An in-depth look at Dragan Lazarov of Law Office Lazarov covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.
Career:
- Law Office Lazarov; Managing Partner; 2015-Present
- Government of the Republic of North Macedonia; Head of Legal Department; 2011-2015
- Deputy Prime Minister Office; Chief of Staff of the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs; 2009-2011
Education:
- European Center for Peace and Development; Ph.D. in International Business Law; ongoing
- University of Ss Cyril and Methodius Skopje – Law Faculty Iustinianus I; LL.M.; 2012
- University of Ss Cyril and Methodius Skopje – Law Faculty Iustinianus I – BA Law; 2009
Favorites:
- Out-of-office activity: Cooking as a hobby and a passion #thelawyerwhocooks
- Quote: “Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own (Amor fati)” – Marcus Aurelius
- Book: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- Movie: Primal Fear, 1996
Top 5 Projects
- Advising the Ministry of Finance of North Macedonia and the EBRD on the development of a legal and regulatory framework for derivatives and repos for North Macedonia. Supporting regulatory reforms to enable a legal framework for derivatives and repos, specifically close-out netting
- Establishing a Business Interest Group for a group of retail supermarkets – Elida, Tamaro, Misa, Montenegro – a challenging quest from a competition point of view with a concept that is successfully overcoming the test of time
- Advising the Government of North Macedonia on legislative reform to introduce a Nexus tax regime in free economic zones
- Advising Euromaxx Resources on the merger of two exploitation concessions in the biggest gold mine project in the country
- Advising on M&A and competition aspects for V+O – an international marketing company – in forming the strategic alliance with SEC Newgate
CEELM: What would you say was the most challenging project you ever worked on and why?
Lazarov: The multidisciplinary advisory work for Ilovitza-Shtuka, the biggest gold/copper mining project in the country. We were acting on the side of the investor for what is still the biggest foreign investment in the country (EUR 450 million). The main task was merging two mining concessions into one, but also many other aspects that this merger implied. It was a challenging task because of the complexity of the legal framework in this field and the need to comply with the international standards of the investor.
CEELM: And what was your main takeaway from it?
Lazarov: Balancing between the interests of the state and an investor in a specifically complex project requires a lot of soft skills beyond the legal scope of the task. Navigating a backdated legal framework for a client and a project operating at a top international level required a lot of careful maneuvering, which really reflects the need for an upgrade of the current legislation.
CEELM: What is one thing clients likely don’t know about you?
Lazarov: I remember every case and project I’ve worked on, and I often subconsciously process key details in my mind, even while doing completely different things. It certainly helps with generating those eureka moments but I do wish I would be better at “switching off” at times. That’s why I enjoy such moments in the kitchen cooking my favorite Italian recipes and relaxing my mind and senses to get ready for new challenges.
CEELM: Name one mentor who played a big role in your career and how they impacted you.
Lazarov: My father. I literally grew up in a courtroom with my father. Ever since I can remember he was a judge and the president of the Basic Court in Shtip – my hometown. As a kid I used to spend a lot of time with him in his office and the court, getting to know the legal profession first-hand. When my decision to enroll in law school was official, he continued mentoring me from a practical aspect, which is very rare in formal education. My apprenticeship as a lawyer began under his supervision. Even today, sometimes a simple word of advice from him can steer me in the right direction.
CEELM: Name one mentee, you are particularly proud of.
Lazarov: We always choose our people in the most competitive and transparent manner, through a series of interviews and practical knowledge tests. We continue with that approach in mentoring and developing our people. In such a process, Blazhe Aytov, now an Attorney, has gone a long way in a relatively short time in his career with us and is on an excellent track.
CEELM: What is the one piece of advice you’d give yourself fresh out of law school?
Lazarov: Trust me, you don’t know anything. Don’t try too hard to apply something you don’t know – rather focus on putting into use the knowledge you gained in law school and never stop developing yourself and your skills besides your legal knowledge.
This article was originally published in Issue 11.10 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the magazine, you can subscribe here.
