Justice requires professional artistry, as well

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.

Nikolay Lazarov has been the managing partner of the Georgiev, Todorov & Co. Law Firm since July 2022, having been part of the team since 2007. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in 2005, and in 2006 he worked as a judicial assistant at the Supreme Court. He specializes in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in the Court of Arbitration at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commer and Industry (BCCI). A long-time member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Bulgarian Football Union, in March 2024 he became a member of the organization’s Executive Committee. His experience includes litigation and drafting regulations. His preferred focus is on energy and natural resources. He has represented major companies in their acquisition of concession rights under the Mineral Resources Act and in connection with Environmental Impact Assessments under the Environmental Protection Act, including key clients in the energy and natural resources sectors. Mr. Lazarov successfully defended the interests of the Chamber of Private Enforcement Agents against the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria in an administrative case that was considered important for the professional association. He performs procedural representation of the Supreme Bar Council. Nikolay Lazarov has been ranked and recommended for three consecutive years in the "Energy and natural resources" sector by the international legal directory Legal 500 in Bulgaria.

AREAS OF ACTIVITY: Energy Law and Natural Resources, Litigation and Arbitration, Competition Law, Concessions, Corporate and Commercial Law

 

Mr. Lazarov, was it only the call to follow in your father Prof. Kino Lazarov’s footsteps, that led you to the field of law? What gave you the impetus to develop?

There is clearly a continuity in my choice to pursue law. The contribution of my father, who provoked my interest in the profession when I was a child, is indisputable. My admiration of his dedication to justice and his commitment to the protection of rights and freedoms, as well as the professionalism I saw, were certainly the driving force for me to go down this path.

"I have the right" and "The right is on the side of...", how do these common phrases differ in reality?

In reality, the divergence between the two phrases is often due to the difference between personal belief and what objective law actually provides. The subjective perception of law by non-lawyers is often based on insufficient knowledge or misunderstanding. The gap between expectations and reality underscores the importance of our profession in its function of translating complex legal matters into understandable language. Many lawyers, on the other hand, fail to grasp this and end up confusing their clients by unnecessarily and pretentiously complicating the already difficult legal language.

How much does the lawyer's professionalism influence the final outcome of a case?

Professionalism is manifested throughout the legal defense process and is not tied to the final outcome of the case. The preliminary analysis is particularly essential as it enables the customer to make an informed decision. The lawyer's responsibility lies not in conducting the case itself, but rather in upholding justice in the most general sense of the word.

What is most important thing to reform in the Bulgarian judicial system?

The independence of the judicial power bodies depends precisely on ensuring a calm working environment for the magistrates, rather than having the politicians practicing their reformers’ muscles on the system.

Themis, the goddess of justice, is commonly depicted with a blindfold. What are the eyes of the Bulgarian Themis blind for today?

Obviously, this is related to the principle of impartiality or, as it is fashionable to say these days, keeping an equal distance from the disputing parties.

And what is Bulgarian society blind to? Regarding justice and court cases.

I do not think that the eyes of the Bulgarian society are closed. On the contrary - everyone is interested in everything that happens. What is missing is a civil society independent from institutions, funding or other dependencies.