Dimov & Tashev Law Firm is a legal partnership incorporated and existing under the Bar Act of the Republic of Bulgaria - it is registered with the law firms register at Sofia Bar Association and is regulated by the Supreme Bar Council.
As recipient of industry recognition for its strength in commercial and corporate advisory, high-stakes appellate work, and its dedication in milestone transactions, Dimov & Tashev Law Firm provides a comprehensive suite of services for companies and individuals on an international and local level, as well as in a wide variety of industries, including commercial and corporate law, real estate, media, telecommunications and technology, and services on matters involving trade, dispute resolution, transactions and project development and management activities.
Corporate law: our law firm has a strong practice in the following principal areas:
· Corporate Establishment and Restructuring (establishing and restructuring transactions, including secured lending and renegotiation of credit agreements with bank syndicates and other lenders);
· Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A transactions, including negotiated transactions, auction processes, takeovers, leveraged buyouts, "going private" transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, tender offers involving public and privately held companies, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, amalgamations, splitting and spin-offs).
Foreign Investments: our law firms has acted and continues to act as counsel to some of the top private equity and hedge funds, thus providing relevant assistance in their investment activity.
The services we offer are extensive and continue to expand as we anticipate and respond to changing client needs, new laws and regulations, and global events. Some of the services we offer include:
· evaluating, structuring and negotiating terms of investment - private equity-style investments (minority and control), exit transactions (strategic sale, recapitalization, initial public offering (IPO)) and merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions (joint ventures, share and asset sales);
· devising creative, cutting-edge structures to assist investors in anticipating and responding to the dynamic business environment;
· a pre-eminent practice in assisting private equity and hedge funds focusing on local market;
· advising clients on regulatory and tax matters regarding their structure and formation, as well as in connection with their portfolio investments and employment issues;
· establishing and listing of permanent capital vehicles (PCVs) and special purposes vehicles (SPVs) on behalf of clients;
· advising on complex structured products, International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) swaps and other derivative products frequently utilized by clients.
Corporate Finance and Securities: Newly adopted regulations as a result of Bulgaria's accession within the European Union, as well as an intensified enforcement climate imposed by the Community Law in the area of corporate governance today mean greater complexity and higher consequences for noncompliance. Our knowledge of the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) combined with our corporate governance practice, place us in position to help clients meet every requirement whilst also seeking every advantage. Our lawyers are experienced in a number of corporate finance transactions, including:
· shelf registrations and takedowns;
· spin-off transactions;
· tender offers;
· registered exchange offers;
· debt restructurings;
· initial and secondary public offerings;
· convertible debt offerings.
In addition, we provide advice to clients on the periodic reporting requirements as per the Law on public offering of securities (LPOS) and on disclosure issues, insider trading issues and FSC enforcement matters.
Competition/Antitrust Law: The firm provides full-scope legal counseling in the aspect of business competition, ranging from basic policies and procedures to the most complex cases. The firm's main areas of expertise in Competition/Antitrust Law include the following:
· Cartel investigations;
· Competition issues;
· Mergers and acquisitions - concentration of economic activity, etc.;
· General counseling;
· Legislative and regulatory affairs - representing clients before the Competition protection commission (CPC);
· Consumer protection.
Technology, Media & Telecommunications: Dimov & Tashev Law Firm has developed a strong practice in Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) industry. On the basis of the ongoing continuous advice we have been providing to major players on the media market in Bulgaria, we may say that our law firm is well positioned within the TMT practice area on a national level.
Our firm provides a full scope legal advice to its clients involved in the TMT sector - starting from the inception of the client's company and the issuance of the relevant regulatory approvals and ongoing services in this regard, up to complex reorganization of the corporate structures of the specific vehicles operated by the client.
Our media practice involves some of the high profile entertainment and media companies as clients. In a rapidly changing world where content interrelates with technology, it is our objective to provide sound legal advice on the basis of extensive experience in the industry. We provide legal advice in the TMT sector, thus covering many areas including telecommunications, media, etc.
