Arbitration and Litigation, Public International Law and EU Law, and complex commercial, corporate and financial transactions

Partner

As a counsel, Lazar Tomov represents states and private clients in domestic and international arbitration proceedings. He has experience with arbitrations conducted under the arbitration rules of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). His practice covers disputes involving various industries such as energy (oil & gas, photovoltaic, and electricity power generation and distribution), telecommunications, banking, construction, and waste management services.

Significant past and present representations include:

Plama Consortium Limited v. Bulgaria (ICSID case no. ARB/03/24); Novera AD et al. v. Bulgaria (ICSID case no. ARB/12/16); ST-AD GmbH v. Bulgaria (PCA case no.2011-06); EVN AG v. Bulgaria (ICSID case no. ARB/13/17); ENERGO-PRO a.s. v. Bulgaria (ICSID case no. ARB/15/19); State General Reserve Fund of the Sultanate of Oman v. Bulgaria (ICSID case no. ARB/15/43); ČEZ, a.s. v Bulgaria (ICSID case no. ARB/16/24); ACF Renewable Energy Limited v. Bulgaria (ICSID case no. ARB/18/1); Moti Ramot and Rami Levy v. Bulgaria (ICSID case no. ARB/18/47); representation of a state in an investment dispute under the UNCITRAL rules related to an airport; representation in an ICC commercial arbitration related to an additional success payment under a share sell   and purchase agreement; representation in an ICC arbitration related to a breach of contracts for sale of industry equipment; representation of a company in a commercial arbitration under the UNCITRAL rules related to a power   purchase agreement.

As a counsel, Mr. Tomov acts also in proceedings for setting aside arbitral awards, proceedings for recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitration awards and foreign judgments, as well as proceedings before administrative and judicial bodies of the European Union.

Significant successful representations include representing a Croatian company in proceedings for recognition and enforcement of an arbitration award, representing a state in set-aside proceedings related to an arbitration award, representing clients in two competition law proceedings before the European Commission.

Mr. Tomov is a listed arbitrator in the Arbitration Court of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has been appointed as a co-arbitrator and a presiding arbitrator in more than 100 cases related to diverse matters such as mergers & acquisitions, share sell and purchase agreement, banking transactions, and construction.

He is also a listed arbitrator in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, Netherlands. Recently, he has been appointed as arbitrator in ICSID Case No. ARB/17/49 - Erste Bank v. Republic of Croatia and in ICSID Case No. ARB/17/34 – Raiffeisen Bank v. Republic of Croatia.

In addition to his dispute resolution practice, Mr. Tomov acts as a counsel in high value international transactions and provides advice on matters of public international law. In this capacity, he has advised Bulgaria in regard to two sovereign bond issues and an international petrol pipeline project. He regularly advises Bulgaria and private companies on issues such as state immunity, treaty interpretation and termination, and structuring foreign investments.

Sofia Bar Association, European International Law Society, American International Law Society, Fellow of the European Law Institute

Diploma in Law with distinction, University of Sofia St. Kliment Ohridski, Faculty of Law; LL.M. in International Business Law (magna cum laude), Katholike Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium; International and Comparative Law, Academy of American and International Law, Dallas, USA; European Union Law, Academy of European Law, Florence, Italy; International Arbitration, and Financial Law, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, United Kingdom.