CMS > Sofia, Bulgaria > Firm Profile

CMS > The Legal 500 Rankings

Bulgaria > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 1

CMS is well positioned to advise on cross-border matters, and the team is frequently involved in high-profile cross-border transactions, where it draws on its knowledge of English and German law to coordinate international deals out of Bulgaria. The firm has considerable experience representing clients on both the borrower and lender side of deals, and counts international financial institutions, commercial banks, private equity firms and fintech companies among its regular clients. The team is led by Gentscho Pavlov and Dimitar Zwiatkow, who specialise in advising banking M&A transactions and large-scale portfolio transactions, and Elitsa Ivanova, who is a dual qualified Bulgarian and English lawyer and routinely advises on cross-border mandates. Further strengthening the team is head of capital markets Katya Todorova and finance expert Ivan Gergov, who made partner in July 2023. In February 2024, Konstantin Altandzhiyski joined from Wolf Theiss.

Bulgaria > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

Private equity, TMT, energy and banking and finance are some of the sectors in which the corporate and commercial team at CMS are active - it assists clients with both the buyer and seller side of complex M&A transactions and advise foreign companies on entry to and exit from the Bulgarian market. M&A expert Atanas Bangachev leads the practice, alongside Gentscho Pavlov and Dimitar Zwiatkow , who specialize in M&A and restructuring, and large-scale portfolio transactions respectively. Assen Georgiev, Nevena Radlova and Veliko Savov are also key points of contact.  

Bulgaria > Dispute resolution Tier 1

CMS is well regarded for its experience in litigation and arbitration proceedings, both domestic or international, where the team addresses disputes relating to contracts and tort law as well as assisting with the security of claims being made and enforcement proceedings. The team is noted for its sectoral expertise in IP, insurance and employment litigation, and has recently been involved in commercial disputes, public procurement and confiscation claims. The team is jointly led by Assen Georgiev and Antonia Kehayova , while Georgiev covers litigation and alternative dispute resolution cases, Kehayova is well versed in commercial and public procurement litigation.

Bulgaria > Energy and natural resources Tier 1

CMS‘ energy team is highly regarded for its breadth of expertise ranging from the construction and purchase of renewable energy facilities, environmental questions, public procurement processes and energy related arbitrations. Among its client roster are various Bulgarian and international energy and infrastructure companies including nuclear energy companies, oil and gas companies and investors in the area. The practice is jointly led by Kostadin Sirleshtov and Dimitar Zwiatkow . Sirleshtov is head of energy and climate change and is an expert in various energy sources, such as nuclear, renewables and oil and gas, while Zwiatkow focuses on projects, PPPs and public procurement along with renewables.

Bulgaria > EU and competition Tier 1

CMS covers the full array of competition matters, with Bulgarian and European antitrust, multijurisdictional merger control and unfair competition regulation standing out as practice strengths. The firm excels across a variety of industries, among them energy and renewables, banking and finance, technology and cosmetics. Nevena Radlova leads the practice and regularly assists international clients across central and eastern Europe on compliance with competition laws. Anna Tanova is another key member of the competition practice and is especially active in the IT and Media sectors.

Bulgaria > Projects and PPP Tier 1

CMS' energy, projects and construction practice group maintains a strong position in the Bulgarian infrastructure projects sphere, with the firm demonstrating expertise across railway, oil and gas, and renewables infrastructure projects. The firm advises on all manner of tender documentation, procedures for construction work, and public-private partnerships, as well as assisting with the structuring of projects and their financing. A recent notable work highlight was the firm’s involvement in a successful public procurement procedure on behalf of Czech consortium Škoda Transportation and Škoda Vagonka for a contract working on the subway infrastructure in Sofia. Head of energy, projects and construction Kostadin Sirleshtov and Dimitar Zwiatkow, who specialises in project finance, regulatory matters and energy mandates, jointly lead the practice.

Bulgaria > Real estate and construction Tier 1

Logistics, retail, construction and materials, energy and insurance are among the industries in which the extensive client base of the CMS real estate and construction team is active. The mandates handled by the team cover a broad spectrum, including the financing of retail, commercial, industrial, residential and leisure facilities, real estate transactions, due diligence reviews, the preparation of construction agreements and related disputes; it is frequently engaged on cross-border matters owing to the firm's global set up. Dispute resolution, public procurement and real estate expert Antonia Kehayova co-heads the practice alongside Jenia Dimitrova, who clients regard as ‘one of the best real estate lawyers in Sofia’.

Bulgaria > Healthcare and life sciences Tier 2

A standout feature of CMS‘ healthcare practice is its experience across Central and Eastern Europe, predominantly in multi-jurisdictional M&A transactions and divestments for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices clients. In addition, the team's varied caseload includes advice on clinical trials and non-interventional studies, as well as daily legal assistance on regulatory and commercial matters, data protection, marketing and employment queries. Litigation expert Assen Georgiev leads the practice alongside Anna Tanova, who covers various commercial matters pertaining to the life sciences and healthcare industry.

Bulgaria > Intellectual property Tier 2

CMS is well versed in the full spectrum of IP matters, offering legal services related to the entire lifecycle of IP assets, including trade marks and passing-off, related litigation matters, and copyright and patent law. The team is especially active in the media, healthcare, IT, energy and consumer products sectors and often acts on cross-border matters in conjunction with its global offices. Nevena Radlova and Antonia Kehayova are joint practice heads, with the former specialising in competition and the full range of IP law matters, and the latter covering IP-related disputes.

Bulgaria > TMT Tier 2

Matters across the media sector are the core focus of CMS‘ TMT practice. The team has extensive knowledge regarding IP and media regulations, positioning it well to advise clients on licensing rights, contract design, outsourcing with regard to data protection, and entry into the Bulgarian media market, in addition to compliance with local regulations. Four lawyers jointly lead the practice - Gentscho Pavlov, Atanas Bangachev and Veliko Savov focus on TMT-related corporate and commercial matters and M&A deals, and Anna Tanova is an expert in media and IP matters.