Interview: Barış Agun, Head of Business Development, The Legal 500 Türkiye

1. Can you share your journey that led you to become the Head of Business Development at The Legal 500 Türkiye?

My journey since graduating from university way back in 1997 has been very diverse and fulfilling but one I can look back on and be very proud of, especially with what I achieved both personally and professionally. It is worth remembering that every journey has its challenges too. But it is how we apply ourselves in those times and it is how we continue to evolve personally during those most difficult periods that truly defines who we end up becoming.

I graduated from university in 1997 with honors in fine art and history of art. I was also a very capable painter. And I set my sights on wanting to be a curator but having student debts, I decided to take on three separate part time jobs to simply make ends meet. My day job was in sales because someone told me the commission paid well. My evening job was in a pub and my third job was at weekends at a department store in my local high street. It was in 1999 that my manager at the day job suggested I should go into media sales and marketing because he was impressed with my sales work. I found a media sales recruitment agency and from there I had a job interview at a newly formed company that had launched a new weekly magazine for the UK legal business market – Legal Week. I remember that in two of my three interviews at the company, I had to sell a pen and then a coffee mug. My persistence and success in those two roleplays must have made a pretty decent impression on senior management as I was offered a job in their display advertising sales team. I now had a full-time job and one that I could focus on with excitement.

I do look back on my six years at Legal Week as one with incredible fondness and success. We, as a team, achieved so much. Over a very short period of time we became the leading magazine for the legal business market. We won business magazine of the year at the PPA Awards and successfully launched many other leading brand extensions including events and conferences. I learned so much. Such wonderful times. Such wonderful people. Such fond memories. And that period also gave me the experience I needed in managing major accounts - UK and US law firms, barristers’ chambers, legal recruitment consultants, legal tech companies. I also had my first experience in networking with UK in-house lawyers.

After the company was sold in the later part of 2005 to its largest shareholder, there were several factors why I decided to leave. But I certainly made the right decision to leave. Sometimes on your journey you need to take risks and you hope that in most cases it always works out. So, after a decade or so of working for technology resellers where I was a vendor marketing manager for some of the largest global tech companies, I decided I wanted to make a return to the legal market. As luck would have it (and I do believe in luck), it was a former colleague from Legal Week now working at Legalease Ltd that contacted me in 2017 to see if I would be interested in meeting a certain Mr. David Goulthorpe for a job opportunity at The Legal 500. And seven years later, I am still here at The Legal 500 and enjoying every moment.

2. As the Business Development Manager, what are your key responsibilities and how do they impact the legal market?

Right now, I am the country manager for Türkiye. It is a role I have had now for just under three years. What started as just managing all active law firms for our Legal 500 directory series has grown substantially in the last 18 months to include all events and conferences in the jurisdiction as well as research projects and co-publishing supplements. I am not a manager of any department but just the Business Development Manager for Türkiye and I report directly to separate areas of our business including The Legal 500 sales division and events division. I have two client bases I am responsible for in Türkiye – the sellers of legal services (the law firms) and the buyers of legal services (in-house counsel). Both sets of clients are incredibly important to maintaining our growth and success in the country. And if you always work hard with energy, enthusiasm, and tenacity with a major global brand behind you – the impact you can have can be huge and one of immense success. From one GC Powerlist and a half day conference in İstanbul in 2020 when I took on the responsibility, now in 2023 we have hosted 15 separate events and conferences including an inaugural summit in Ankara, many new roundtable conferences including İzmir and our half day İstanbul conference from a few years ago has now grown to become a major two day event and gala dinner.

3. What have been the most challenging and rewarding aspects of working in business development within the legal sector?

In any walk of life, you are always faced with challenges, and these do vary, but you must always adapt to those condition. Do the research and understand what impact these challenges have on your clients. From there, put a tailored plan in place on how to manage the client and what and how you sell marketing to them. But it’s crucial you do not shy away from any challenges but instead, believe in your own abilities, have faith in yourself and the brand you represent. And always maintain your client relationships by putting them first. And that’s another rewarding aspect. Because you end up building an incredible level of trust and friendship with your clients.

I probably took on Türkiye at one of the most challenging periods for the country and its legal business market – a global pandemic, economic instability with incredibly high inflation and a devaluation of the Turkish Lira, one of the most powerful earthquakes that devastated a region but brought a nation and its people together, Presidential and Parliamentary elections and continuing decline in the economy with interest rates at 40%. Nothing is easy and our abilities are certainly always tested. But overcoming those challenges by finding solutions for your clients and seeing that success long term is the rewarding aspect. And 2023 proved this.

