellectual property team helps media, entertainment and sports clients to proactively protect their intellectual property in Turkey. The firm supports with a full range of issues, including litigation, enforcement, counselling, prosecution and transactions. Intellectual property advice is tightly integrated with other practice areas, assisting clients to establish, protect and commercialise their intellectual property assets from the earliest possible stage. For instance, advising on trademarks, copyrighted works, television formats and series localisations, ticket-resales, as well as cross-border licensing arrangements. We advise high-profile figures and organisations about how to negotiate, manage and protect their image, as well as deal with all aspects of endorsement arrangements. The firm has a strong reputation for safeguarding celebrity names in Turkey against local trademark trolls and ambush marketing.
The firm’s dispute resolution team provides full-scope and integrated support to media, entertainment and sports clients, meaning conflict specialists are involved from the early stages of emerging issues. We support clients with all aspects and perspectives on disputes, along with regulatory investigations. Support includes representing clients in a full spectrum of forums and related processes, including civil and administrative litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution methods, strategic negotiation and settlement processes, as well as injunctions and enforcement actions.
Clients appreciate the firm’s strong negotiation and crisis management skills, with these regularly used for pre-emptive risk assessments, or to navigate complex negotiations, corruption or doping allegations on an urgent basis, along with other emerging issues. The firm has a notable track record of de-escalating problems in these sectors, including media relations, defamation allegations, as well as other time-sensitive reputation management issues or injunctions.
Moroğlu Arseven has significant experience representing clients before international sports tribunals such as FIBA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, along with local tribunals like the Turkish Football Federation’s Arbitration Board.
Moroğlu Arseven regularly advises on processes and requirements for Turkey’s Ministry of Youth and Sport, Media and Communications, as well as other relevant regulatory bodies. We strategically support and represent clients during all aspects of their interactions with these bodies, assisting clients to obtain a wide range of routine and exceptional approvals, exemptions or licenses. Our support includes dealing with day-to-day regulatory relations, as well as high-stakes regulatory investigations or enforcement proceedings.
Moroğlu Arseven assists media, entertainment and sports clients with all types of major corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, spin-offs, divestitures and group restructures. The firm has significant expertise assisting clients during complex, inter-jurisdictional transactions, where strategic guidance is required to deal with the legal, commercial and operational factors simultaneously. These projects often involve high values, or complicated leveraging and equity structures. We work closely with companies, shareholders, investors and financiers on both buy and sell-side, assisting through all stages of these projects. Moroğlu Arseven places a strong focus on ensuring we consider each client’s business objectives and the dynamics of the media, entertainment and sports industries, then reflect these factors into the transaction’s structure, risk allocation, or asset transfers.