In “The Corner Office” we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. The question this time: Who was your favorite professor in university and why?

US-based and other multinational employers with subsidiaries in Bulgaria often include their Bulgarian employees in their equity plans and grant them equity awards. Implementing an international equity plan in Bulgaria for the first time can be challenging for any multinational employer, as they should ensure compliance with Bulgarian laws and regulations. Tax compliance could raise particular concerns, as Bulgarian tax law is silent on many issues and the views of the Bulgarian tax authorities lack consistency throughout the years.

In the past twelve months, energy prices seem to have taken a life of their own. Their continued and, at times, shocking growth has raised concerns across the region and prompted differing responses and policy changes in each country. To get a more accurate picture of recent developments, we reached out to experts in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, and Turkey and asked them about the current energy prices, their impact on local economies, the drivers behind their growth, and whether any plans were in place to address the issue.

Schoenherr and Stuttgart-based Oppenlaender Rechtsanwaelte have advised NTT Data Business Solutions on its acquisition of Business Services and Technologies. Tzvetkova & Partners advised the shareholders of Business Services and Technologies.

Schoenherr has advised Bulstrad Life Vienna Insurance Group on its brokerage and outsourcing agreements with the Global Benefits Group and the related reinsurance agreement with AXA France Vie.

CEE Legal Matters readers will likely be familiar with Patricia Gannon as one of the founders of Karanovic & Partners. Since her withdrawal from the firm (reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 21, 2020), Gannon ran her own "holistic strategic advisory business" (as reported on October 12, 2020) and, recently, she announced she is working on a new social media app for lawyers – Platforum 9. We caught up with her to learn more about her new project.

Tsvetkova Bebov & Partners has advised James Bergman and other sellers on the sale of the Transact Europe Group to GreenBox POS. Logofetova and Associates advised GreenBox on the deal.

Following CMS's recent global promotion round, Nevena Radlova, Michal Andruszkiewicz, Cristina Popescu, and Olga Shenk were promoted to Partner, with Partners Gabriela Staber and Andrea Potz becoming Equity Partners.

Recent cyber-attacks, the emergence of AI services, and a new Ministry of e-Government are among the widely discussed issues in Bulgaria, according to PPG Lawyers Managing Partner Irena Georgieva.

Schoenherr has advised BlackPeak Capital on its EUR 7.5 million equity investment into EUShipments.com and its subsidiary InOut Trade. Wolf Theiss advised the founders of EUShipments.com and InOut Trade.

Former Counsel Nina Tsifudina has been promoted to Partner at Kinstellar.

CMS has advised Toki Power on drafting a sleeving power purchase agreement with a telecommunications company in Bulgaria.

Boyanov & Co has appointed Borislav Notovsky and Stela Sabeva to Partner.

Tsvetkova Bebov & Partners, working with Herbert Smith Freehills, has advised the First Investment Bank on establishing its EUR 100 million debt issuance program and issuing two tranches of AT1-qualifying notes under it.

CMS has successfully represented ASM-BG Investicii and Consult Solar before the Sofia Court of Appeal in the renewable energy sources (RES) recovery procedure.

Kinstellar has advised Remix Global on long-term leases of office space in Business Garden Office X and a warehouse close to Sofia.

War-related concerns have put the new government’s plans and a number of business transactions on hold, according to Schoenherr Local Partner Ilko Stoyanov.

Former Senior Associate Nikola Stoychev has been promoted to Partner at Dimitrov, Petrov & Co.