The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance , Boyanov & Co is a first tier firm,

Boyanov & Co advises across the full spectrum of work, and is notably expert in banking and project finance. It advised longstanding client Allied Irish Banks on the high-profile sale of its 49% stake in The Bulgarian-American Credit Bank. It also advised Irish multinational Quinn Group Limited on a €121m loan note issuance. Other clients include Markan, Raiffeisenbank and Société Générale Expressbank. Team head Yordan Naydenov and Damian Simeonov are recommended.

Within Capital markets , Boyanov & Co is a first tier firm,

Headed by the highly regarded Damian Simeonov, Boyanov & Co’s team has an excellent reputation for capital markets. While the number of mandates has slowed due to a dearth in capital raisings, it continues to advise leading financial institutions such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America.

Within Corporate and M&A , Boyanov & Co is a first tier firm,

Boyanov & Co’s experienced team provides ‘quick response times, excellent industry knowledge and strong commitment to its clients’. The group advised Lidl on its takeover of the Romanian and Bulgarian branches of its competitor Plus; and, in a reflection of its TMT sector expertise, acted on the restructuring of Blizoo Media and Broadband. The team was also retained to advise the Privatisation Agency of the Republic of Bulgaria on the privatisation of Bulgartabac Holding. Yordan Naydenov leads the practice, which includes Damian Simeonov.

Within EU and competition , Boyanov & Co is a first tier firm,

Boyanov & Co’s comprehensive competition practice matches ‘the best of the best’. Peter Petrov and his team routinely defend multinational clients before the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC), and in 2010 defended a leading food retailer in an appeal brought by a competitor relating to its acquisition of a discount retail chain.

Within Legal market overview,

Boyanov & Co and Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov are prominent local firms, but are increasingly facing competition from rivals such as Spasov & Bratanov, Tsvetkova Bebov & Partners (Landwell) and Kambourov & Partners, as well as foreign firm CMS Cameron McKenna LLP – Bulgaria Branch. The Austrian firms of Wolf Theiss and Schoenherr are also increasingly influential in the region.

Within Privatisation, PPP and foreign investment, Boyanov & Co is a first tier firm,

Boyanov & Co advised the Privatization Agency on the privatisation of state-owned cigarette and tobacco manufacturer Bulgartabac Holding, one of the few privatisations in Bulgaria in 2010. The team, which is led by Yordan Naydenov, also advised US, Canadian and Russian investors on foreign direct investment.

Within Projects, energy and natural resources, Boyanov & Co is a first tier firm,

Boyanov & Co provides an ‘excellent’ service to its international client base. It is particularly strong in the nuclear and renewable energy sectors, and advised AOA Atomenergoprom on the construction and operation of Belene nuclear power plant. Other highlights included advising a major Russian energy company on its potential acquisition of ENEL, and advising China Ming Yang Wind Power Group on its joint venture to build a portfolio of wind farms. Practice head Alexander Chatalbashev is recommended.

Within Real estate and construction , Boyanov & Co is a first tier firm,

Boyanov & Co’s ‘experienced, reliable, and highly regarded’ three-partner team is led by the ‘thorough, professional and responsive’ Nickolay Nickolov. In 2010, it acted for EFG Eurobank on the €200m financing of construction group Michaniki; and for Markan on its €130m acquisition of a plot of land for the construction of a mixed-use Novotel hotel building.

Within TMT , Boyanov & Co is a first tier firm,

Boyanov & Co has a strong TMT practice that is noted for its ability to advise on big-ticket deals. It recently advised RBS on its €1.4bn loan to AIG for the acquisition of a majority stake in Bulgarian Telecommunications Company. Other highlights included advising EQT V on its ongoing reorganisation following its acquisition of Eurocom and CableTel. Damian Simeonov leads the practice.