Maya Ivanova
Associate
Prior to NBLO, Maya worked for two years in the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime at the Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria where she dealt primarily with Anti Money Laundering. Later she joined the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security where she worked for 6 years primarily on financial crimes which includes money laundering, investment fraud, tax evasion and more.
She has extensive experience with Anti Money Laundering matters, regulatory, national security, criminal defense and white collar crimes.
Maya has a fluent command of English and Bulgarian, her native language.
Qualifications: Plovdiv University
Languages Spoken: Bulgarian and English
Office Location: Sofia
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Corporate and M&A
Overview We see corporate and commercial work and M&A as the core of our practice. We serve a range of international clients in different sectors of the economy and advise on a broad variety of corporate and commercial work. Our lawyers have in-depth knowledge and abundant practical experience of local, as well as international transactions […]
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White collar crime and Investigations
New Balkans Law Office (NBLO) provides cross-border and intra-Bulgarian legal advice of the highest quality including in the areas of white-collar crime and the associated areas of civil and compliance law: Anti-Money Laundering Corporate fraud Investment fraud Asset tracing Environmental law Bribery and corruption Regulatory compliance Market manipulation Whistleblowing NBLO works extensively in the field […]
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Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
NBLO has advised blockchain entrepreneurs since 2016 and remains well connected in the field. Bulgaria is attractive to early-stage firms which appreciate its talent pool, its vibrant tech community and the countries low business, labour and living costs. The overwhelming majority of Bulgaria’s blockchain and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs operate in Sofia which functions as a “sandbox” […]
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Corporate Tax
Tax policies and corporate tax regulations are always of strategic importance to our clients in conducting their business and investment. Tax is a major concern for all businesses and individuals. There are tax related aspects in each transaction and business venture, both at the stage of its structuring and set-up, as well as in the […]
- Real Estate
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AML Central Point of Contact in Bulgaria
NBLO’s work as Central Point of Contact New Balkans Law Office’s expertise and extensive work in the area of Anti Money Laundering (AML) was recognised by one of the largest global cross-border payment service providers who have appointed NBLO as their Central Point of Contact (CPC) in Bulgaria. What is a CPC? According to […]
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How to Open a Bank Account in Bulgaria as a Foreign Business
In this article, we provide an overview of the criterion that overseas incorporated businesses must generally fulfil in order to open a bank account in Bulgaria. We have restricted our analysis to organisations that are structured as companies or corporations in their home jurisdiction. Although Bulgarian law tends to recognise the legal forms of other […]
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Transatlantic Russia Sanctions – Navigating EU Rules, OFAC Reach, and Secondary Risk
Sanctions on Russia imposed by the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), primarily through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), remain among the most comprehensive in modern international law. In July 2025, the EU adopted its eighteenth sanctions package, targeting energy exports, banking, and military-industrial supply chains, while intensifying anti-circumvention enforcement. Simultaneously, […]
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Bulgaria’s Inclusion in the FATF Grey List: AML/CFT Compliance, AMLD, and AMLR Implications
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has placed Bulgaria on its grey list, jurisdictions “under increased monitoring”, due to identified deficiencies in its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CFT) systems. This step follows MONEYVAL’s evaluation and signals that, while Bulgaria’s framework incorporates EU rules under the Anti-Money Laundering Directives and the upcoming Anti-Money Laundering […]
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Overlapping MiCA, DORA & AMLR Compliance: Legal Links and Guidance for CASPs
This article is part of a series by our team exploring the evolving regulatory landscape for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) in the European Union. In our previous piece, we outlined the foundational roles of MiCA, DORA, and AMLR in establishing a harmonised EU framework for crypto markets. To complement the article series, we also hosted […]
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Building Compliance in the EU’s Crypto Market: MiCA and DORA as the New Regulatory Backbone
The EU’s Regulatory Leap in Crypto Compliance In 2025, the European Union (EU) introduced a major shift in the regulation of crypto-assets and related financial services. Through the coordinated rollout of three key regulations—the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), and the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR)—the EU created a harmonised […]
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Sanctions Relief and Regulatory Developments on Syria (2025)
In early 2025, the United States, European Union (EU), and United Kingdom (UK) introduced coordinated changes to their respective sanctions regimes targeting Syria. These developments reflect a shift in the legal and policy approach towards the Syrian government and are designed to facilitate humanitarian assistance, reconstruction, and limited commercial activity, while preserving mechanisms for accountability. […]
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MiCA and CASPs: Authorisation, Governance and Liability under the EU Crypto Regulation
Executive Summary This Note examines the regulatory obligations imposed on Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation – “MiCA”). The Regulation establishes a harmonised legal framework for crypto-assets within the European Union, extending consistent licensing and conduct requirements to entities offering crypto-asset services across the single market. The Note […]
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The European Council Adopts a Comprehensive AML Package: A Legal Perspective
On 30 May 2024, the European Council adopted a new and comprehensive package of anti money laundering (AML) rules, marking a significant advancement in the European Union’s (EU) ongoing efforts to combat money laundering and counter the financing of terrorism (CFT). These efforts have been evolving since the first AML directive was introduced in 1991. […]
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Bulgaria’s Proposed Amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act
On 28 April 2023, the Council of Ministers submitted a Bill to amend and supplement the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to the National Assembly.The proposed bill introduces additional anti-money laundering measures outlined in the Action Plan. These measures aim to address the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing identified in the National […]
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Politically exposed person (PEP): AML regulation and KYC
How are politically exposed persons defined and regulated? According to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a politically exposed person (PEP) is an individual who is or has been entrusted with a prominent political function. FATF Recommendations 12 and 22 gives guidance on the effective implementation of further measures for foreign, domestic and international PEPs, […]
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Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) and Money Laundering
What is a Non-Fungible Token? Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are non-interchangeable tokens stored on a blockchain or other form of a distributed ledger. The tokens can represent any form or data, from a picture or video to a digital asset in a video game. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) defines NFTs as “digital assets that […]
