The Legal 500

Bulgaria

Banking and finance

Banking and finance - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov’s leading practice is jointly headed by the widely respected Vessela Stancheva-Mincheva and Nikolai Gouginski. The team demonstrates ‘knowledge, high-quality work and clear communication’ and acts for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on various matters. The team is advising a bank consortium – which includes HSBC, the IFC, Nedbank and Standard Chartered – on the provision of debt for subsidiaries of Petroceltic International.

Leading individuals

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Capital markets

Capital markets - ranked: tier 2

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov served as Bulgarian adviser to the arrangers (BNP Paribas, Citigroup Global Markets, J.P. Morgan Securities and UniCredit) on the €2bn issuance of sovereign bonds; Georgi Tzvetkov, who is ‘on top of the issues’ and ‘solution-driven’, led the advice. Other clients include Western Union, ING Bank and MasterCard.

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Commercial, corporate and M&A

Commercial, corporate and M&A - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov is, according to one client, ‘probably the top firm in the country, especially for complicated transactions’. Zdravka Ugrinova and Violetta Kunze jointly lead the team, which includes Stephan Kyutchukov, who is arguably ‘the best corporate lawyer in Bulgaria’. Kunze led local law advice to US-based Equinix on its multi-jurisdictional $3.6bn takeover of TelecityGroup.

Leading individuals

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Dispute resolution

Dispute resolution - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov is commended for the ‘accuracy and high professionalism of all lawyers’. The team acts for major domestic and international companies in high-level litigation and arbitration, with clients including ČEZ Electro Bulgaria, Punto FA and Cargill Bulgaria. Practice head Angel Ganev is ‘extremely experienced in the field of procedural and arbitration proceedings’.

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EU and competition

EU and competition - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov’s experienced team acts for clients including Merck Bulgaria, DaimlerChrysler, BMW and Visa Europe. Name partner Nikolai Gouginski is assisting OMV Bulgaria with regard to a Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) antitrust investigation into alleged horizontal price fixing by six of Bulgaria’s largest fuel retailers.

Leading individuals

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Energy and natural resources

Energy and natural resources - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov’s team gives ‘extremely accurate’ advice and has ‘a deep knowledge of specific legal issues’. Milan Pandev is ‘extremely qualified in the field of energy law’, in which experienced senior associate Anton Krustev is also ‘an expert’. Recent headline work includes advising J.P. Morgan Securities, as the syndicate leader, on multiple financings of Bulgarian Energy Holding. Other mandates included assisting Halliburton with the regulatory aspects of its oil and gas business in Bulgaria.

Leading individuals

Next generation lawyers

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Healthcare and life sciences

Healthcare and life sciences - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov’s clients include Merck and Abbott Laboratories; the team is also advising Astellas Pharma on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines in Bulgaria. Pharmaceuticals regulatory and IP specialist Kalina Tchakarova heads the team.

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Projects and PPP

Projects and PPP - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov is ‘flexible and effective in resolving difficult matters’. It advised HSBC, as lead syndicate arranger, on restructuring the project financing of Petroceltic’s Black Sea operations, and assisted OTP Bank and DSK Bank with a €24.5m project financing of City Hospital and Clinics Group for a state-of-the-art new cancer facility. The strong team includes construction and M&A specialist Stephan Kyutchukov, head of energy Milan Pandev and finance expert Nikolai Gouginski.

Leading individuals

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Real estate and construction

Real estate and construction - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov is advising Kaufland on acquiring multiple supermarket sites throughout the country and handled Turkish healthcare group Acibadem’s purchase of Tokuda Hospital, Bulgaria’s largest private hospital. Stephan Kyutchukov is widely considered a leader in the field for his ‘proactive deal-structuring advice, which helps shorten the deal cycle and maximise a successful outcome’.

Leading individuals

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TMT

TMT - ranked: tier 1

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov has impeccable credentials in the sector. Recent work includes successfully defending Google and its subsidiary YouTube in a competition dispute pertaining to AdWord services, which was heard before the Supreme Administrative Court and set precedent. Facebook and Telecom Italia are also clients. Practice head Violetta Kunze has ‘exceptional knowledge of the market’ and ‘a thorough understanding of product differentiation’.

Leading individuals

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