New Balkans Law Team
Managing Partner
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Bankruptcy and Insolvency Litigation
Overview Businesses can experience financial distress suddenly or over time, driven by market shifts, the loss of key customers, supply chain issues, regulatory sanctions, or internal mismanagement. In these moments, the legal framework around insolvency and restructuring becomes critical: it determines who controls the business, how value is preserved or realised, and what creditors ultimately […]
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Business Immigration
Overview International business today operates across borders, and companies increasingly require mobility solutions for their people as well as their capital. Bulgaria is a small and open economy whose labour market benefits from a steady flow of human capital in many directions. When businesses expand internationally, relocate staff or recruit talent from abroad, immigration and […]
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Employment Litigation and Restrictive Covenants
Overview Employment relationships are a cornerstone of corporate operations — and a frequent source of legal exposure. Disputes may arise from dismissals, workplace policies, contractual entitlements, or the departure of key personnel. Equally, restrictive covenants such as non‑competition or non‑solicitation clauses can determine how smoothly a business navigates transitions, protects its client base, and preserves […]
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Real Estate Litigation
Bulgarian real estate boomed in 2004-2008 and again (in a smaller wave) around investment in renewables benefitting from FiT-subsidies in 2008-10. These booms created their mirror waves of real-estate litigation and NBLO’s practice since its creation in 2005 has been very much bound up with property dispute representation. We have advised a variety of international […]
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Shareholder, corporate, JV and M&A disputes
In the field of corporate disputes, building on the knowledge acquired in venture and seed fund-raising and investing, M&A and general business law, we seek the best outcome for clients. Our experts advise on potential and actual claims from private M&A and joint ventures on issues connected to breaches of SPAs, SHAs, JV As and […]
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Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
Why Bulgaria Bulgaria has established itself as a practical and efficient base for crypto and blockchain businesses seeking access to the European Union market. Companies incorporated in Bulgaria benefit from EU market access while operating in a jurisdiction known for competitive costs and a technology-friendly environment. Regulatory oversight in Bulgaria is structured and transparent. Authorities […]
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Fintech
Bulgaria’s fintech sectors is fast-growing and innovative. Thanks to exceptional talent, domestically founded companies have become globally competitive actors. Our lawyers are highly knowledgeable about the legal challenges of dynamically changing fintech market. Our commercially minded lawyers deliver high-quality advice on how to effectively safeguard your business and profits. We at NBLO offer a number […]
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Corporate and M&A
Overview Corporate and M&A work is central to our practice, supporting clients through complex commercial change and strategic business decisions. We advise corporate groups, founders, financial investors and management teams on a wide spectrum of matters, including company reorganisations, strategic investments, acquisitions and disposals, and joint ventures. Our approach is grounded in an understanding of […]
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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 […]
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Employment
Overview New Balkans Law Office advises both individuals and businesses on the full spectrum of employment law matters arising in Bulgaria. Our team brings rigorous knowledge of Bulgarian labour legislation alongside an awareness of the international standards and frameworks that increasingly shape the modern workplace. Whether acting for a multinational employer navigating local compliance obligations […]
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Insolvency and Restructuring
Overview We assist and advise Bulgarian and international clients on insolvency, corporate restructuring and distressed situations involving Bulgarian entities or assets. In this regard we help creditors, debtors, shareholders and investors protect value, manage risk and navigate Bulgarian insolvency and stabilisation procedures in a focused, commercial and time‑sensitive way. Drawing on strong corporate, finance and […]
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Private Companies
Advising privately owned companies is a core part of our corporate and commercial practice. We work closely with founders, families, and long-term investors across a wide range of industries, providing legal guidance that supports sound governance and sustainable growth. Our lawyers have extensive experience assisting private companies on both domestic and cross-border matters, including incorporations, […]
