Contact
Affiliations
- New York Bar, Istanbul Bar
- Bosphorus University Information Systems Research Center
- European Patent Institue, Patent Agent, Trademark Agent
- International Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Corporate Governance Association of Turkey
- Endeavor
- E-Commerce and Internet Law Association
Degrees
- Ege University, Institute of Science, Master of Science, 2009
- University of Virginia School of Law, LL.M., 2003
- Marmara University Faculty of Law, LL.B., 1999
- Golden Gate U. Law School & South Texas U. School of Extension, 1998
Burcak Unsal is an internationally recognized legal strategist with over 25 years of experience operating at the intersection of law, finance, and technology. Dual-qualified in New York and Istanbul, he advises financial institutions, technology companies, and high-growth ventures on how to navigate complex regulatory environments while building commercially viable and defensible structures.
He is the Founding Partner of Ünsal Law Firm and previously served as Regional Legal Counsel at Google and YouTube, where he managed legal and regulatory matters across rapidly evolving markets.
Unsal held senior roles at globally leading law firms such as DLA Piper, and Baker Botts (Washington D.C.), and leading law firms in Istanbul and Tokyo, developing a distinctly global and multi-jurisdictional perspective.
Unsal’s practice is defined by a core principle: there is a fundamental difference between being “formally compliant” and being defensible under real regulatory pressure. His work focuses on closing that gap.
He is particularly known for advising on fintech, digital assets, banking, capital markets, and cross-border structuring, where legal frameworks often lag behind operational realities. His approach integrates transactional, regulatory, and dispute-risk analysis, enabling clients to anticipate how regulators and enforcement authorities will interpret structures—not just how they are drafted.
Burcak has been consistently recognized by Chambers and Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in fintech and technology law, and is a recipient of the Mondaq Thought Leadership Award, reflecting his influence on emerging legal frameworks.
Beyond practice, he is an active contributor to the legal and business community. He serves as Chairman of the Banking and Finance Law Commission of the Istanbul Bar, lectures and speaks at leading universities and international forums, and delivers over 50 high-level seminars and masterclasses annually on regulatory strategy, fintech law, and structural risk.
With academic training in both law and science, Burcak brings a rare interdisciplinary perspective to complex legal challenges, particularly in technology-driven sectors such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and data governance.
He is widely regarded not only as a lawyer, but as a strategic advisor capable of translating legal complexity into business-critical decisions.
Burcak Unsal speaks English, Turkish, and Japanese.
