CMS has announced that Kostadin Sirleshtov has taken over as Managing Partner of the firm’s Bulgarian office from David Butts, who is stepping down after almost ten years in the role and retiring from the CMS partnership.

Last year was a good one for the automotive industry in Bulgaria. According to information from the Automotive Cluster Bulgaria, a total of 12 projects worth more than EUR 500 million were in the process of implementation in late 2018 and early 2019. These projects are from companies like ETEM, Visteon, Leoni, Voss Automotive, Sensata, and Bosch; i.e. first-, second- and third-tier suppliers whose business is not solely tied to the automotive industry. According to the Cluster, the sector already covers more than 220 enterprises with a turnover of EUR 5 billion, which represents approximately 10% of Bulgaria’s GDP.

2018 was an eventful year from a compliance perspective, with data privacy, cyber security, and anti-money laundering among the key areas. Like other countries in the EU, Bulgaria has made steps to harmonize its legislation and follow the major legal trends in Europe.

Legislation and Strategic Changes in the Bulgarian Energy Sector: Several amendments were made to Bulgaria’s energy laws in 2018 facilitating the further liberalization of the energy market. Renewable energy producers exceeding 4 MW installed capacity that enjoyed offtake of their energy at Feed-In Tariff (FiT) were introduced to a different support scheme: Contracts for Premium (CfP), which became effective on January 1, 2019. Under CfP, renewables sell their electricity to the free market – either to the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX) or to their balancing group coordinators.

Bulgaria, it seems, is in good shape. Fueled by a buoyant tech sector, the country’s economy is registering impressive growth, incomes are rising, and unemployment is down. Still, with corruption still a problem and the prospect of a global slowdown around the corner, few are willing to bet on the good times sticking around long. As always, in the Land of Roses, the thorns are not far away.

Unimpressed by Picadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, Stela Pavlova and Katerina Kaloyanova have, in recent years, left positions with high-powered international law firms in London to return to their native Bulgaria and join Schoenherr’s office in Sofia. Both insist the trade-offs were less dramatic than many assume … and both credit Schoenherr Bulgaria’s Managing Partner Alexandra Doytchinova with making them feel right at home. 

The Deal: In May, 2018, CEE Legal Matters reported that Linklaters, Kocian Solc Balastik, the BLC Law Office, Paksoy, and Tsvetkova Bebov Komarevski had provided advice on Czech, English, Georgian, Turkish, and Bulgarian law, respectively, to Energo-Pro a.s. on its EUR 250 million Eurobond issue in London. Allen & Overy, BGI Legal in Tbilisi, Boyanov & Co. in Bulgaria, and Turkey’s Gedik & Eraksoy advised the joint bookrunners, BNP Paribas, Citigroup Global Markets Limited and J.P. Morgan Securities plc, and the Trustee, Citibank, N.A., London Branch.

Hristina Burdasheva is the Chief Counsel Legal and Compliance of Mondelez International for South Central Europe and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Mondelez Bugaria Holding. She is based in Bulgaria.

Dimitrov Petrov & Co has helped Telenor Bulgaria obtain regulatory permission necessary for conducting the business of an insurance agent.

White & Case has advised Total Eren, a French renewable energy Independent Power Producer, on the acquisition of NovEnergia Holding Company, a Southern European Independent Power Producer. King Wood & Mallesons advised NovEnergia on the deal.

Boyanov & Co. has advised the lenders on a EUR 100 million syndicated financing of the Advance Media Group EAD's EUR 185 million acquisition of the Nova Broadcasting Group from MTG Broadcasting AB and Eastern European Media Holdings S.A. Advance Media was reportedly assisted by O'Melveny & Myers in London and Kambourov & Partners in Sofia. MTG Broadcasting was advised by Allen & Overy, Go2Law, and Spasov & Bratanov, and Eastern European Media Holdings was reportedly advised by Mayer Brown.

Bulgarian lawyer Antonia Mavrova and Czech lawyer Tomas Cihula have been promoted to partner at Kinstellar.

CMS Sofia has helped SPM Bulgaria LLC obtain a permit to prospect and explore Block 1-25 Vratsa West, which covers a large territory in northwestern Bulgaria, and which CMS describes as "the biggest onshore block in Bulgaria tendered in the past few years."

Dimitrov, Petrov & Co has advised Neveq Management OOD on the registration of the company as an Alternative Investment Fund Manager.

Dimitrov, Petrov & Co. has promoted Bilyana Angelova to Partner.

"One of Bulgaria’s biggest challenges, but simultaneously one of the biggest positive developments, is the country’s intention to join the European Exchange Rate Mechanism," says CMS Partner Elitsa Ivanova. "This is basically the waiting area for the Eurozone and the EU banking union."

CMS has supported both Shell and Repsol on negotiations for and the transfer of 20% of Shell’s interest in the Khan Kubrat block, offshore Bulgaria, to Repsol Bulgaria Khan Kubrat S.A

Radoslav Alexandrov has been promoted to Partner and Stela Sabeva was appointed the new Head of Intellectual Property at Boyanov & Co. in Bulgaria.