After the days of euphoria and denial surrounding the 13th National Justice Awards, and having returned to the office facing the daily challenges, I can say that it is truly a great honor for me to receive this year’s highest award - the Grand Prix for Lifetime Contribution to the Law, in the presence of nearly 300 lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and colleagues, whereby I am convinced that many others also deserve the award.

Although till now I have received a number of international and Bulgarian awards - Barons Who’s Who of the World and Best Lawyers, the Hermes Award of BCCI for my contribution to increasing transparency in Bulgarian commercial law and others, this award is the dearest to me…

Taking this award as an occasion, I began to reflect on my life so far - something my age inevitably prompts. Until now, I had not given much thought…

I have indeed gone through many challenges, starting my work as a lawyer even before the democratic changes, and later reaching the establishment of PM&P without any financial resources, office or client base - relying solely on extensive knowledge, mainly in corporate and commercial law, together with my colleagues, and on understanding the mechanisms of import and export.

My parallel work in the governing bodies of various non-governmental organizations, commercial companies and foundations further motivated me not only to strictly observe the law, but to work proactively on the legal framework, particularly for improving the investment climate in Bulgaria. Some of these circumstances and opinions are laid down in my book ‘The Colorful World of a Lawyer’.

Accepting the award, I realized how important it is for every fellow lawyer to firmly avoid constant discrediting and confrontation within the guild, as this undoubtedly damages the reputation of all of us, including the bar associations and the Supreme Bar Council (SBC).

We need unity and sustained effort to strengthen authority, because we have a more important mission in society - to change the legal framework, including ensuring better conditions for the protection of citizens’ personal rights and freedoms on the one hand, and, on the other, creating improved investment conditions and facilitating entrepreneurs in their economic activities - construction, energy, and other sectors.

These are precisely the matters that should engage lawyers and bar associations, and above all – SBC.

Of course, it is also time certain changes - not major, but essential, to be made to the legislation thus enabling the successful realization of a judicial reform, often mentioned but so far remained undefined and lacking public consensus.

Last, but not least, it is worth considering the founding of a specialized commercial court, similar to most European countries, in order to better account for the specific nature of disputes between traders and thereby strengthen trust in the judicial system.

I would like to thank my colleagues at PM&P who supported me at the event.