Angelina Boneva-Petrova

Angelina Boneva-Petrova, Ph.D. is a Bulgarian lawyer, legal adviser and dispute resolution professional with approximately nine years of experience in legal practice, with a particular focus on international arbitration, private international law, commercial disputes and mediation. She currently serves as Legal Adviser to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria. Previously, until the 11th of September, 2026, she practised as an associate at Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov, one of Bulgaria’s leading law firms, where she advised and represented clients in complex commercial, investment and international disputes, including arbitration proceedings. Her professional experience includes work on approximately 20 arbitration proceedings, involving commercial and investment-related disputes, as well as 35 mediation proceedings and one expert appointment. Her areas of focus include international commercial arbitration, investment arbitration, recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, private international law, cross-border litigation, international contracts and alternative dispute resolution. She holds an LL.M. in International Contracts and Arbitration from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and has completed advanced professional training in international arbitration, including with the Swiss Arbitration Academy’s CAS programme. She holds PhD in Private International Law at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, where her research focused on the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. She is admitted as a mediator and arbitrator at the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC) and is a member of professional and academic networks in the fields of international arbitration, mediation and private international law. She has also been involved in academic teaching, legal research and professional training since 2024. In addition to her legal and dispute resolution practice, she works as a judicial mediator and judicial translator and has published and presented on issues relating to international arbitration, private international law and the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards.

Angelina Boneva-Petrova is a qualified mediator with experience in facilitating the amicable resolution of disputes, particularly in commercial and cross-border contexts. Her mediation practice is informed by her background in international arbitration, private international law, and complex dispute resolution. She assists parties in identifying their interests, clarifying legal and practical issues, and exploring constructive, sustainable settlement options. Her approach is structured, impartial, and solution-oriented, with particular emphasis on effective communication, confidentiality, and party autonomy. She is registered as a judicial mediator in Bulgaria and is admitted as a mediator at VIAC. Was at the Bar of Sofia until September 2026.

Parallel Arbitration and Litigation Proceedings in Private International Law - The Yearbook of the International Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic: “Arbitral Institutions: Challenges of Public Policy”, 2025. 

The Validity of the Arbitration Agreement as Grounds for Refusal of an Arbitral Award - Recent Case Law and Developments in Bulgaria and Other Jurisdictions - Romanian Arbitration Journal, Wolters Kluwer Romania, 2025. 

Article V(1)(a) of the New York Convention as a Ground for Refusal of Recognition and Enforcement of a Foreign Arbitral Award with Regard to the Incapacity of a Party - CIFILE Journal of International Law, 2025. 

The Violation of Public Policy in Arbitral Awards - Lawyer Review, publication of the Supreme Bar Council, 2025, published on CCEOL. The Issue of the Subjective Limits of the Arbitration Agreement as Grounds for Refusing Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards - Commercial Law Magazine, No. 4/2024. 

The Public Policy Defence Under EU Law and Its Application to Domestic and Foreign Arbitral Awards - paper presented at the Journal of Private International Law 20th Anniversary Conference, 2025. 

Enforceability of Arbitral Awards with a Cross-Border Element - paper presented at the XV National Conference of Doctoral Students, Postdoctoral Researchers and Young Scientists, Institute for State and Law, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 

Lis Pendens in Arbitration and Court Proceedings in Private International Law - paper presented at the XIV National Conference of Doctoral Students, Postdoctoral Researchers and Young Scientists, Institute for State and Law, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 

Enforcement of Agreements Reached through Mediation in Disputes with Cross-Border Elements - paper presented at the international scientific conference “Mediation in Support of Society: Legislation, Ethics, Theory and Practice”, New Bulgarian University. The Ever-Adapting Arbitration in Times of Digital Transformation and Smart Regions - paper presented at the annual Transform4Europe PhD Conference: “Societies on the Move: Challenges of Today, Prospects for the Future”, 2025.