GAP HEADNOTE SERIES – EPISODE 12: Bulgaria
Episode 12 (18 January 2024) featured a discussion of the effect of the abolition of the public policy exception as a ground for setting aside of local arbitral awards on the integrity of the arbitration process, as part of our ‘A Case in Time’ Headnote series.
Emil Emanuilov and Yana Todorova, of Kambourov & Partners, the authors of the GAP chapter on Bulgaria, provided a discussion of the case study, followed by comments from Rute Alves of PLMJ (short bios of the speakers below) and a Q&A with the participants. Chatham House rules applied. The event chat was open to facilitate networking and interaction.
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Rute Alves is a senior counsel in the Dispute Resolution team and has more than 10 years’ experience in dispute resolution. She has dedicated the last few years to domestic and international arbitration, especially in the areas of corporate, financial and commercial disputes, and disputes involving projects and infrastructures. She has worked in different countries and under different arbitration regulations. Rute is coordinator of the under-40 council of the APA (Portuguese Arbitration Association) and of the under-40 organising council of the Coimbra International Arbitration Meetings, as well as being a member of various other associations. She has an LL.M. in comparative and international dispute resolution from Queen Mary University of London and a master’s in business law from the Faculty of Law of Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Rute is the author of articles on various arbitration topics and is actively involved in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot as an arbitrator and a coach at the Faculty of Law of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. She also has experience in other areas: Rute was a consumer disputes mediator at UMAC, an assistant to Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the 18th Constitutional Government and intern-research assistant for Portugal in the LexisNexis, Reed Elsevier (UK) in London.
Emil Emanuilov is a senior partner and the head of the firm’s Litigation, Arbitration & ADR practice. Emil joined Kambourov & Partners in 2003 and has acquired unparalleled experience before all Bulgarian courts and in domestic and international arbitration proceedings. Emil represents clients in a wide range of individual claims in all areas of business law, including banking and finance, corporate and commercial litigation, unfair competition, energy and project finance disputes, insurance disputes, IP litigation, procedures for recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. He has excellent experience in multijurisdictional litigation and international arbitration, securitization of claims, exequatur procedures.
Yana Todorova is a key member of the firm’s IP practice and focuses on the preparation and filing of trademark and design applications, trademark opposition procedures, IP infringement, cross-border licensing, IP litigation. She further advises clients in national and cross-border copyright matters. Yana specialises in IP auditing in the context of legal due diligence required for sale, acquisition and securitisation purposes. She has particular experience in sectors such as media, telecommunications, and retail. Yana is also exploring next-generation legal topics such as cryptocurrencies, e-gambling, and medical marijuana. Prior to joining Kambourov & Partners, Yana interned at the International Arbitration & Litigation department of Herbert Smith Freehills Paris LLP and at the Secretariat of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. Yana was a member of the Panthéon-Sorbonne University Paris 1 team participating in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in 2012, coached the team the following year and has been coaching Bulgarian students for the Moot ever since.
