Dr. Esra Hansu is a Managing Associate at Hansu Attorney Partnership. She advises domestic and international companies, investors and ventures in international trade law, commercial contracts, construction and real estate law, public-private partnerships, intellectual and industrial property law, and competition law.
A substantial part of her practice is putting in place the contractual framework for cross-border and domestic commercial relationships. She manages the drafting and review of sale, services, dealership, distribution, franchise, works (eser) and manufacturing agreements, and the preparation of legal opinions and reports on those transactions.
Her work covers the commercial activity and contractual relationships of clients in sectors ranging from food, cosmetics and consumer products to energy and construction, and from healthcare and medical devices to petroleum and lubricants. This multi-sector experience allows contracts to be assessed not only for legal validity, but also for how the commercial relationship operates and how risk is allocated.
The CISG (Vienna Sales Convention) and Incoterms occupy a particular place in her international-trade practice. She completed her master's work on the passing of risk in sales contracts under the Turkish Code of Obligations, the CISG and Incoterms, and has combined that academic expertise with practical experience in drafting and interpreting international commercial contracts.
In carriage and logistics she advises on the drafting of national and international transport and logistics contracts; on the assessment of contracts under the CISG and Incoterms; and on disputes concerning liability for loss of, damage to or delay of cargo, and claims for freight and demurrage.
Public-private partnerships are another distinct axis of her practice. In PPP models she takes part in drafting and reviewing the contracts required by the project's legal structure, in particular agreements on the right of superficies (üst hakkı), lease, works and transfer of operating rights. Her doctoral study, "The Right of Superficies in Public-Private Partnerships", forms the academic foundation of her work in this field.
After her undergraduate studies she completed her legal traineeship at the Istanbul Bar Association and began working at Hansu Attorney Partnership; while continuing in practice she completed an LL.M in international trade law and a PhD in private law.
Combining academic work with practice, Dr. Hansu has books, theses and articles on the passing of risk in sales law, the right of superficies in public-private partnerships, and standard terms. In addition to advisory work she continues to follow clients' disputes and litigation and to pursue her academic research.
Hansu's approach is a legal perspective that assesses together the contractual structure of the international commercial relationship, the allocation of risk between the parties, the project and regulatory framework, and potential disputes, bringing practice and academic expertise together.
Academic Work & Publications
- Passing of Risk in the Sales Contract — On İki Levha Publishing, 2017.
- The Right of Superficies in Public-Private Partnerships — doctoral thesis; published by Seçkin Publishing.
- Passing of Risk under the Turkish Code of Obligations — article published in the peer-reviewed journal of Istanbul Commerce University Institute of Social Sciences.
- The Right of Superficies in Public-Private Partnerships — article published in the Working Paper Series of Istanbul Commerce University Institute of Foreign Trade.
- Deemed Unwritten Standard Terms — article published in the 80th Anniversary Festschrift for Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Hatemi and presented at a panel at Sabahattin Zaim University.