Real Estate & Construction: Dimov & Tashev Law Firm has a comprehensive practice in real estate and construction law: we have advised and continue to advise major real estate investment companies in Bulgaria on a wide variety of real estate targets comprising their investment portfolio. Some of these are:
· Commercial Real Estate - our firm provides continuous full legal assistance to clients operating shopping and entertainment centers in Bulgaria (Malls);
· Office Real Estate - we advise institutional investors on a full scale basis pertaining to the lawful operation of their investments in office buildings and constructions;
· Residential Real Estate - our firm provides full set of legal services immanent to the acquisition, operation and sale of residential real estate properties both on individual and corporate level;
· Industrial Real Estate - we provide legal services in regards to Industrial Real Estate including without limitation - a variety of services pertaining to the acquisition, operation, management and sale of all types of industrial real estate - e.g. factories, warehouses, logistic centers, etc.
Regulatory: Dimov & Tashev Law Firm has developed a strong regulatory practice aimed at meeting the client's needs and with the primary objective - to procure the successful operation of the business within the relevant industry subject to regulation by respective authorities and regulatory bodies.
Some of the major regulatory areas of expertise where our firm is actively involved in are as follows:
· Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) - The Commission is a specialized government body for regulation and control over the financial system. FSC is in charge of regulating the capital market in Bulgaria (including all companies whose stocks are being traded thereon), the banking system, as well as the area of insurance;
· Competition Protection Commission (CPC) - CPC is empowered to enforce the Law on Protection of Competition, the Public Procurement Act and the Concessions Act. The CPC's scope of activity covers all requests on ascertaining infringements of free market competition, as well as reporting concentration of economic activity. The Commission examines the appeals on lawfulness of a decision, actions or lack of actions/omissions of the contracting authorities or concessioners in the public procurement or concession awarding procedure;
· Council of Electronic Media (CEM) - CEM is an independent specialized body regulating the radio and television activity through issuance and/or registration of licenses for radio- or television activity and supervising the activity of the radio and television operators;
· Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) - CRC implements the state sector policy in the field of telecommunications and postal services and, as such, is entrusted with the functions of regulation and control over the carrying out of the electronic communications;
· State Energy and Waters Regulation Commission (SEWRC) - SEWRC is in charge of the state regulation of the activities in the energy and water sector: e.g. it is responsible for the licensing of all energy operators, as well as to maintain supervision and monitoring of the issued licenses; and
· Invest Bulgaria Agency (IBA) - IBA is a governmental agency in charge of certification of the foreign investors and entitled to award incentives under Encouragement of investment act including 1st and 2nd investor class certificates.
Litigation & Arbitration: Our primary objective is to help our clients eschew disputes. However, when impossible, we have a team of litigators experienced in all areas of dispute resolution - litigation, arbitration and ADR (alternative dispute resolution) - e.g. mediation, etc., thus drawing the full potential of the law firm in terms of capacity, resources and expertise in order to defend our clients' interests to the maximum possible extent. In particular, our lawyers' expertise is focused on the following matters:
· Litigation disputes before all courts' instances on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. This would include - civil, commercial, employment, administrative, etc. types of litigation proceedings;
· Arbitration disputes before the national arbitration bodies such as Arbitration Court at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), etc., as well as international arbitration bodies;
· Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) - e.g. mediation and extrajudicial settlement of disputes.
Intellectual Property Law: Dimov & Tashev Law Firm works in conjunction with experts formerly practicing with the Bulgarian Patent Office (BPO) in order to deliver a blend of services, both traditional and innovative. The IP practice is committed to fulfilling client needs by understanding and maximizing the value of their IP assets and minimizing the risk. The law firm's intellectual property practice focuses on:
· IP licensing and transactions;
· Strategic IP counseling;
· IP litigation;
The law firm also provides other traditional IP services to its clients.
Employment & Labour Law: Dimov & Tashev Law Firm has the capacity, experience and resources to provide sound advice and vigorous representation to employers regarding all aspects of employment law and labor relations.
Our labor practice regularly provides advice and representation in traditional labor matters such as drafting, negotiating and entering into employment agreements, collective bargaining, unfair labor practice proceedings and day-to-day employment matters. We also provide assistance in addressing labor issues that are of the day, such as analyzing and implementing the labor aspects of major corporate reorganizations and acquisitions, concession bargaining, restructuring labor contracts.