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The First Turkish-American Lawyer: The Grandson of an Ottoman Janissary

Ben Ali Mansion on 5th Avenue and 63th Street in New York

By Cemil Ozyurt - The New York Times carried an obituary in its September 13, 1914 issue. It was about James Ben Ali Haggin, who had died at Villa Rosa, his Newport residence, after an illness extending over a month. The paper says Mr. Haggin was buried in Lexington, KY, and that he was the grandson of Ibrahim Ben Ali who was considered a pioneer member of America's Turkish community. Wait a minute. Who was Ibrahim Ben Ali and what was he doing in America in the 1790’s? How did his lawyer grandson James Ben Ali Haggin become a rancher, investor and multimillionaire? Let’s keep investigating.

October 8, 2014
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Seda Aktas: A Top 40 Under 40 in Florida

Seda Aktas was honored as a new member of the Top 40 Under 40. She has successfully handled hundreds of trials so far in her career. Aktas Law, P.A. is one of the largest Turkish-American law firms in Florida. They have served to its clients in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando. Being a former prosecutor Seda Aktas graduated with honors from UMASS Amherst in Massachusetts. She talked to TURKOFAMERICA.

October 7, 2014
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She Knows When to "Speak Softly" and When to "Carry A Big Stick"

When she graduated from the law school in 2001, the economy had taken a hit and then September 11 happened. Petek Günay was looking for a job in corporate law when a great deal of corporate activity had virtually stopped. She responded to a job listing that said, “Get an opportunity to work on cases you read about in newspapers.” A week later, she had her first job in litigation. Günay answered TurkofAmerica’s questions.

October 7, 2014
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He Started At As An Intern, Now He Is A Partner

As a young and energetic lawyer, Barbaros Karaahmet first started at Herrick, Feinstein, LLP in 1995 and worked there until 2001. Ten years later, he re-joined the company as a partner. Today Karaahmet, Co-Chair of Herrick, Feinstein, LLP’s Turkish Practice Group answered our questions.