White & Case and its associated Turkish firm, GKC Partners, have advised interactive entertainment company Zynga Inc. on its USD 1.8 billion acquisition of Istanbul-based Peak Oyun Yazilim ve Pazarlama, A.S. Baker McKenzie, working with its Turkish affiliate, the Esin Attorney Partnership, advised Peak on the transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020.
According to White & Case, the transaction, which is the largest acquisition of a start-up in Turkey to date, makes Peak Turkey’s first “unicorn.”
White & Case describes Peak as a mobile gaming company with two franchises, Toon Blast and Toy Blast, "that have consistently ranked in the top 10 and top 20 grossing US iPhone games for more than two years, respectively." According to the firm, “the transaction is the largest acquisition of a start-up in Turkey to date and makes Peak Turkey’s first unicorn. Zynga will acquire 100% of Peak for USD 1.8 billion, comprised of USD 900 million in cash and USD 900 million of Zynga common stock.”
White & Case’s team included Istanbul-based Partner Asli Basgoz, Silicon Valley-based Partner Bijal Vakil, Washington DC-based Partner Rebecca Farrington, London-based Partners Emmie Jones, Will Smith, Lindsay Canning, Tim Hickman, and Mark Israel and Associates Elena Ruggiu and Lily Teh, Hamburg-based Partner Justus Herrlinger and Associate Lars Petersen, and New York-based Partner David Johansen and Counsel Elodie Gal.
GKC Partners’ team included Partner Emre Ozsar, Competition Advisor Sezin Elcin Cengiz, and Associates Asli Gulum, Sezgin Bas, Elif Berberoglu, Selin Kaledelen, Damla Cay, Lidya Ercan, and Can Argon.
Esin Attorney Partnership's team included Partners Eren Kursun, Yalin Akmenek, Birturk Aydin, and Hakan Ozgokcen, Senior Associates Orcun Solak, Sertac Kokenek, Gunes Helvaci, Mine Guner, Demet Kasarcioglu, Can Sozer, and Sinan Diniz, and Associates Serenay Cinki, Enes Sevencan, Gokhan Akcaalan, Aybuke Gundel Solak, Ceren Seymenoglu, Gokce Serez, Ece Gonulal, Cem Buran, Ismail Ozgun, Emrehan Mermer, Defne Sahin, and Sam Gizem Sozer.
Baker McKenzie's team included London-based Partners Charles Whitefoord, Alistair Craig, and Michelle Blunt, Senior Associates Danielle Brouard and Joanna de Fonseka, and Associates James Adams, Jee Yoon Chung, and Huynh Khuong Duy Le, Washington-based Partners Nathaniel Douglas, Thomas Egan, Brian Burke, and Anne Batter and Associates Jean-Paul Theroux and Maryam AlSayyad, Dusseldorf-based Partner Johannes Weichbrodt, Houston-based Partner Kai Kramer and Associate Ross Staine, and Chicago-based Counsel Michael Poland.
Editor's note: After this article was published, Dentons informed CEE Legal Matters that it too, along with its affiliate Balcioglu Selcuk Ardiyok Keki Avukatlik Ortakligi, advised Hummingbird Ventures CVA as the investor seller. BASEAK's team included Partners Galip Selcuk and Ozge Akman, Counsel Selahattin Kaya, and Associates Cisem Altundemir, Ozgun Kirgin, Denizhan Uslu, Nisan Bukulmez, Erkin Tuzcular, and Derin Aydin. Dentons' other lawyers involved included Istanbul-based Partner Nadia Cansun and New York-based Partners Ira Kotel and Timothy Santoli and Counsel Rob Condon.
Also, CEE Legal Matters learned that BTS & Partners had advised Endeavour Catalyst, as an investor seller, and Abcoo had advised Peak Founder and CEO Sidar Sahin. BTS & Partners' team was led by Senior Counsel Okan Arican, and Abcoo's team included Partner Murat Aygun and Senior Associate Beril Hepagir.
Subsequently, CEE Legal Matters learned that the Verdi Law Firm had advised selling shareholders Earlybird Verwaltungs GmbH, Evren Ucok, and Demet Suzan Mutlu Ucok on the deal. The firm's team was led by Managing Partner Can Verdi and Partner Ayse Demirel Atakan and included Partner Akin Ekici, Senior Associates Ozer Koseoglu, and Associates Cem Avaroglu, Dogac Gunaydin, and Anil Tuncay.
