Stefan Gugushev is a highly qualified attorney-at-law with more than 20 years of professional experience, Founder and Managing Partner of Gugushev & Partners Law Office. He founded Gugushev & Partners after gaining experience in other leading Bulgarian law firms. He has expertise in a wide range of legal issues - Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate and Commercial law, Finance, Energy, Tax law and International Tax Planning.

Stefan is an arbitrator at the International Court of Arbitration, Sofia, and is the founder and Board Member of Endeavour Bulgaria, part of Endeavor Global, an entrepreneurial association operating in more than 35 countries. Furthermore, since 2017 Mr. Gugushev is President of Family Business Network Bulgaria – FBN Bulgaria. Stefan is recommended as a leading lawyer by international legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR 1000.

Managing Partner Stefan Gugushev "is an amazing professional with an incredible business and legal perspective who looks at the big picture and the long-term effects of current events" - Legal 500 (2019)

Awards & Rankings

  • Leading expert in the fields of “Banking and Finance”, IFLR1000 (2015 - 2020)
  • Leading expert in the field of “Corporate and Commercial law” and “Energy” for Bulgaria - Chambers & Partners (2015 - 2020)
  • Notable expert in the fields of “Corporate and Commercial Law”, “Mergers and Acquisitions”, “Banking and Finance”, and “Energy and Natural Resources”, Legal 500 (2015 - 1018)
  • Global Law Experts Lead Expert Award in the Commercial Law category (2015)
  • Leading Lawyer in the field of “Commercial Law” - Chambers & Partners Global (2007)
  • Prof. Michael Kletts Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement
  • Scholarship St. Cyril and St. Methodius International Foundation, Club for European Integration - Dr. Ilko Eshkenazi Foundation 

Professional experience 

  • “Fr. Lürssen Werft GMBH & CO.KG”, Germany - leads the team that advises the company, part of the group of northern German shipyards Lürssen, on the award of a EUR 500 million tender organised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence on the Acquisition of Multipurpose Modular Patrol Vessels for the Bulgarian Navy
  • Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Israel - leads the team that advises the Israeli defence technology company, on its participation in a tender for the implementation of investment expenditure project ‘Acquisition of Basic Combat Equipment for the Establishment of Battalion battlegroups as Part of a Mechanized Brigade’ for the modernisation of the Bulgarian army
  • Bulgartabac Holding JSC, Bulgaria - manages the team involved in the privatization of the holding and its divisions. In the deal, he represents the Bulgarian government, along with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, an international legal adviser, and Morgan Stanley, an international financial adviser. The work consists in an analysis of the current Bulgarian legislation on issues concerning corporate and commercial law, foreign investment, privatization law, labor law, intellectual property, financial and tax law, as well as conducting a full legal study of all 22 producing companies (members of the holding), consultations regarding the agreement for purchase of shares and participation in negotiations
  • BMA Investment Group Inc., Hong Kong (BMA Investment Group Inc., Hong Kong) - advises on various legal aspects of one of the largest investment projects in the history of our country - drafting and approval by the Bulgarian Supervision Commission of Prospectus for issuance of warrants with an overall value of EUR 3,4 Billion (one of the largest deals of such type in EU), acquisition of Bulgarian company, obtaining of priority investment certificate for the client, acquisition of land for the purposes of development of entertainment facility (amusement park), tax advice, etc.
  • Debt Collection Agency JSC, Bulgaria - advises on the sale of 100% of the company, specialized in acquiring debt portfolios, to Ultimo Netherlands BV, a fully owned subsidiary of B2Holding, Norway
  • Icom Ltd., Bulgaria - sale of a majority stake in the company to an Italian company active in the sector of telematic electronic equipment and location-based service provision to the Viasat Group, Italy
  • Victoria Group – advises one of the largest tour operators in the country, on the acquisition of a majority stake in CHAD Zografski, owner of a hotel of the Kempinski chain in Sofia (currently the Marinela Hotel), and consulted on all related bank financing of EUR 20 million
  • Hareon Solar Technology Co. Ltd., China (Hareon Solar Technology Co. Ltd.) - consults one of the largest manufacturers of photovoltaic components on the company's portfolio in Bulgaria, consisting of 4 photovoltaic power plants with a total installed capacity of 90 MW, as well as international projects in Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the field of renewable energy sources.
  • Alpic Holding AG, Switzerland - consults in connection with the acquisition and construction of two wind power plants in Bulgaria with a total installed capacity of 50 MW, as well as the day-to-day operation of the plants after their commissioning
  • Novenergia II Energy & Environment (SCA) SICAR - advises the European investment fund, on investments in renewable energy projects - wind and photovoltaic power plants, in different regions of Bulgaria with a total capacity of over 300 MW

Education

  • The College of Law of England and Wales (2005), Practice Diploma Program in International Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski” (1998 - 2003), Master of Laws
  • Germanicum Institute, Sofia (1999 - 2003), Specialization in Law and Society of Germany
  • University of Texas, USA, Prof. Sheila Hoschhauser (2001 - 2002), American Business Law
  • Tulane University, USA, Prof. Plotkin (1999), Course in American Law - American Institutions and Introduction to The Law and Legal Systems of The United States 

Memberships

  • Board of European Family Businesses (2019 - now)
  • Board of Directors of Endeavor Bulgaria (2015 - present)
  • International Bar Association - London (2005 - present)
  • Association "Advocates Europe" (2004 - present)
  • Kyustendil Bar Association (2004 - present)
  • "Rules of Law" Institute (2001 - present)
  • Association for Internal and International Arbitrage (1999 - 2001) 

Publications

  • Changes in the Bulgarian Law, IFLR 1000 (2007) 

Languages

  • English
  • Russian