About Us
About Us
SAFE HARBOUR is a consultancy based in Madrid, Spain, specialized in the maritime and transportation sectors. The founders of the company are Ece Zerey, a lawyer registered to Madrid and Istanbul Bar Associations, and Captain Serdal Tekeli, who has been serving the industry for many years.
Attorney Ece Zerey provides all types of legal advice through her own consulting firm ECE ZEREY CONSULTING SL. However, because the maritime and transportation sectors require both legal and technical expertise and knowledge, the founders have marketed their services under the trade name SAFE HARBOUR and have preferred to act as a subsection of the same consulting firm.
The fact that there are not many companies providing services in Turkish, English and Spanish between Spain and Turkey has led the founders to dedicate themselves to this field. The firm’s objective is to provide solutions to all types of legal and technical problems that may arise in Spain for shipping and transportation companies. The experience of the founders both in the sector and in Spain facilitates this. The consultancy also carries out commercial mediation activities and provides support in the sale and purchase of vessels and merchandise.
Lawyer Ece Zerey
Ece Zerey, is a lawyer registered in the Bar Associations of Istanbul and Madrid, founder of ECE ZEREY ABOGADOS and one of the founders of SAFE HARBOUR law firm. She graduated from the Faculty of Law of Galatasaray University, one of the most recognized institutions in Turkey, and from 2013 she continued his professional career in Spain.
After completing a master’s degree in international law at IE Business School in Madrid with a 100% scholarship granted by the Turkish Education Foundation (Türk Eğitim Vakfı), Ece Zerey started working in the field of Spanish local law. She later received her law degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universidad UNED in Spain, completed her second master's degree, Master of Access to the Legal Profession, at the Universidad Internacional de Valencia, passed the bar exam administered by the Spanish Ministry of Justice and was finally admitted to the Madrid Bar Association.
Since 2012 Ece Zerey has worked in international law firms and companies. She is a lawyer who speaks Turkish, English, Spanish, French and Italian. Having worked as an in-house lawyer in international companies such as Dla Piper, Toksöz Group, Allianz Group, Ece Zerey, a registered lawyer in both Turkey and Spain, has been providing legal advice to her clients since 2019 through her law firm ECE ZEREY CONSULTING (ECE ZEREY ABOGADOS), a law and consulting firm.
In addition, Ece Zerey obtained a master’s degree in Maritime Law from the Universidad Europea de Madrid in 2022. Since then, she has been providing services in the field of maritime trade and law together with his client, Captain Serdal Tekeli, through SAFE HARBOUR consulting office. Attorney Ece Zerey wrote her master”s thesis on P&I (Protection and Indemnity) insurance, which is of great importance in the maritime sector.
Captain Serdal Tekeli
Captain Serdal Tekeli graduated from the Technical Machinery Department of the Technical and Industrial Vocational High School, İzmir Atatürk Anadolu. He completed his higher education in 2002 by graduating from Uludağ University Ship-Deck Department. He also started sailing at an early age with the Marmaris Yacht Club.
After graduating from university, he worked in major shipping companies such as Aksay Denizcilik, Genel Denizcilik Nakliyati A.S (Geden Lines), Scorpio Tankers Inc. known in Turkey and the rest of the world, as well as working as a deck officer. From 2013 onwards, he became an Oceangoing Master and played an active role in the sector until 2023. He has advanced equipment for the management, administration, and operation of chemical and crude oil tankers. He is also experienced and licensed in the field of yachts and sailboats. With the awareness of having played a key and effective role in the global maritime trade in the sector for many years and being aware of the expectations, demands and requests of the market, he aims to provide services and solutions targeting consultancy, mediation, and common gains in the maritime field with his professional experience and knowledge.