Stoeva, Tchompalov & Znepolski

Partner

Irina co-founded Stoeva Tchompalov & Znepolski in November 2017 after 13 years of being a partner at Stoeva, Kuyumdjieva & Vitliemov law firm. Her previous professional experience comprises 4 years of work as a senior lawyer at one of the biggest law firms in Sofia, Bulgaria, and before that 6 years as an in-house lawyer at Bulstrad Insurance Company (currently Bulstrad Vienna Insurance Group).

Irina has over 28 years of experience in insurance and in all forms of dispute resolution; also focused on healthcare & pharmaceutical, data protection, employment, public procurement law, as well as practicing corporate, M&A, and commercial law.

In her practice across both advisory and trial, Irina has appeared in all levels of Bulgarian courts and before a multitude of arbitration and regulatory panels and has represented clients at all stages of litigation. She advises multinational and local insurers, insurance brokers, healthcare companies, and other large corporations operating in different sectors, as well as small and medium businesses, and individuals.

Recent highlights from Irina's versatile experience include:

In 2020-2021 Irina led the STZ team to assist, as a Bulgarian counsel, GlaxoSmithKline group of companies in relation to the restructuring of their business in several European countries, including Bulgaria, by transferring the activities to new local partners and closing the local GSK entity. as part of the STZ team, Irina assisted Morrison & Foerster in London as a local counsel, advising on Bulgarian law matters Eurohold in its EUR 335 million acquisition of CEZ’s Bulgarian assets; representing Bulgarian renewable energy producers in compensation of damages claims against the Bulgarian State arising out of infringement of the EU law. acting as local counsel to DWF LLP, to a case before an English court concerning insurance damages claim for which Bulgarian law was applicable under Rome I Regulation. acting for the appellant in a EUR 3 million public procurement successful court appeal against the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance.

Bulgarian, English, basic knowledge of French and Russian.

Admitted to Sofia Bar and to practice in Bulgaria (2000).

LLM from University of Sofia, Law Faculty (1994).