4. Based on your experience, what emerging trends do you see shaping the legal industry in the next few years?

If we are looking at the Turkish legal market over the next few years, I think of consolidation. Market competition in the jurisdiction has increased as has the emergence of many new start-up practices. Every law firm seeks to grow in both revenue and profitability but against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, rising costs as well as the low fees many practices charge, you do wonder how law firms can continue to operate under such conditions. Mergers where we end up with many more newly formed larger firms offering a broader range of services is where I expect things to be heading. And if law firms do want to survive, they need to continue to invest to be the best practice to both its clients and its employees – it needs significant invest in its people, and we are talking of mentorship / training programs and equity partnership. Firms need to invest heavily in technology, which in turn makes a practice more efficient and its work with clients much more cost effective. And now that the Turkish government has raised the minimum wage by 49%, this as well as continued growth in inflation (as a knock-on effect) will no doubt be a factor as to how firms manage their operations and recruitment and how much consolidation will occur. Currently the Turkish legal market is becoming unsustainable, so something does need to change.

I see the continued importance of ESG in 2024 and beyond. After the newly published Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation last year much has been discussed and much more will be discussed.

Legal technology. Declining revenues and the addition of market competition may mean law firms having to be more creative in meeting these challenges. Embracing legal technology to reduce costs, being more efficient, streamlining operations may be the answer. The COVID-19 pandemic showed many the importance of technology and how crucial it became to assisting with major workloads experienced by many legal counsel teams. I suspect we will see much more on this topic across the Turkish legal market in 2024. Feedback from The Legal 500 EMEA research team (who assess all Turkish law firm submissions) suggests that many law firms are already preparing and embracing such technologies as AI, document / contract automation, collaborative software, billing and data protection.

5. Are there any recent projects or initiatives at The Legal 500 that you're particularly excited about?

I am certainly excited to see where 2024 takes The Legal 500 in Türkiye. 2023 was without a doubt an incredible success for all involved. We will host many more legal sector focused roundtable conferences as this proved incredibly popular for both the law firms and legal counsel this year.

The major initiative that started in Kayseri back in November with the wonderful students from Erciyes Law Faculty will continue to grow well into 2024. And in fact, I am hosting weekly online mentorship programs for them all. And with that success why not offer similar opportunities to students across Türkiye? With the support of both the law firms and legal counsel, it is all possible. I am already speaking to a law firm to design a tailored mentorship program for students in Gaziantep. And this does excite me – making a positive difference to those students and young lawyers who need our support. They are the future of the Turkish legal market. And to add to this, with Turkish law firms in İstanbul continuing to profess how diverse they are, it’s time that they move away from being too selective and restrictive by only offering placements and internships to just graduates from selective universities in İstanbul. They should look further afield, and this is something I will continue to drive with passion and as a major initiative in 2024.

I also want to say how excited I am with Diversity, Inclusion and LGBTQ+ in Türkiye. We have already hosted two sponsored panels this year. And there is so much more we as The Legal 500 will do on this important topic in 2024. The message must also be clear - people should receive equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of their disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. It makes me immensely proud when such an important topic receives such positive feedback as did the panel, we hosted at our recent EGC conference in İstanbul.

6. What advice would you give to individuals looking to pursue a career in business development within the legal sector?

First, it is not so much about knowing the legal sector as you can learn this in time. When I joined Legal Week, I knew nothing about the market. Same as when I decided to move into the technology sector. But rather, it’s about how confident you are in communicating with clients at all levels – whether it’s a cold call or a presentation at boardroom level. This is something that must come naturally to you. And if you have that within you, you are most certainly almost there.

Who knows what would have happened if I stuck to pursuing a job as a curator all those years ago. But I do not regret one moment working in Business Development. And what has made my 14 years in the legal sector so interesting is that the sector continues to evolve – year by year and country by country. And I think most of your readers will agree, Türkiye has a habit of evolving on a regular basis. And media and publishing have evolved. Where printed magazines were the norm twenty odd years ago, it’s now mostly online. Social media marketing has grown to now be a critical part of how we promote brands, products, and services. And I do feel that the knock-on effects of the pandemic and the two-year lockdown has increased everyone’s appetite for many more events.

I also cannot stress enough the importance of working for leading publishers within the legal sector. Because their reputation makes a huge difference in how you can succeed yourself. Without The Legal 500’s brand, I would certainly not have had the successes I have had in Türkiye. And what makes Business Development rewarding too is the many diverse people you get to meet and the fact you can be incredibly creative with new ideas – whether these are events, conferences or research projects for a particular sector or jurisdiction.

