Irina is a founding partner of the law firm in Bulgaria and a commercial, employment law and M&A attorney with over 30 years of experience.
A managing partner of Eversheds Sutherland in Bulgaria, Irina has over 30 years of experience as a commercial lawyer.
Irina has been also a tax and legal services partner in a Big Four firm. She is a founding partner of Tsvetkova Bebov & Partners since 2007.
Irina has contributed to the successful completion of some major, and key to the Bulgarian economy, deals and mergers and acquisitions together with post-deal structuring.
Irina can advise on all aspects of commercial law and employment law. She can assist in relation to M&A deals, on the buy or sell side, including due diligence, preparation of SPA, support in negotiations, and other support – as competition advice and commercial register matters. She can also provide advice in relation to drafting commercial contracts.
Irina has led and coordinated various large projects for multinational companies, many of which were one of the first investors in the country – through greenfield projects, acquisitions, or joint-ventures. Her clients are acting in various sectors of the economy – including energy, pharma and life sciences, the technology sector, retail and consumer sector, service centers and outsourcing.
Outside of advising clients, Irina is actively participating in various Chambers of Commerce, and has led many client presentations and workshops on various topics and areas of law. She was part of a consulting board to the Bulgarian Investment Agency in view of attracting foreign investments in the country. She participated in various initiatives of the Italian Confindustria in Bulgaria and the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria in relation to legislative proposals.
Irina has also participated in various meetings at government level in view of expressing the view of the business and investors on pieces of legislation.
Irina has initiated and participated in various pro-bono initiatives.
In her spare time, Irina enjoys traveling and reading and modern art.
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Irina has acted on a number of major transactions for international and local clients in various sectors, including:
- working alongside Eversheds-Sutherland US in relation to the acquisition by a leading global industrial technology company with subsidiaries in Bulgaria. Irina led the team that provided local M&A support to the buyer – including due diligence on the Bulgarian entity as well as input into the Stock purchase agreement – from a Bulgarian law perspective
- leading the team advising one of the biggest energy companies in Bulgaria in a major acquisition in the sector. Irina advised the client throughout the acquisition process, starting from the initial negotiations, the drafting of all acquisition documents, the closing, the preparation of all relevant corporate documents and the post-acquisition restructuring
- leading the team supporting a major participant on the construction market in running a Mock Down Raid review for competition compliance
- advising on the restructuring of a renewable energy business in Bulgaria, assisting the client with numerous regulatory, competition and tax aspects
- advising an international retailer on an ongoing basis on employment law matters, including but not limited to signing and termination of employment contracts, interpretation of the labour code and labour Regulation clauses, labour force restructuring, etc.
- advising a global company in the pharma sector on the implementation of various international group policies in Bulgaria, on matters of personal data protection and outsourcing, and on general employment compliance
- assisting an international merchant firm in a complex labour law case
- advising a leading international product manufacturer JTI Bulgaria on a subscription basis since 2 assisting an international merchant firm in a complex labour law case
- advising a leading international product manufacturer JTI Bulgaria on a subscription basis– on a large range of commercial, regulatory and employment law matters – including local restructuring
Over her career, Irina has presented numerous times at client conferences, events and workshops on various topics.
- ranked as Band 2 notable practitioner in Corporate/Commercial in Chambers & Partners 2022
- ranked as Band 2 notable practitioner in Employment law in Chambers & Partners 2022
- ranked as highly regarded in M&A in IFLR
- Member of the Sofia Bar Association
Irina is a member of Eversheds Sutherland’s Europe board.
She represents the firm in the French – Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in the German Bulgarian chamber of Industry and Commerce and in the Italian Confindustria Bulgaria.
- LLM Law in Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski - 1987
- New York City University – Associate degree in History of Modern Art - 1981