The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Bulgaria > Energy and natural resources

Boyanov & Co. advises on a wide range of energy matters, including assisting with fossil fuel exploration permits, contractual and regulatory issues in the distribution and supply of natural gas, and public procurement processes in the nuclear energy sector. As well as providing regulatory advice, Damian Simeonov, head of the firm’s banking and finance practice, has experience of financing energy projects. The team also handles mergers, acquisitions and unfair competition proceedings pertaining to the energy sector. Alexander Chatalbashev  heads up the practice, which counts EVN Energy, Westinghouse Electric and Sunowe Solar GmbH among its clients. Counsel Nikolay Kolev is another name to note.

The team at CMS draws on its ‘long-term experience’ to advise clients on the full spectrum of energy and natural resources work, including nuclear and conventional energy production, oil and gas exploration, renewable energy, waste management, and regulatory consultancy and litigation. The team is especially prominent in exploration, having assisted Shell, SPM, Repsol and Petroceltic with obtaining onshore and offshore licences. The firm’s strong corporate and commercial practice also allows the team to advise on financing, agreements and restructurings of energy projects. The practice is jointly led by Kostadin Sirleshtov, who is a former board member of several key energy companies and highly rated by peers in the sector, and Dimitar Zwiatkow, who specialises in the financing and real estate aspects of projects.

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov’s key strengths lie in the corporate and commercial aspects of energy work, advising on contractual disputes, SPAs, M&A and regulatory matters. The firm has acted for a number of clients in disputes with the nationalised energy companies and regulatory bodies, including ContourGlobal Maritza East III, a coal-fired power plant operator, and Mechel International Holdings GmbH, a global mining company. Milan Pandev, an expert in the regional oil and gas markets leads the team, alongside senior partner Georgi Gouginski. The team provides ongoing consultancy to major market players, including Lukoil and Axpo Trading. Counsel Anton Krustev and senior associate Nikola Minchev are other names to note.

Jordanov, Ignatov, Ivanov Law Firm is a key name in the field of energy and natural resources. The firm advised the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy on the potential tender offer to complete the €12-14bn construction of Belene Nuclear Power Plant. While most of the firm’s mandates come from the Ministry of Energy and the nationalised energy companies, it has also represented Elit Auto against the regulatory authorities in its petition to have its renewable energy facilities connected to the national grid. Practice heads Rumen Ignatov  and Ivan Jordanov are highly experienced in this field, with the latter having assisted with the creation of Bulgaria’s energy exchange (Ibex) in 2014. Dimitar Ivanov is another name to note.

The ‘pro-active’ team at Kambourov & Partners is particularly experienced in the field of electricity trading, having advised the European Federation of Energy Traders, GEN-I, MVM Group and the Hydroenergy Group on their activities in the Bulgarian market. Pipelines are another core strength of the firm; it acted for Societa Appalto Lavori Pubblici and Citygas Bulgaria on public procurement bids for pipeline construction, and associated subsequent contractual disputes. The practice is headed by Stefan Tzakov, an experienced litigator who ‘stands out’ for his wide-ranging expertise in the Bulgarian energy market. Irena Petkova is also noted.

The energy and natural resources practice at Wolf Theiss covers all segments of the power sector – natural gas production and distribution; nuclear, renewable and conventional power generation; commodity and energy trading; regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution. The ‘outstandingly professional, courteous and proficient’ Radoslav Mikov is the key member of the team, and jointly leads the practice alongside Anna Rizova, who is experienced in advising on nuclear energy, gas pipeline construction and electricity trading. Oleg Temnikov and senior associate Katerina Novakova are other names to note. The firm counts ExxonMobil, Edison Trading, and Micronix among its clients.

Andrey Delchev and Partners - Eurolex Bulgaria’s energy and natural resources practice provides ongoing consultancy services to clients in the sector regarding regulatory compliance, contracts, and disputes. Practice head Andrey Delchev is well equipped to provide such advice, having participated in the drafting of energy legislation for seven successive governments. The firm assisted the Bulgarian Petroleum and Gas Association with drafting a new regulatory framework for the trade of oil and oil products, which came into force in January 2019. In addition to its consultancy work, the firm also advises on the financing, construction and tendering process for power projects, with DK Energy Bulgaria (a subsidiary of EDF) and Nomac Solar among its clients. Senior associate Valery Petkov is another key member of the team.

