Zeynep T. Ayata is Assistant Professor in Competition and EU Law in Koç University Law School. She holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University, an LLB in International and European Law from Sorbonne University, an LLM in International Business Law from Sorbonne University, another LLM in European Legal Studies from College of Europe, an Equivalent Diploma in Law from Ankara University, and a PhD in Law from Ankara University specializing in EU Competition Law.

She was appointed in 2014 as an assistant professor of competition and EU law in Koç University Law School where she was an instructor between 2012-2014. She was the counsel of the case Turgut and Others v. Türkiye in the European Court of Human Rights in 2008 where she represented the plaintiff. Between 2010-2012 she worked as a competition law consultant in Kaleağası & Gürmen Law Offices. She is also currently a consultant for competition law and compliance in Koç Holding since 2014. She held a visiting post at Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition during the summer of 2015.