Csl. Att. Cemal Araalan LL.M. Ph.D.c.

Cemal Araalan has, over a period exceeding 17 years, represented and advised both Turkish and foreign companies as counsel in complex legal disputes, including litigation before Turkish courts and international arbitration proceedings. During this time, he has held managerial and partnership positions at leading law firms in Turkey, providing expertise and support to numerous domestic and international clients. His practice has particularly focused on emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence, as well as arbitration, competition law, energy, construction, gaming, and technology sectors.

His experience in legal advisory and compliance encompasses the full spectrum of services for cryptocurrency exchanges and e-commerce companies, from their establishment through ongoing compliance processes. He has advised software companies on legal matters, handled complex IT and intellectual property disputes, represented clients in derivative liability claims against board members, and managed arbitration proceedings arising under international trade law, including ICC and ICSID arbitrations. Furthermore, his practice covers criminal law representation in cases involving workplace misconduct by white- and blue-collar personnel, as well as current IT law matters, including data protection, blockchain and fintech projects, internet law, and cybersecurity.

Cemal Araalan holds internationally recognized certifications demonstrating his expertise, including CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist), CIPP/E (Certified Information Privacy Professional – Europe), ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Lead Auditor, and ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Auditor. Additionally, he has passed the MASAK Compliance Officer Examination and is registered in the MASAK Compliance Officer Registry (License: UGLl267620).

Academically, Cemal Araalan holds master’s degrees in U.S. Commercial Law from Kent College – Illinois Institute of Technology, and in IT and Technology Law from Istanbul Bilgi University, completing his second master’s with a thesis entitled “Cybersecurity in Electronic Payment Systems.” He has published peer-reviewed articles in the field of IT and technology law and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Private Law at MEF University (having passed the doctoral qualifying examination and progressing to the dissertation phase).

Cemal Araalan is an active member of multiple professional and civil society organizations focused on IT and technology law, including the Istanbul Bar Association’s IT Law Commission, Blockchain Turkey Platform, Turkish Informatics Association, Informatics and Technology Association, Artificial Intelligence and Technology Association, and Artificial Intelligence Policy Association. He frequently serves as a keynote speaker and panelist at seminars and events on cybersecurity, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and personal data protection.

He is the founder of ARC Law Office and also the visionary founder of Avukatweb, a legal technology (LegalTech) startup, and Fintelogy, a social networking project in the financial technology sector.