Shipping
Shipping is Amudzhiev & Yalnuzov’s core practice area internationally. We have a large team of lawyers who are experts in wet, dry, bulk, hull and cargo, insurance and ship finance work. We are highly rated by a variety of international publications, including the Legal 500 and Corporate INTL, as a market leader for shipping.
Highlights from our recent work include:
• representing creditors in the insolvency of a large Bulgarian company in litigation connected with lighterage contracts performed at the Port of Bourgas
• advising shipowners after the collision between The Alessandro DP and The Karam I in Bulgarian territorial waters
• arresting vessels in connection with a dispute between Pizarro AG and Prime Shipping Limited Russia
• advising in a charterparty dispute between the owners of a ro-ro vessel and the charterers thereof over off-hire and deviation
Insurance
We have one of the country’s strongest insurance teams and we are routinely instructed by large Bulgarian insurers. Internationally, we are renowned for our work for well-known P&I clubs.
Highlights from our recent work include:
• handling P&I regress claims against shipowners and hauliers in Bulgaria
• defending P&I interests in personal injury claims made by Bulgarian seamen
• defending P&I clubs in maritime lien enforcement disputes before the Bulgarian courts
• representing the owners of a floating dock over a contractual dispute with a Bulgarian insurance company
Commercial litigation
We have a strong commercial litigation team that handles a variety of Bulgarian matters, in particular commodities disputes before GAFTA and the Bulgarian courts.
Highlights from our recent work include:
• defending a Swiss commodity trader in a dispute with a Bulgarian agriculture company
• assisting in a matter between a large Romanian oil supplier and a Bulgarian purchaser
• advising insurers on liability limitations in a dispute over environmental damage caused in the Mediterranean by the previous owners of a vessel
• providing representation in arbitration proceedings concerning shipbuilding and shiprepair contracts between a Bulgarian shipyard and a Greek shipowner
Real estate
We have previously acted for large English and European developers in contentious matters arising from land purchases and administrative disputes before the Bulgarian courts.
Highlights from our recent work include:
• advising on the purchase of a seaside plot for a large Spanish hotel owner
• acting for English developers in matters related to developments in Bulgaria
• acting for the purchasers of a large industrial estate in Devnya
• advising English and Spanish buyers of holiday homes in Bulgaria
Tax
We provide extensive advice to Bulgarian and foreign clients in taxation matters and we have connections with a number of offshore law firms and company formation agents.
• acting for Italian barge owners in a holding tax dispute
• advising international corporates in connection with VAT registrations and disputes in Bulgaria
• providing tax planning advice to English developers
• advising Monaco shipowners on pan-European tax issues
Corporate & Insolvency
Most of our lawyers have significant experience of corporate work of the highest calibre and we have advised a variety of clients on some of the biggest insolvencies in Eastern Europe.
Highlights from our recent work include:
• registering branches and trade representative offices for an English surveyor company
• representing creditors in the liquidation proceedings of an Irish shipowner in connection with vessels floating under the Bulgarian flag
• representing a shiprepair company in insolvency proceedings against a Bulgarian shipwoner
• registering special purpose vehicles in Bulgaria
Employment
We have an extensive employment practice, in particular in wrongful dismissal cases, acting for both defendants and high net worth claimants in actions before the Bulgarian courts.
Highlights from our recent work include:
• advising a Spanish hotel management company in connection with employment disputes with their Bulgarian employees
• drafting employment contracts for Spanish companies operating in Bulgaria
• representing a high net worth individual in a multimillion employment dispute against a large retailer
• advising foreign shipowners on Bulgarian seamen’s contracts of service
Advanced dispute resolution
We have experienced lawyers capable of handling all international arbitration matters, our ship arrest practice being the best in Bulgaria. We have extensive links with the leading London practices and we are capable of providing a cross-border service to our clients in conjunction with our overseas partners.
Highlights from our recent work include:
• providing representation in an arbitration between a large Bulgarian commodities trader and a Swiss broker
• providing representation in an arbitration concerning a maritime lien between a Danish shipowner and a Bulgarian purchaser
• drafting arbitration clauses in shipbuilding and shiprepair contracts
• participating in arbitration proceedings before the Bulgarian Competition Authority
