Being a sought-after lawyer is the best recognition

Georgiev, Todorov & Co. was founded in 1991. It was one of the first Bulgarian private law firms, and currently it is among the largest in our country, employing lawyers who provide excellent legal services. The firm's successful practice places it in leading positions in the legal representation field of the country. Key expert sectors for this law firm are corporate and commercial law, with emphasis on foreign investments in the financial sector, energy, real estate and telecommunications.

Since its establishment, the company has gained considerable international experience. The law firm is recognized in all international legal directories as one of the best in Bulgaria in many sectors. Two of the most renowned legal directories - Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 - have repeatedly ranked it in first place and recommend it as a leader in the field of legal representation.

The company has advised a number of respected clients, one of the most significant being Microsoft Corporation, which twice nominated Georgiev, Todorov & Co. as its best legal consultant outside the USA. The firm’s lawyers are excellent experts in each of their specialized sectors.

Georgiev, Todorov & Co. is the only Bulgarian representative in the Lawyers Associated Worldwide (LAW) international organization, which has members from over a hundred countries. The company is also a member of the Vogel Global Competition Network. Therefore, it has access to a rich information network, which enables contact with leading law firms around the world in cases involving an international element.

We present you the "Big Five" of Georgiev, Todorov & Co. - proven professionals who have chosen law as their mission and vocation: Prof. Ivan Todorov - founder and senior partner, Nikolay Lazarov - managing partner, Alexander Pachamanov, Arno Mamasyan and Miglena Peneva – senior partners.

Miglena Peneva is a senior partner at Georgiev, Todorov & Co. law firm, which she joined in 2007. She graduated from the Faculty of Law of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski" in 2002, and in 2007 she completed training at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg. In the period 2002-2004, she worked at the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works as an expert in the "State Property" department. She specializes in the field of property, spatial planning and administrative law. Miglena Peneva works with major companies operating on the Bulgarian real estate and construction markets - residential, public and infrastructural. She has also acted as an advisor and legal representative on state, ministerial and municipal projects. In 2013, she was the legal consultant of the European Union for the implementation of the acquisition of the House of Europe building, which hosts the Representation of the European Commission and the Bureau of the European Parliament in Bulgaria. Her skills have been recognized over the years by various international legal directories - Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, IFLR 1000.

AREAS OF ACTIVITY: Real estate, spatial planning, concessions, public procurement, judicial and arbitration proceedings, European Union law.

Mrs Peneva, what important things can you share with us from your position of experience in the real estate field?

I will allow myself to share a position, which is both personal and that of a legal practitioner. Regarding real estate, it is high time to give a legislative solution to several important issues that plague the public yet remain unresolved due to the conflict of interest they contain. The first is the introduction of the principle "Infrastructure before urban planning". The need to solve this problem is glaring, and finding a solution is possible. The second is about the aesthetics of the urban environment. The framing of this issue also faces resistance. Creating a normative aesthetic standard for the buildings, the streets, the entire urban space would have a wonderful effect on the real estate market itself and would also reduce stress levels by bringing more beauty and orderliness to our surroundings. My understanding is that these should be minimal but obligatory societal standards, and I would be happy to join in the work of creating a balanced and workable system.

What does the public administration need to do?

The public administration should think more about the business sector. We continue to live in an environment heavy on bureaucratic procedures, lacking in certainty and predictability, and which creates stumbling blocks for winning tenders. Instead, the administration should be perceived as an active and positive participant in creating a favorable and prosperous environment for the businesses in our country. A paradigm shift will occur when administrative procedures get digitized and become easily accessible and operational. This will mean minimal intervention by the authorities and reducing the administrative burden and the time of the procedures.

Customer satisfaction - what is the formula so that every professional engagement will invariably lead to such a result?

Customer satisfaction is contained in one word and this word is "results". Therefore, achieving a good result when undertaking a task is the most important thing for me. However, we cannot discount the right attitude either – that means giving your all, not giving up, believing in the cause, and fighting for every inch.

What qualities, what actions can build up the international recognition of your professional status as a lawyer?

The only real recognition comes from being a lawyer in demand. When people seek your help, that means that you’ve got all the necessary skills. A job well done speaks for itself, and when customers are happy and share this by word of mouth, then this is all the recognition you need.