Also, once you are in Business Development you must invest in yourself. Companies will offer the right training and support but investing in your own personal and professional development is crucial. Reading a book, attending a seminar, or even finding a mentor. It could be someone you work with. Never be afraid to ask questions. Get other people’s perspectives and experiences on how they have succeeded in Business Development. They have a wealth of knowledge and there is so much you can learn from them as you start your very own journey into Business Development.

7. How important is networking in the legal industry, and how do you approach it?

For me it is the most crucial component to the success you build with the client base you are managing. Networking enables you to continuously meet your clients, understand their business needs and crucially build your knowledge of the market trends and developments. Without this, how else can you build a portfolio of products and services relevant to both the sellers and buyers of legal services? And you are not only building your company’s brand within that jurisdiction but also your very own. Your personal brand is incredibly important. Never underestimate how much networking can do this for you. People buy people. I did my first ever Legal 500 visit to Türkiye in November 2021 which was just a five-week trip. And now I now spend around half my year in the jurisdiction. And as your brand grows and the importance of your role so does the invitations to many external events – hosted by law firms and relevant associations. Go to all of them. Networking takes much effort, much dedicated time, and energy, so be prepared. I thrive on such opportunities – getting to meet as many people as you can. Ask many questions and listen a lot. And you start to build relationships very quickly.

8. Who have been your biggest influences or mentors in your career?

My Parents. I would not be here today if it wasn’t for them both. That much is a fact. When both divorced when I was young, my mother did such a tremendous job on her own to raise me. The long hours she worked, her undeniable dedication to me enabled me to have an excellent education. It also allowed me to live as much of a normal life as possible. But my father too and I learned a lot from him as well. My father moved to Kuşadası, Türkiye where he owned a few pubs and restaurants. During my summer holidays I would watch him be “front of house” as he interacted with his customers every evening. His networking skills were amazing. And even to this day both have an incredible interest in the work I do at The Legal 500 and both still give me advice and guidance on my efforts in Türkiye. I am incredibly lucky and so grateful. Everything I do is for them both.

While I was at Legal Week, its founder and publisher Mark Wyatt had a major impact on the early part of my career. I always remember how he took client relationships incredibly seriously. Watching him network and present was always an education. He was one of the best at it. Many of the skills I use today are certainly down to what I learned from him. One of the best salespeople I met was also my manager for several years – Tim Westbrook. Not only a great friend and person, but he was also a true leader and an incredible motivator. When I moved to a completely new industry after Legal Week, he did so much for my career. It would also be a major injustice not to mention my current managing director at The Legal 500 – David Goulthorpe. An incredible mentor not just to me but across the whole sales and marketing division. He has had an enormous impact in the way I have managed to succeed in Türkiye, and I cannot thank him enough for the way he continues to champion my efforts by congratulating me on my good work and urging me to continue my efforts.

And many will not know this as it is something I do not discuss too often but two very special people who also gave me the support I desperately needed during my times of depression, which over a period, you realise and admit is an actual illness – Eddie Abbew and Peter Grainger. Eddie was the one who always made sure I was never on my own and Peter was an incredible private counsellor. Never brush any mental health issues under the carpet like I was doing. Talk about it and make sure you get the necessary help and support you need. And you may find this hard to believe but I have never been motivated by money. My motivation always comes from positive feedback, those incredible words of encouragement from mentors, peers, senior colleagues, and clients. And I always say - encouragement is such a crucial component of motivating people. It helps people maintain trust, positivity, and productive working habits. And I’ve done this job long enough to know that if you are patient, work hard with passion and enthusiasm, use your talent, and set realistic and attainable goals, the money will follow you.

9. Where do you see Legal500 Türkiye heading in the future, and what role do you envision playing in that journey?

You can never know where you may be in six months, a year or in five years’ time but I do intend to continue in this role for as long as I can and as long as I continue making a positive difference to both The Legal 500 and of course the many hundreds of wonderful clients I have the pleasure of managing and meeting across Türkiye. The journey is simple for me. Continued growth, building on the many initiatives we already started in 2023 – many more events, conferences. Much closer collaborative work with the likes of Turkish Law Blog and ISTAC which are already being discussed – watch this space!

But I also want to use my wealth of experience in Business Development and my already very extensive network to continue to help mentor many more law students and young lawyers across Türkiye. This is very important to me. And I know it may sound crazy and a totally unrealistic ambition but I would also like to be that person that somehow manages to change certain aspects of the Turkish legal market for the better – much wider and better opportunities for law graduates, better recruitment processes, giving young lawyers equal opportunities, better mentorship and education programs, making sure all law firms do invest in their lawyers, introducing equity partnerships into practices.

All sounds incredibly ambitious but I’ve found that nothing is impossible if you really put your mind and heart into it.