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Private Equity
Overview Private equity from inward investing funds is widely regarded as one of the principal sources of corporate finance in Bulgaria. Alternative financing channels remain comparatively limited: capital markets are developing but liquidity levels are still modest, domestic capital available for investment is not always abundant or strategically directed, and corporate debt markets remain relatively […]
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Real Estate
Оverview The Bulgarian real estate market continues to evolve at a remarkable pace. Both the off‑plan (“on greenfield”) construction segment and the secondary market remain highly dynamic, attracting local and international buyers, investors and developers. This environment requires precise legal guidance, thorough due diligence, and a clear understanding of regulatory frameworks and local practice that […]
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NBLO Advises on USD 111.5 Million Cross-Border Financing Involving Bulgarian Security Package
New Balkans Law Office (NBLO) is pleased to announce its role in the successful completion of a USD 111.5 million cross-border financing transaction, delivered in close cooperation with a leading US law firm. The transaction involved a syndicated loan agreement with a total facility amount of USD 111,500,000 under which the international lead counsel acted […]
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Hague Convention Application – Return Order Granted
We are pleased to report a successful outcome in a recent case before the Sofia City Court concerning the return of a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. NBLO client, a father residing in Western European state, sought the return of his young child after the mother retained […]
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NBLO Obtains 22% Reduction of Solicitors’ Bill in Solicitor-Client Costs Dispute
NBLO has obtained a favourable settlement offer on behalf of a defendant individual client in a solicitors’ fees claim arising from a long-running employment dispute. The client’s former solicitors, who had acted on an uncapped hourly rate throughout the Employment Tribunal proceedings, sought payment of a final bill in circumstances where the matter had expanded […]
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NBLO obtains significant Service Charge Reduction for London Flat Leaseholder
NBLO recently acted for the leaseholder of a long lease in central London in a dispute concerning the recoverability of service charges for extensive repair works undertaken by the landlord. Although the landlord had broadly complied with the consultation requirements under the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) (England) Regulations 2003, our review of the lease identified […]
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NBLO Secures Settlement in Software Copyright Infringement Dispute
NBLO is pleased to announce a successful settlement for a London-based architectural visualisation company in a cross-border copyright infringement dispute with a specialist software developer and supplier operating in Bulgaria, Germany and the Czech Republic. The claimant alleged that the defendant had used its proprietary software without a valid licence across multiple devices and by […]
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NBLO Senior Associate Publishes in the Journal of the Supreme Bar Council of Bulgaria
Senior Associate Yavor Markov of New Balkans Law Office has authored a publication in Адвокатски преглед (Advokatski Pregled), the journal of the Supreme Bar Council of Bulgaria. The paper analyses Bulgarian case-law concerning Article 52(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which sets out the conditions under which fundamental rights may […]
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NBLO Successfully Defends Employer in Labour Inspectorate Disputes
NBLO recently achieved a significant success on behalf of a Bulgarian industrial employer in 13 administrative court cases, including appeals before both first-instance and supreme administrative courts. The disputes arose from allegations made by the General Labour Inspectorate, which claimed that our client had employed non-EU nationals without valid work permits and imposed administrative sanctions […]
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NBLO Successfully Defends Bulgarian Recycling Company in Workplace Accident Case
Background Over the course of three years, New Balkans Law Office provided legal representation to a Bulgarian company operating a recycling facility, following a tragic fatal accident that occurred on the factory floor. The incident led to multiple administrative court proceedings, initiated by the Labour Protection Directorate, which alleged that the company had failed to […]
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Bulgaria Introduces Digital Nomad Visa with Broad Parliamentary Support
Bulgaria has taken a significant step towards attracting global remote talent with the adoption of a new legal framework introducing a Digital Nomad Visa. On second reading in Parliament, the proposal passed with over 73% support – a rare display of consensus across political lines. The new visa category amends the Foreigners in the Republic […]
