Philip is a Partner at Eversheds Sutherland in Bulgaria, member of the Life sciences, Intellectual Property and Litigation practices.
Philip is a licensed lawyer since 2015 and is assisting our clients on litigation, life sciences (medicinal products, medical devices, foods and food supplements), intellectual property, commercial and regulatory matters.
Philip can assist you with the whole range of out-of-court disputes and litigation procedures that could affect your company in Bulgaria. This includes negotiation with counterparties, sending of invitations and drafting of out-of-court settlement agreements. Should such efforts prove futile, Philip can represent your company in civil and commercial cases before Bulgarian courts and arbitration tribunals. Philip is also experienced in the representation of parties during complex insolvency proceedings in Bulgaria. Philip can help you with drafting of appeals and court representation against administrative acts and penal decrees issued by Bulgarian administrative bodies.
Philip has extensive experience in the fields of pharmaceutical (life science), medical devices and healthcare law, food and food supplements law. His portfolio of legal clients from the life sciences area includes a vast number of multinational corporations, including large marketing authorization holders and producers of medicinal products and medical devices, wholesalers of medicinal products and medical devices, food supplements and veterinary products and pet food manufacturers; FMCG companies and non-profit organizations in the healthcare area. Philip can defend your interests before administrative authorities, courts and industry bodies with regard to drug pricing regulation, organization of clinical trials, reimbursement, approval of promotional materials, assessment of compliance with industry codes of ethics, as well as fulfillment of other regulatory obligations.
In the intellectual property area, he can assist you on issues related to the protection of intellectual property rights, including in relations with your employees and counterparties. In addition, Philip can help you with trademark registrations, opposition and revocation, renewal of registrations, negotiation and drafting of licensing agreements, and court and out-of-court disputes over intellectual property infringements.
Philip has contributed to Multilaw’s Compendium of Worldwide Enforcement of Foreign Judgments, drafting the Bulgarian sections on the fundamental principles of enforcement of foreign judgements and on the interim and precautionary measures.
In his spare time, he enjoys travel, writing, reading books and watching movies.
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Philip has represented clients in major litigation cases before Bulgarian courts and arbitration bodies, as well as assisted on a number of major transactions and advised clients on important commercial and regulatory matters, including:
- representing a major international bank in the insolvency proceeding of a Bulgarian bank. As a result, the client’s receivables amounting to ca. EUR 23 million were accepted in full in the insolvency proceeding and more than 70% of the client’s claim has been satisfied with proceeds from the sale of the insolvency estate thus far
- defending the interests of two foreign company in their capacity as creditors in the insolvency proceeding of a Bulgarian mining company. Pursuant thereto, receivables of the two companies amounting to ca. EUR 5 million were accepted by the insolvency court
- defending a freight railway company in a civil proceeding initiated by the Bulgarian National Railway Infrastructure Company for damage caused pursuant to a railway accident. The claim amounting to ca. EUR 0,5 million was rejected by the court
- assisting a major international agricultural wholesaler in multiple court proceedings against non-performing suppliers in Bulgaria (both commercial and insolvency cases). More than EUR 2,5 million have been awarded to the client in total in the aforementioned proceedings
- advising the same major international agricultural wholesaler during the sale of its Bulgarian subsidiary for EUR 4,2 million, including helping with the due diligence process initiated by the buyer, establishing of mortgages on the agricultural bases of the Bulgarian subsidiary to act as collateral for the deal and drafting of the transaction documentation
- representing several major international pharmaceutical companies in multiple appeal procedures before the courts against unfavorable decisions of the Bulgarian medicinal products pricing and reimbursement authority, often achieving more favorable pricing and reimbursement conditions
- assisting with the regulatory, litigation and intellectual property sections of the legal due diligence of several Bulgarian medicinal products, food supplements and medical devices companies acquired by foreign investors
- assisting with the local regulatory and employment aspects arising from the merger of a major Japanese and a major Irish pharmaceutical company
- advising a major Bulgarian wholesaler of medicinal products and medical devices on its plans to open an online pharmacy in Bulgaria
- helping a Bulgarian bank on the intellectual property aspects of its project to start a loyalty card program based on an all-in-one shopping app, including providing legal advice, drafting a software license agreement and advising on the structure of the deal
- representing a US-based internationally-recognized higher education institution in its dispute with a Bulgarian tech education provider on the intellectual property rights on blockchain related software and educational courses. With Philip’s assistance, the parties reached a settlement on the use of the software and the training courses and materials
In addition, Philip has undertaken a one-year secondment with Alcon Bulgaria as an external compliance assistant (2014-2015) and an internship with Deutsche Welle (2007)
- ranked as a key lawyer for Eversheds Sutherland Bulgaria’s Life Sciences Practice in Legal 500 2022 EMEA Rankings
- Member of the Sofia Bar Association since 2015.
- Cambridge International Legal English (ILEC) qualification and certificate (C1), 2016
- Internship with Bulgarian judicial institutions organized by Bulgarian Ministry of Justice, 2014
- LLM (Hons) Law in Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, 2008-2013
- Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kulturministerkonferenz (C1) – Zweite Stufe, 2008
- Russian for Everyday Communication Certificate (B1), 2007