Georgiev, Todorov & Co. has extensive experience in the field of energy law, serving both Bulgarian and international clients for various legal issues. Legal advice in the sector is among the firm’s key specialisms and our team is consistently recognized for its work by international legal publications such as The Legal 500. Another independent international legal directory – Chambers & Partners consistently distinguishes our lawyer Mariya Derelieva as a recognized practitioner in the energy sector for Bulgaria for four consecutive years, which further emphasizes the quality of the team.
The in-depth knowledge of the regulatory framework and the excellent litigation practice of our team makes Georgiev, Todorov & Co. a reliable partner, highly valued by its clients.
Our law firm has successfully consulted various clients on major infrastructure and development projects in the sector with a strategic significance for the Bulgarian energy market. Legal representation in court is provided to electricity, renewable and cogeneration producers, gas and oil refineries and oil producers, and natural resources companies. In addition to our clients from the energy sector, our team assists in their energy-related issues construction, automotive, and transport companies.
Experience:
- Georgiev, Todorov & Co successfully represented the Union of the producers, consisting of Green Energy, Union Hydro, Hydroenergy, Davidkovo-2, Varuna, Delectra, Ecoenergy, etc. in an administrative case with significant importance for our client before the Supreme Administrative Court. It repealed the decision of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission and gave instructions regarding the application of the law. The Court stressed that the Commission is not allowed under Bulgarian and European Union law to introduce a discriminatory criterion when approving feed-in-tariffs of renewable energy producers during the 20-year promotion period. Due to the successful outcome, we are currently assisting a group of 47 energy producers (hydro-power plants) in a number of administrative proceedings before the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission and for structuring the relations with the supply companies, which purchase the produced energy at defined tariffs.
- Our legal team advised the Bulgarian Stock Exchange – Sofia on the acquisition of the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX). IBEX holds a 10-year license by the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission to organizing a Power Exchange for electricity in Bulgaria. The deal resulted from the undertakings of the Bulgarian Government in relation to а case in front of the European Commission to separate IBEX from the corporate structure and the assets of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH).On behalf of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange –Sofia our legal team has conducted thorough due diligence of IBEX, analyzing its corporate structure, legal obligations, contractual relationships with third parties, and examining its assets, licenses, and intellectual property rights. We also reviewed the ongoing judicial disputes and the possible legal consequences from them.
- Our lawyers have successfully consulted Mini Otkrit Vagledobiv (a coal mining company) during the privatization procedure of Thermal Power Plant Bobov Dol, which is one of the most important privatization transactions in the sector in Bulgaria for the last decade, amounting to over EUR 100 000 000. Recently, we successfully represented Thermal Power Plant Bobov Dol before the Administrative Court, Sofia city in a claim for monetary damages in the form of lost income incurred by the client due to unlawful regulatory acts of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission.
- Georgiev, Todorov & Co. assisted Energoconsult during the development of a wind farm project with a capacity of approximately 100 MW in the Dobrich region with a cost of over EUR 10 billion, and represented the company in its negotiations with two foreign investors – Iberdrola, Spain, and Efacec, Portugal.
- Over the years we have also consulted Mitsui & Co. and Toshiba regarding the rehabilitation of the Thermal Power Plant Maritsa Iztok 2 and ENEL regarding the rehabilitation of the Thermal Power Plant Maritsa Iztok 3.
- Our law firm has been appointed as the local legal advisor of the international law firm Sidley Austrin LLP on a matter of a confidential client against the state-owned National Electricity Company in the major arbitration case in relation to the “Belene” nuclear power plant, which was decided in our favour.