Practice areas

Comprehensive support throughout the business life cycle for international investors in Bulgaria: structuring for market entry, registration, branches and representative offices, joint ventures, transformations (mergers, absorptions, divisions, spin-offs), transfer of commercial undertakings. Due diligence, negotiation, structuring of M&A transactions and restructurings, corporate governance and relations among shareholders.

Merger clearances, antitrust compliance, prevention of prohibited agreements. Representation before the CPC in cases concerning unfair competition, advertising campaigns and concentrations.

Consumer terms and claims, representation before the Consumer Protection Commission and appeals against its acts, with advance review of promotions, advertising campaigns and games.

Licences, permits to carry on business and urban planning approvals in regulated sectors.

We challenge administrative acts at every level, from ministerial orders to mayoral orders, before the administrative courts and the Supreme Administrative Court. Our work covers detailed development plans and construction documents; acts of the Commission for Protection of Competition, the Consumer Protection Commission, the Financial Supervision Commission and the State Agency for Metrological and Technical Surveillance; public procurement; and financial corrections. We represent both those to whom acts are addressed and the authorities issuing them.

Structuring of tenders, analysis of bids, contract management for Bulgarian and European projects; contesting decisions and appealing financial corrections. Assistance also to contracting authorities – documentation, committees, the procedure as a whole.

Transactions, structuring, tax aspects, title checks, property-law disputes, regulation of land plots, construction process. Clients: large real estate funds and construction companies.

International personnel, employment compliance, contracts with management, benefits, relations with trade unions; employment disputes before all instances.

Regulatory and operational advice to banks, leasing companies and non-bank financial institutions; letters of credit, bank guarantees, loans, mortgages and registered pledges.

Incorporation, licensing, regulatory compliance, insurance and reinsurance claims.

VAT, excise duties, cross-border structures, tax planning and compliance; audits and inspections, appeals against audit acts through administrative and judicial channels.

Traditional and renewable sources, nuclear energy, natural resources, environmental protection, oil industry, biofuels, water infrastructure, district heating, radioactive waste, FIDIC contracts; financing and development of electricity and natural gas projects.

Concession for a Black Sea port terminal; concessions for extraction of facing materials from quarries. Award and performance of concessions, rights to prospect and explore subsurface resources, appeals against refusals, disputes under concession contracts, transfer of rights.

Creditors and debtors at all stages; filing of claims, creditors' meetings, realisation of assets, claims to replenish the estate. Cross-border proceedings in the EU.

Order for payment, contentious and interim relief proceedings; enforcement through a nationwide network of enforcement agents, including enforcement against registered pledges.

All court instances; lawyers with experience as judges, arbitrators and mediators. International commercial arbitration (ICC, LMAA, VIAC, the Arbitration Court at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), cross-border asset protection, Bulgarian legal aspects of cases before international courts.

A separate practice. Individuals, leasing companies and companies affected by banking and insurance fraud, document offences, money laundering and other financial crimes.