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NBLO Advises on the Launch of Bulgaria’s First Crypto-Integrated Alternative Investment Fund
New Balkans Law Office is pleased to announce its role as legal counsel in the successful launch of MarketVision Capital AD, now officially registered as an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) by the Bulgarian Financial Supervision Commission (FSC). Alongside this milestone, MarketVision Finance OOD has been authorised as the AIF’s Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM), in […]
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Phishing Alert: NBLO & BNT Impersonation
New Balkans Law Office has recently been made aware of a phishing scam targeting Facebook page owners and administrators in Bulgaria. This scam involves fraudulent emails that falsely claim to be from Bulgarian National Television (Българска национална телевизия) and are being circulated using our law firm’s name. These deceptive emails inform recipients that a post […]
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NBLO assists a new tech-enabled pizza chain to enter the Bulgarian market
NBLO recently advised the founders of a new pizza chain on their entry into the Bulgarian market. The chain is part of a well-established global franchise with more than 900 units internationally. Its particular strength is its technology stack which gives it a razor focus on operational success and on optimising delivering pizza online […]
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NBLO helps UK company utilise Service Supplier Visa
New Balkans Law Office (NBLO) has recently provided extensive legal assistance in a case involving the newly introduced UK visas; more specifically, the Service Supplier Visa, which came into effect in April 2022. Our team was approached by Red Vertex OOD, an established Bulgarian company specialising in architectural visualisations. This company wished to supply services […]
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NBLO helps optimise new Start-up visa in Bulgaria
Since acceding to the EU, Bulgaria has developed its start-up ecosystem, which has now matured considerably. Originally mostly the preserve of locals, over the last 10 years, tech founders from both within and outside Europe have come in to set up in Bulgaria. New Balkans Law Office is committed to an effective legal framework for […]
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Assistance on cross-border succession
Over the last year, we have assisted numerous individual clients with international inheritance situations, where assets were left in EU and non-EU jurisdictions. Where there are valuable assets left by a decedent (whether in the context of a will or without one – so-called intestacy), there often arise complex legal questions and unfortunately at times, […]
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Joint-Venture Agreement in Gaming: the use of Bulgaria as a jurisdiction for the JV vehicle
NBLO advised on a Swedish-Israeli Joint-Venture Agreement entered into through a Bulgarian vehicle. We acted for a successful Swedish team which partners with a well-known Israeli gaming investor. The JV will target Asian markets. NBLO’s lawyers advised on the negotiations between the parties, drafting and execution of an English law governed JVA and ancillary documents; […]
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A public concert as an infringement of trade mark: Boney M
NBLO’s team recently helped the owner of the Boney M trade mark. The mark was registered by one of the members of the well-known 1970s disco band Boney M. On the basis of the registration, cease-and-desist notices were sent in connection with the planning of a concert at the prestigious National Palace of Culture in […]
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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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MiCA in Practice: Case Studies and Live Expert Discussion
New Balkans Law Office hosted a webinar dedicated to the practical application of the EU’s MiCA framework, bringing together professionals from the crypto, financial services, compliance and legal sectors. The session focused on real life examples drawn from current advisory work and explored how companies are approaching cross-border activity, supervisory expectations and operational obligations under […]
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Navigating MiCA: What the New EU Crypto Rules Mean for Bulgaria and the Region
On 29 July 2025, New Balkans Law Office hosted a live webinar titled Navigating MiCA: What the New EU Crypto Rules Mean for Bulgaria and the Region. The discussion focused on the recently promulgated Act in Bulgaria on the Markets in Crypto Assets, examining its alignment with the EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets […]
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NBLO Expands Bulgaria–Japan Engagement Through Strategic Participation in Japan
Expo 2025 Osaka New Balkans Law Office (NBLO) was pleased to represent Bulgaria at Expo 2025 in Osaka—an international platform of significant diplomatic and commercial importance. Our Associate Michael Ivanov who is a Japanese speaker, attended on behalf of the firm, promoting Bulgaria as a strategic gateway to the European Union for Japanese startups, technology […]
