Emre Derman, the Managing Director and Senior Country Officer for Turkey at JP Morgan, has resigned from his position, effective today.
Derman, one of the best known and most respected lawyers in Turkey, has been working in a non-lawyer capacity with the corporate and investment bank for the past 3 years. In an exclusive interview with CEE Legal Matters, Derman explained simply that he has "no specific plan" in mind as he moves on from JP Morgan. "It's been three years," he noted, "and it's time to go out, breathe, and see what else comes along."
Derman, who during his previous incarnation as Executive Partner of White & Case in Istanbul made the firm the unquestioned market leader for legal services, doesn't plan to stay unemployed long. He believes that closing this door will open others. "This is how I did it 6 years ago when I left White & Case," Derman explained. "When you're working, people are reluctant to come to you with new ideas, because they think you're set. They build up this image of you. The moment you step out and say, 'I'm unemployed' people come to you with all kinds of ideas." Indeed, Derman reported that shortly after he announced his plans to leave JP Morgan, his lunch invitations began to multiply. One assumes he'll be eating well for the next few months.
An interview with Derman about the current state of the Turkish legal market can be found here.
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