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Assen Georgiev

Partner
Head of Litigation, Arbitration, Insurance, Employment, CMS Sofia

CMS Sofia
Landmark Centre
14 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd.
Floor 1, 2
1000 Sofia
Bulgaria
Languages Bulgarian, English

Assen Georgiev is a Partner at CMS Sofia and is Head of Litigation, Arbitration, Insurance, Employment.

He has represented clients in litigation/court disputes and advised on out-of-court settlement arrangements, mediation and arbitration proceedings in a variety of practice areas and sectors, including employment, commercial, energy and climate change, insurance, construction, competition, and banking.

Prior to joining CMS, Assen was a Co-Managing Partner of Legacom® Antov and Partners, one of the most reputable Bulgarian law firms.

Assen is a member of the Supreme Bar Council in Bulgaria. He is a certified mediator in the Register of the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice and an arbitrator with the Arbitration Court at the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria. 

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"Mr Georgiev responds quickly and is supportive to a client. He has a very strong problem-solving attitude."

Chambers Global

Relevant experience

  • Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) on tens of claims for state liability arising from BNB’s revocation of license of a major Bulgarian bank.
  • Jack Daniels’ Properties, international distributor of alcoholic beverages, before the highest Bulgarian court – the Supreme Court of Cassation in two complex cases related to trade mark rights, unauthorized import and exhaustion of IP rights; assistance with subsequent enforcement proceedings.
  • Iberdrola Renovables, the leading Spanish renewables company, on its several million euro dispute with Bulgarian State-owned grid operator arising out of a wind energy project.
  • SDN Company (South Korea), major energy sector foreign investor, and its local subsidiary in their disputes with Bulgarian subcontractors regarding construction of one of the largest solar parks in the country.
  • Representing some of the largest foreign investors in renewable energy in Bulgaria - ACWA Power (Saudi Arabia), First Reserve (USA), Crescent (Turkey), Efacec (Portugal), SDN Company (South Korea), Astronergy (South Korea), SPMA (Italy) and their subsidiaries before the Bulgarian administrative courts in appeal procedures against the Bulgarian state energy regulation authority.
  • Russian state-owned enterprise FGUP in successful enforcement of international arbitration award of the London Court of International Arbitration against debtor in Bulgaria, including blocking the debtor’s real estate property in Bulgaria.
  • Novera in investment arbitration proceedings against Republic of Bulgaria in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington D.C., USA, arising out of bilateral investment treaty. The client’s claim is based on indirect investment in three local companies holding concessions which were unilaterally terminated by Sofia Municipality.
  • Bilfinger SE, leading international construction company, in a multi-million dispute in the Arbitration Court at Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce with a local subcontractor arising out of the construction of a major military project in Bulgaria.
  • Hochtief (Germany), leading international provider of construction-related services, in an arbitration proceeding against the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works for various claims concerning the construction period of this project, where we convinced our client to take an out-of-court settlement approach, and won a settlement for them.
  • International investment fund Green Power Development Holding Company B.V. –special purpose vehicle of major Japanese investors in Europe with involvement of Mitsubishi Group – on a multi-million euro arbitration dispute with local developers arising out of a 180 MW wind energy projects in Bulgaria before the Arbitration Court at Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Member, Sofia Bar Association
  • Certified mediator, the Register of the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice
  • An arbitrator, the Arbitration Court at the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria
  • Arbitrator, the Arbitration Court at the Bulgarian Industrial Association
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Publications

  • 2014 and 2015 - GAR - The European, Middle Eastern and African Arbitration Review
  • 2014 - Experts review: Arbitration, “Arbitration in Bulgaria – Overview“, CEE Legal Matters, 
  • 2013, 2014 and 2015 - Global Legal Insights – Chapter Bulgaria
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Education

  • 1998 - LL.M., Law, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
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Feed

04/12/2023
International arbitration law and rules in Bulgaria
After 1992-1993, arbitration became an option in Bulgaria for almost all civil disputes and the rules applicable to domestic arbitration were amended to bring them closer in line with the rules applicable...
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23/08/2022
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See the Overview of the Representative Actions Directive >> 1. Do you have a specific procedure or procedures for bringing “opt-in” class actions?  If so, please outline such procedure(s) and...
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Legal term for payments in Bulgaria
1.  Are there any specific legal requirements in respect of payment terms? Yes, the payment term legislation in Bulgaria for commercial transactions is stipulated in the Commerce Act. The relevant provisions...
14/09/2021
Legislative frameworks to combat illicit trade in medical products in Bulgaria
1. What legislative framework is there to combat illicit trading and other illegal activities in coun­ter­feited/fals­i­fied/di­ver­ted medicines in your jurisdiction? The following legislative frameworks are...
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07/09/2021
Electronic signature law in commercial contracts in Bulgaria
1. Definition and formal requirements of written legal statements or legal statements legally binding if the law requires written form The legal statement in commercial agreements is considered in written...
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Interim measures in Bulgaria
1. Applicable Law 1.1.1 The new Bulgarian Civil Procedure Code (CPC) entered into force on 1 March 2008. It superseded the long-standing previous Civil Procedure Code from 1952.1.1.2 The CPC contains...