Lyubka Vasileva-Karapanova

Bulgarian

Language:

English

Bulgarian (native), Spanish (advanced)

Present Function:

Lawyer, certified mediator, and mediation trainer with experience in contract, commercial, and corporate law, banking law, intellectual property, property law, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation. Qualified as a Bulgarian and European industrial property attorney in trademarks, geographical indications, and industrial designs. A certified mediator since 2006, with specialised training in intellectual property, commercial, family, cross-border, and consumer mediation, and listed as a mediator with the WIPO Mediation and Arbitration Center, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and PAMB. A mediation trainer since 2009, part of the CEDR-trained network of mediation trainers, and experienced in delivering basic mediation certification programmes and specialised training in commercial, intellectual property, cross-border, and consumer mediation.

General Expertise:

Certifications and/or licenses

Attorney at Law, Sofia Bar Association.
Certified Mediator, registered by the Ministry of Justice of Republic of Bulgaria.
Certified Mediation Trainer.
IMI Qualified.
Certified Court Mediator (certification by the Supreme Judicial Council).
Bulgarian and European industrial property attorney in the field of trademarks, geographical indications and industrial design.

Professional legal or litigation experience related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

Bulgarian and European Industrial Property Attorney specialising in trademarks, geographical indications, and industrial designs, acting as a self-employed BPO- and EUIPO-registered representative since 2020, providing intellectual property consultancy and representing clients before the Bulgarian Patent Office and the EUIPO in registration, opposition, and related administrative proceedings, as well as negotiating and drafting IP agreements and supporting the resolution of IP disputes, including settlements and ADR. Previously served as Legal Advisor and Head of the Legal Department at Sopharma PLC (2001–2020), advising on commercial and corporate matters with a strong focus on intellectual property in the pharmaceutical sector and representing the company in complex commercial and trademark infringement disputes. Earlier experience includes legal advisory roles at Bulbank AD and TSBank AD, covering banking, collateral, insolvency, debt recovery, litigation, and settlement negotiations, as well as legal consultancy at the Ministry of Defence and initial judicial training as a Trainee Judge at the Sofia City Court.

Memberships and/or accreditations

Sofia Bar Association.
Professional Association of Mediators in Bulgaria.
ECTA - Mediation Committee Member.

Practical experience of conducting mediation or conciliation or judicial settlement conferences or out-of-court dispute settlements in disputes related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

She has volunteered as a mediator at the Court Settlement Centers of the Sofia City Court and the Sofia Regional Court for over thirteen years, acting as mediator and co-mediator in numerous civil, commercial, and family matters. In her legal practice, she has also acted as litigator, negotiator, and counsel in commercial and intellectual property matters, including IP-related contracts and disputes, oppositions, licensing, and trademark infringement cases, regularly applying ADR techniques to achieve negotiated outcomes. Her experience includes settlements in complex and cross-border trademark infringement disputes, negotiated resolutions in trademark opposition proceedings before the Bulgarian Patent Office, settlement of long-standing disputes concerning trademark ownership and use, and agreements relating to the transfer of rights in pharmaceutical registrations, domain names, and associated licences.