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The New EU Law on Crypto Is Now In: Introducing MiCA
On 29 April 2025, New Balkans Law Office hosted its first dedicated webinar on the EU’s new crypto regulatory framework, titled The New EU Law on Crypto Is Now In: Introducing MiCA. The free online event brought together legal and regulatory experts to explore the legal landscape for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) under the EU’s […]
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NBLO to attend InvestPro UAE Dubai 2024, to highlight Bulgaria’s investment opportunities
New Balkans Law Office’s Partner, Nevena Bekyarova, who heads the firm’s immigration and nationality practice will be attending the InvestPro UAE Dubai 2024 conference. NBLO’s participation comes against the background of the recent news that Bulgaria is set to join the Schengen Area on March 31, 2024. This development significantly enhances the attractiveness of Bulgaria […]
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NBLO helps organise and is part of ECBA Autumn Conference 2023
We are proud to announce that our Head of AML and Compliance, Maya Ivanova, will be a featured presenter and panellist at the upcoming ECBA Autumn Conference 2023, scheduled to take place in Sofia, Bulgaria on October 6th and 7th. The ECBA Autumn Conference brings legal professionals together from around the world to delve deep […]
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NBLO’s Nevena Bekyarova joins the International Association of Gaming Advisors
One of our partners, Nevena Bekyarova, has recently become a member of the highly-regarded International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA). IAGA is a forum which brings together legal counsel, senior executives, financial advisors, regulators, consultants and academics to discuss current issues facing the global gaming industry. Nevena’s expertise advising foreign entities on entering the Bulgarian […]
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The 28th Annual IBA Global Insolvency and Restructuring Conference
The International Bar Association’s highly anticipated 28th Annual IBA Global Insolvency and Restructuring Conference took place in Madrid from May 21st to May 23rd, 2023. We were privileged to have our esteemed Senior Associate, Petro Tyufekchiev, in attendance, representing our firm. Exploring the Dynamics of Restructuring vs. Insolvency This year’s conference offered an exceptional […]
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New Balkans Law Office Attended the 2023 Belgrade Energy Forum
NBLO’s partner Nevena Bekyarova and associate Sylvia Vitlarova recently attended the highly anticipated Belgrade Energy Forum, held in the heart of Serbia on 8 and 9 May 2023. The event provided an exceptional platform for industry professionals to discuss and analyse the current challenges and advancements in the field of renewable energy. Nevena and Sylvia actively […]
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Making connections in the Bulgarian start-up and venture capital ecosystems
As we continue building our extensive network of connections in Bulgaria’s start-up and venture capital ecosystem, we at NBLO are proud to share that some members of our team recently attended several events to showcase and analyse the successful development of Bulgarian and SEE VC ecosystems. We are excited to share Nevena Bekyarova (NBLO […]
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NBLO attended IBA’s 5th European Startup Conference in Dublin, Ireland
Nevena Bekyarova, partner at New Balkans Law Office, attended this year’s International Bar Association 5th European Startup Conference in Dublin, Ireland. The two-day event had a full programme: seminars by entrepreneurs, funders, and the leading lawyers in startup, growth and venture capital law, on blockchain technology for raising capital, Web3 developments, funding, valuation and more; round tables on […]
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The legal framework of sanctions and anti-sanctions: how are they applied in Bulgaria?
New Balkans Law Office is organising a two-part online seminar on the topic of “The legal framework of sanctions and anti-sanctions: how are they applied in Bulgaria?“. The two seminars headlined by attorney Svetoslav Ivanov and barrister Kamen Shoylev (UK-based barrister with extensive experience in both Bulgaria and England), as well as a former agent […]
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Outsourcing, Digital Projects in Bulgaria – NBLO & LCA Studio Legale webinar
New Balkans Law Office and LCA Studio Legale would like to thank everybody who joined us during our online seminar on the topic of Outsourcing and Digital Projects in Bulgaria. We hope that the perspective offered by the different speakers helped broaden your understanding of the market opportunities Bulgaria can offer to private and corporate […]
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NBLO presented the Bulgarian CBI program in Mumbai
Nestor Suarez and Desislava Simeonova, associates at New Balkans Law Office, were invited to the Global Investment Immigration Summit that took place in Mumbai, India on 1st February 2020. As a law firm working in both Bulgaria and the United Kingdom, and specialized in immigration, New Balkans Law Office has accumulated considerable experience in citizenship […]