Dinova Rusev & Partners focuses on natural resource extraction and energy trading; the firm provides ongoing advice to approximately 70% of metal ore mining companies active in Bulgaria. The team is experienced in the licensing process for electricity traders – practice head Iliya Grozdanov is particularly knowledgeable, having himself obtained a licence to trade on the Ibex electricity exchange. In addition to representing energy companies, the team also assists companies in other sectors with negotiating contracts for energy supply and grid connection. Key clients include Coca-Cola, Energo-Pro and Kaliakra Wind Power.

Georgiev, Todorov & Co’s energy and natural resources practice excels in handling disputes for clients in the sector. The firm is representing 47 hydroelectric power plant operators in separate cases against the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission. In addition to its disputes work, the firm assists with drafting complex contracts and agreements, and advises on debt restructuring for energy project holding companies. The team is jointly led by Ivan Todorov and Arno Mamasyan, who has a ‘deep knowledge of energy law.’ Nikolay Lazarov, who ‘produces work of the highest quality’ and the ‘precise and hardworking’ Mariya Derelieva are other key contacts. Miglena Peneva has ‘excellent negotiation skills'.

The energy and natural resources practice at Penkov, Markov & Partners has handled major deals in the sector; in 2019, the team advised ČEZ on the planned sale of its Bulgarian assets to Eurohold. The firm has notable expertise in renewable energy feed-in pricing, having acted for manufacturers seeking to sell energy, generated as a by-product of waste-processing, back into the grid. In this vein, the firm counts over 60 renewable energy producers among their clients, and has represented them in compensation claims against the regulatory authorities after a change to feed-in tariffs enacted, and declared unconstitutional in 2014. The practice is jointly led by Vladimir Penkov, Roman Stoyanov, Nikolay Cvetanov and Atanas Valov.

Schoenherr (in cooperation with Stoyanov & Tsekova) acts for upstream and downstream oil and gas suppliers, renewable energy producers, and investors in renewable and fossil-fuel energy companies. The firm is advising Edison on its involvement in the ICBG gas pipeline, and provides ongoing advice to OMV Bulgaria, a fuel station operator. Stefana Tsekova, who counts OMV, EVN, and Woodside Energy among her clients, heads the practice, while attorneys-at-law Ivelina Vassileva and Radoslav Chemshirov focus on downstream oil and gas supply, and regulatory compliance, respectively.

Dimitrov, Petrov & Co covers regulatory and contractual issues, including acting on contentious matters, for major renewable energy companies, including Alpiq and Windkraft Simonsfeld. The firm has experience of drafting commercial contracts regarding electricity grid connection and has assisted energy traders in obtaining licences to trade on the Ibex marketplace. Bogdan Petrov is highly experienced in regulatory matters and the 'talented' Zoya Todorova handles the firm’s transactional and contractual work. Senior associate Pencho Stanchev is 'very successful in litigation' according to one client.

Kinstellar handles the energy aspects of large real estate deals and public infrastructure projects. The firm also counts energy and mining companies among its clients, providing advice on the regulatory environment to NovEnergy Group, and producing a handbook on mining regulation in conjunction with Simmons & Simmons. The team, headed up by Diana Dimova and Mladen Minev , has acted on contentious matters in the energy sector.

Deloitte Legal Law Firm provides regulatory and compliance advice to fuel retailers, mining companies, electricity suppliers and biofuel producers. The team, led by Reneta Petkova and Pavlin Stoyanoff, has also assisted companies with their energy grid connection procedures and water usage. Stoyanoff's practice is broad, having advised on upstream and downstream oil and gas distribution, renewables, and energy litigation and arbitration, as well as having contributed towards drafting regulatory legislation in the energy sector.

Kinkin & Partners specialises in advising on water use regulations for hydroelectric power producers. The firm has experience of advising on obtaining and renewing water usage permits, and litigating against water usage permit withdrawals, acting against the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Environment and Waters, and river basin management commissions. The team (led by the ‘excellent strategist’ Adriana Nacheva) also acts for the Hydroenergy Association on drafting amendments to the Water Act. The group also provides ongoing regulatory advice to solar power producers. Siyana Veleva is another name to note.

Tsvetkova Bebov Komarevski advises businesses on their contractual relationships with energy providers, including drafting power purchase agreements, preparing for energy efficiency audits, and advising on legislative changes to the energy market. Practice co-head Irina Tsvetkova has acted for renewable and fossil-fuel energy companies on planned projects, public tenders, and licensing processes, and fellow co-head Aleksandar Aleksandrov is a member of the Bulgarian Natural Gas Association and has advised on infrastructure projects, mergers, and regulation in the gas industry.