Barbaros Karaahmet’s Cross-Border Practice at Herrick Has Traditional Roots

Some are drawn to the law – Barbaros Karaahmet was born into it. A third-generation attorney and the first in his family to practice in the U.S., Karaahmet took to the law naturally. While the profession runs in his blood, his practice area is entirely his own.

As U.S.-based general counsel to multinational firms, Karaahmet advises on mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures across global markets. He guides family businesses through real estate acquisitions, leasing, and financing and helps international companies establish and grow their operations in the U.S. A recognized thought leader, he frequently lectures and publishes on international trade, real estate and cross-border business strategy.

Karaahmet joined Herrick nearly 30 years ago – and instantly knew it was the right fit.

"Herrick doesn’t try to be everything to everyone," Karaahmet says. "We have been in this business for 97 years, and through that time we have focused on methodical and measured growth. In a world of law firms that continue to merge into monoliths, we have consistently worked to maintain our size and excel in the areas in which we are known.”

That focus aligns seamlessly with Karaahmet’s own. Today, he serves as Herrick’s Chief Operating Partner and sits on the firm’s Executive Committee. Herrick’s robust real estate, corporate, finance, litigation, tax, intellectual property, private clients and restructuring and finance litigation practices are a perfect complement to the powerhouse attorney’s cross-disciplinary work.

A firm believer in collaboration, Karaahmet leverages teamwork – within Herrick, across disciplines and with clients – to deliver tailored, strategic results.

“I have seen incredible growth on the technology front that has allowed me to be more efficient and provide cost effective results,” says Karaahmet. “While these advances have facilitated the speed at which we can produce a product, the impeccable service and fastidious client attention that we give can only be achieved by working with our people.”

Karaahmet’s leadership and acumen have earned him recognition in The Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America and The Lawdragon 100 Managing Partners You Need to Know.

Lawdragon: Can you describe for our readers the mix of work you do within your practice?

Barbaros Karaahmet: Primarily, I act as outside General Counsel serving the full range of legal needs to national and international corporations, families and family offices including the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in New York. I work with attorneys within our firm on all facets of our client’s legal needs including general corporate and transactional work, commercial real estate, employment, government relations, insurance and reinsurance, ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) and executive compensation, fair employment standards, consumer fraud and tax, as well as alternative dispute resolution proceedings. I am frequently involved in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional matters and have experience handling issues such as choice-of-law, jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, and The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

I cultivate meaningful, long-term relationships with our international clients by first understanding their business goals and then providing the strategy to achieve those goals here in the U.S. The solutions that I provide are tailored to the individual client’s needs and I often involve attorneys across practice groups to support our international clients. A hallmark of my work at the firm is my collaborative approach so that I can act as an extension of the internal team on which my clients rely.

I cultivate meaningful, long-term relationships with our international clients by first understanding their business goals and then providing the strategy to achieve those goals here in the U.S.

LD: Are there any trends you are seeing in your practice in terms of the types of matters keeping you busy these days?

BK: I have seen an increase in inbound investments into the United States. I work with a spectrum of clients all over the world, and in particular in my native Türkiye, and there has been an uptick in interest in cross-border investments. A critical component of my practice is helping foreign investors navigate this process, working with my Herrick colleagues on all aspects of the deals in which they participate. We oversee the transaction from idea through closing and I am lucky to have such a nimble and creative team with whom I work to bring my clients’ business goals to life.

LD: What brought you to pursue a career in the law?

BK: Being a lawyer was inevitable for me. My grandfather and father were lawyers, and my sister is a lawyer as well. As a third-generation attorney, and the first one in my family to practice in the United States, I never considered another career.

LD: How has your practice changed since the early part of your career?

BK: The greatest changes in the practice of law have been in the area of technology. I have seen incredible growth on the technology front that has allowed me to be more efficient and provide cost effective results. It has also facilitated collaboration with colleagues and clients all over the world. In crisis situations, such as Covid, it allowed our firm to seamlessly transition to a “virtual law firm” overnight and to maintain our level of service and legal acumen from anywhere in the world. While these technological advances have increased efficiency, nothing has changed with respect to the human touch. Ultimately, we are a service industry and there are no technological advancements that can match the level of client service that we can personally provide. While these advances have facilitated the speed at which we can produce a product, the impeccable service and fastidious client attention that we give can only be achieved by working with our people. This level of service is woven through every interaction that we have at Herrick from the first phone call that we receive through the conclusion of a matter.

LD: Can you share some strategic plans for your practice or firm in the coming months or years?

BK: Our strategic plan has consistently been to build on our strengths. Herrick does not try to be everything to everyone. In the areas in which we excel, and their complementary disciplines, we have continued to grow by recruiting lawyers and groups that fit within the ecosystem of our strengths. We support those groups through marketing, professional development and other resources. We have been in this business for 97 years, and through that time we have focused on methodical and measured growth. In a world of law firms that continue to merge into monoliths, we have consistently worked to maintain our size and excel in the areas in which we are known.

LD: There are many high-quality firms out there – what makes Herrick unique, in your opinion?

BK: It is inherent in our firm culture to nurture and cultivate collaboration not only within a department, but also throughout the firm as a whole. With a firm of our size, our partners know each other very well – on both a personal and professional level. Cross-marketing opportunities happen in real time every day because it is baked into our culture. We also invest in our associates, providing them with personalized marketing and business development opportunities, as well as direct client interaction and meaningful and sophisticated work. We can provide this high touch mentoring and career development because of our lean teams and partner/associate ratio, and it is something that we like to protect.

LD: Tell us a bit about Herrick’s offices and the history of the space.

BK: After 75 years in Herrick’s current space, the firm’s long standing office lease came up for renewal. The firm explored numerous options for our physical footprint, prioritizing efficiency and collaboration while maintaining the aspects of the space that honor our rich New York history. Ultimately, we decided to stay in our building, which is itself a historical landmark. I have been fully engaged with the architects and the project management team helping to redefine Herrick’s offices to meet the needs of the firm in a more technologically advanced hybrid world, while preserving firm culture, profitability and client service. This carried through from office spaces to common spaces and includes technology, layout, design, furniture and flow. We also preserved the firm’s extensive collection of New York artifacts to maintain a connection between our 97-year history in New York and the city itself. I am focused on retaining our inherent New York culture and the impact that the firm has on this city. In conjunction with the move, I am also overseeing the rebranding of the firm’s logo to align with the new modern space and to reflect our brand as it has evolved over the last 97 years.

LD: If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be doing now?

BK: I would probably be a real estate investor. I represent numerous clients in their real estate investments in the United States. In another lifetime, I would be my own client investing in commercial and residential properties.