BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN THE BUSINESS AND THE LAW

Since Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, the country's main geopolitical asset has been to be a gateway between the Union and the East. As the country prepares to fully join the Schengen area and the Eurozone, its strategic location and growing industries make it an attractive prospect for trade and investment in Europe. The role of foreign investment is growing, and so is the need for a trusted legal partner in Bulgaria who not only understands the law and the client's business, but also knows the local peculiarities. Dr. Miroslava Hristova Law Firm is precisely that type of reliable partner, with its expertise in building bridges between business and law for foreign investors.

What is the story behind Dr. Miroslava Hristova Law Firm?

I completed my doctoral and LL.M studies at the University of Vienna. The comparative analyses carried out during those studies between Bulgarian law and German and Austrian commercial law helped me to further develop and expand my legal practice in Bulgaria. I built a bridge not only between different legal systems in all areas of corporate life, but also between different cultures and ways of doing business.

After working for international German and Austrian law firms, I founded my own practice in Sofia in 2013. Since then, my colleagues and I advise internationally-active foreign, predominantly German-speaking, companies by offering comprehensive legal advice in Bulgarian, German and English in all areas of business life. Dr. Miroslava Hristova Law Firm offers local know-how, multinational approach, and the up-to-date market knowledge of its attorneys.

Why did you choose to focus on helping international investors?

All my professional aspirations and ambitions have always been to make the right connection between business and law. As a highly qualified attorney, I strive to be of utmost use for the economic development of foreign investments in Bulgaria.

I firmly believe that Central and Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, offers tremendous growth opportunities. After all, Bulgaria is considered to be the gateway to the EU for numerous third countries, and its geographical location is already a growth driver.

The foreign companies continue to look for a favorable business environment within the EU. Thanks to its enormous potential, especially in the future-oriented sectors of green energy, waste recycling, outsourcing of IT and other services, retail and manufacturing industries, Bulgaria already exerts a strong pull on foreign entrepreneurs.

It is essential for organizations operating across borders to have a trusted legal partner with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the specifics of the Bulgarian market. I am firmly convinced that foreign investors will find the right legal partner in our law firm.

Who are your clients and what is your philosophy?

Our law firm specialises in all areas of Corporate Law, such as Commercial law, European and International law, Retail, Real estate and Construction law, Employment law, Competition law, Consumer protection, Data protection, Compliance, etc.

We support and represent a number of well-known international groups in production, distribution, retail, and IT-services. Many of them have been our clients for years. I am proud that my law firm has exclusively advised and represented one of the largest drugstore chains in Europe from its market entry in Bulgaria, in 2008, until today.

Our services are primarily aimed at German-speaking investors, but we are happy to advise companies from other European countries.

Long-term and sustainable collaboration with our clients is our highest priority. They appreciate our entrepreneurial thinking, economic understanding, and long-standing experience. The firm's philosophy is that we are not only advisors but also sparring partners for our clients.

Tell us more about your team?

I am extremely happy and proud of the colleagues I work with and cannot do without. All are lawyers with impressive economic thinking who offer excellent legal services in German and English. They are also lovely and loyal people with a constant desire for development.

Two of the senior lawyers in our firm, Desislava Tsoneva and Yana Shishkova, are my colleagues from Sofia University. I can't imagine a day without their invaluable expertise.

Since the firm's establishment, I have strived to add young talent to the team. Our colleague Tsvetomira Zhivkova is an amazing young lawyer with big potential. Our legal interns Marina Ruseva and Atanas Minchev are thoughtful and bright young people.

Since the beginning of 2024, we included in our team a new colleague, Stanislava Petrova, who is an experienced corporate lawyer speaking excellent German.

What is your place on the Bulgarian legal market and what are you plans for the future?

We have a strong presence on the Bulgarian market and established ourselves as a law firm with an undeniable reputation, offering the highest level of competent advice. Among the distinguishing features of our sustainable development over the past year was the expansion of our client base through the acquisition of new corporate clients.

As of 2023, our law firm is a member of several international law alliances, Alliuris and Eurojuris, in which we are the exclusive representative for Bulgaria. In April 2024, we expect to become part of the German-speaking network Advoselect.

I believe that this form of cooperation is optimal because it can guarantee an increase in the quality of legal advice and a constant exchange of experience between the lawyers from different countries. It ensures successful and professional cooperation on cross-border matters. Therefore, we can offer advice on international cases, effectively and without any bureaucratic hurdles. This is a definite advantage for our foreign clients.

Our law firm's goals are two-sided, of course. We not only attract investors to Bulgaria, we also aim to make better conditions for Bulgarian businesses in Europe.

Sofia, 36 Dragan Tsankov Blvd, Interpred World Trade Centre, Block B

phone: 02 443 8055

office@recht.bg

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