The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Bulgaria > Healthcare and life sciences

Boyanov & Co. has notable experience in the pharmaceuticals industry and regularly handles issues relating to the production, registration and sale of medical and healthcare products; the group also assists with regulatory matters and the protection, enforcement and prosecution of IP rights. Kina Chuturkova and Peter Petrov jointly lead the practice; Chuturkova advises on regulatory matters and contractual issues, and Petrov represents clients in investigations. In a recent highlight, the group defended Sanofi Pasteur and Sanofi-Aventis Hungary in a damages claim brought by a Bulgarian distributor relating to the early termination of a distribution agreement. Alcon, Hoffmann-La Roche, Bayer and Novartis are also clients. Associate Nedyalka Novakova is also a key name to note.

The department at Dimitrov, Petrov & Co is 'highly dedicated and competent' and 'strives to deliver high-quality advice'; it handles the full spectrum of issues for clients in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors including regulatory matters, clinical trials, marketing work and data protection mandates. Zoya Todorova and senior associate Biliyana Angelova jointly lead the practice; Todorova acts for domestic and international life sciences companies, and Angelova focuses on clinical trials and regulatory work in the food sector. Clients also single out litigator and 'brilliant adviser' Metodi Baykushev, who is 'always available'; and senior associate Donka Stoyanova, who 'gives clients the value they need'. The team advised OptimaPharm on clinical trial and research issues relating to its entry into the Bulgarian market. Pfizer, Janssen-Cilag and Johnson & Johnson are also clients.

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov provides ‘good expertise, fast reaction times and reliable support’ to domestic and international life sciences companies, wholesalers, pharmacy chains, hospitals and medical institutions. The department handles healthcare infrastructure matters, M&A, regulatory issues and IP mandates; the team recently acted for Medilab in several pre-litigation cases relating to its business connections with foreign manufacturers and suppliers. Kalina Tchakarova heads up the group and acts for pharmaceutical companies on medical product matters; other key practitioners include Georgi Tzvetkov and senior associates Valentin Bojilov, Milka Ivanova and Anton Petrov.

Tsvetkova Bebov Komarevski's client roster encompasses pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, biotechnology companies and research institutions, with notable examples including AstraZeneca, AmGen and Takeda. Group leader Ilya Komarevski handles regulatory issues including representing clients in regulatory appeals; he also recently advised Dr Max on its €5m acquisition of A&D Pharma Bulgaria. Senior associate Eleonora Mateina is also a key name to note and focuses on the pharmaceutical, food supplements and healthcare sectors.

Recent mandates for the team at Wolf Theiss include advising Celgene Management on its compliance with ARPharm's disclosure code relating to payments made to medical practitioners, and assisting Reckitt Benckiser with its GDPR policies. Other clients include Boehringer Ingelheim, STS Medical Group and Pierre Fabre. Key practitioners include team head Anna Rizova, who handles competition, regulatory and commercial matters; and senior associate Hristina Dzhevlekova, who is experienced in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life sciences sectors.

At CMS, managing partner and group head David Butts is the key contact for IP, compliance and competition issues in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors; and senior associate Angelika Sedlackova handles a wide variety of life sciences mandates including clinical trial agreements, reimbursement procedures and regulatory matters. The team's client roster includes Amgen, Medtronic, Eli Lilly and Company, Takeda and Merck.

Ivan Todorov heads up the practice at Georgiev, Todorov & Co, which recently advised Roche Bulgaria on negotiations with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) relating to discounts on medicinal products that will be auctioned off to hospitals and related reimbursement issues. Lyulin Hospital, SGP Bio Dynamics and several hospitals in the City Clinic Group are also clients.

Murgova & Partners Attorneys at Law provides 'an excellent and efficient service' with advice that is 'valuable, client oriented and delivered in a timely manner'. The practice counts state hospitals and private healthcare companies as clients, which it advises on clinical trial requirements and public procurement procedures for medical products and equipment. Noteworthy practitioners include managing partner Petya Murgova, who ‘impresses with her in-depth legal knowledge, negotiation skills and high client engagement levels’; and senior associate Alexander Stoimenov, who handles medical legislation matters.

Recent highlights for Penkov, Markov & Partners include advising a pharmaceutical company on the regulatory requirements related to donating prescription medicinal products to healthcare institutions, and acting for a client in unfair competition proceedings. Vladimir Penkov jointly leads the practice with Roman Stoyanov; Penkov regularly acts for developers of medicinal products, medical devices, healthcare products and food supplements.

Schoenherr (in cooperation with Stoyanov & Tsekova) assists domestic and EU-based pharmaceutical companies, medical product developers, chemical producers and food companies. Stefana Tsekova recently advised Pharma Vision Europe on its establishment including distribution chain issues, regulatory work and reimbursement matters; other clients include Amway and OMV. Elena Todorova leads the team.

Stoeva, Tchompalov & Znepolski 'finds the best solutions' and provides ‘accurate and practical advice’ to pharmaceutical producers, distributors, individual healthcare practitioners and pharmacists. Practice head Irina Stoeva is ‘a competent professional with notable experience in pharmaceuticals and healthcare regulation’; of counsel Vania Todorova ‘possesses remarkable analytical abilities’, and senior associate Miroslava Iordanova is ‘pragmatic, accurate and detailed in her explanations’. In a recent mandate, the group assisted GlaxoSmithKline with competition issues relating to its advertisements for cosmetic products. Perrigo and Adriatic BST are also clients.