
Penkov, Markov & Partners’s broad litigation and arbitration practice covers work across the energy, banking and finance, employment, IP, tax and commercial sectors, while being particularly well known for their expertise in real estate and construction disputes and arbitrations, namely zoning, damages and administrative matters. Practice head Atanas Valov handles contentious matters across many sectors and has recently acted in many energy related matters. Pavel Tsanov, who was made partner in June 2024 is highly recommended.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Penkov Markov & Partners' are great. Their team is very experienced and shows confidence in the court halls. A real example that synergy between old and experienced and young lawyers is possible.’
‘What makes PM&P law firm to be our preferred partner, is their team’s exceptionally broad range of competencies. They are outstanding professionals in all areas in which we have used their services, including finance and banking, providing legal services of the highest quality, efficiently, and with full transparency regarding the decision-making process. They are always ready to discuss multiple possible solutions and different approaches, objectively evaluating their positive and negative aspects. As a result, we, as clients, always have complete confidence that the decisions made by us align most closely with our objectives. This gives us exceptional security and confidence in all instances when they serve as our legal advisors.’
‘Pavel Tsanov is an extraordinary attorney. His skills are grounded in deep knowledge, but he is also a strategic thinker who can take a complicated matter and craft a thoughtful strategy to address it.'
‘Atanas Valov is the main lawyer leading our court representation. Sharp, knowledgeable and organised, he can handle efficiently multiple matters and unites their dispute resolution team around him, monitoring and overseeing all dispute matters handled for us by their team.’
‘I often have to collaborate with the partners Atanas Valov and Pavel Tsanov, who are very resourceful and accurate, while showing adaptability and innovation to solve new cases and complex situations in their field. Their feedback and ease of working with them makes them extraordinary lawyers in my opinion. The younger members of their team - Boris Strijlev, Vyara Tomova and Anelia Licheva - are doing great and have the potential for very a strong growth in their profession.’
‘What makes Boris Strijlev stand out is his sharp strategic insight and ability to quickly break down complex challenges into actionable solutions.'
‘Koycho Marinov – he was one of the lead lawyers on our case. Very reliable, with huge knowledge of the practical side of court proceedings. Hard-working and always available, he became our main contact person in their team. Anelia Licheva – she became part of their team after the case commenced, but has been very prudent and worked hard on the countering of the arguments of the other party.'
‘Atanas Valov is one of the rising stars on the Bulgarian litigation market. Great professional, with strong integrity and commitment to client work. Pavel Tsanov (insolvency, commercial litigation and arbitration and administrative disputes) is also an experienced individual. Anelia Licheva is specialised in real estate and commercial litigation and construction arbitration disputes, as well as in various types of civil litigation. Boris Strijlev is also one of their prominent next generation litigators, with a focus in administrative and administrative-penal litigation, construction disputes and commercial arbitration.'
Key clients
- PSS Stroitelstvo AD
- Crane Norway West AS
- Berlin-Chemie AG
- Ferratum Bulgaria EOOD (part of Multitude Finland)
- Dana Kft
- Ivan Tsanev and Mariya Tsaneva
- Private School American College of Sofia
- Niko-99 Jordanka Todorova EOOD
- Dova Management Limited
- Energy MT EOOD
- Marvik Pastrogor EOOD
- Kaufland Bulgaria EOOD & Co KD
- Enprom EOOD
- TNT Bulgaria EOOD (Fedex)
- Sella Commerce EOOD
- MBAL Skin Systems EOOD
- DNV GL SE (former Germanischer Lloyd SE)
- Allianz Bank Bulgaria AD
- Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company Bulgaria EAD
- Global Biomet EOOD
- Autotechnika EOOD (official dealer of KIA for Bulgaria)
- NETCREDIT OOD
- BA Glass Bulgaria SA
- Glorient Investment BG OOD
- Arteks Engineering AD
- Kamsar Ink OOD
- Zagorka AD (part of Heineken group)
- Build-ex EOOD
- AgriVia Oil EOOD
Work highlights
- Represented Energy MT EOOD, appealing the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation's REMIT decision, which as a result, was found unlawful by and was repelled by Administrative Court – Sofia City and the Supreme Administrative court.
- Representing PSS STROITELSTVO AD both as claimant and defendant before the Arbitration Court at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in several interconnected arbitral cases against the owner of a hotel in the heart of Sofia with total value of the claims of over BGN 3.2m.
- Representing the Hungarian investor Dana Kft on a EUR 1m dispute with Bulgarian state for damages on the RES investments of the client in Bulgaria, based on the Energy Charter Treaty.
Lawyers

Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Atanas Valov