About mediation

Why mediation?

Mediation is a voluntary and confidential procedure for out-of-court dispute resolution. It enables the disputing parties to retain control over the outcome of the dispute by finding themselves, with the help of a neutral third party, a mutually acceptable solution based on their interests.
Some key advantages of mediation are:
• flexibility, expedience and cost effectiveness in comparison to the court proceedings;
• confidentiality: ensures that the facts regarding the dispute, subject to mediation, will not become public and prevents potential reputational damages to the parties;
• control of the parties over the outcome of the dispute (the outcome is based on their agreement instead of being imposed by someone else);
• suspension of the limitation periods for claims resulting from the dispute that is subject to mediation;
• the possibility of making the settlement agreement reached in mediation enforceable, including in another jurisdiction;
• preserving the possibility of referring the dispute to other means of resolution (court or arbitration) in the event that no settlement agreement is reached in the mediation procedure.

Read more about the benefits of mediation here:

Mediation in construction disputes

Mediation in trademark disputes

As of July 1, 2024, the attempt to mediate becomes mandatory in Bulgaria for certain categories of disputes pending before the courts. For certain commercial and company disputes, it will be mandatory by law (Article 140a, para. 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure), while for other categories, including disputes related to intellectual property rights, it is at the discretion of the judge whether to oblige the parties to participate in a mediation procedure (Article 140a, paragraph 2 of the CCP).

You can read more about mandatory mediation in Bulgaria in this article on the mandatory court mediation

How does mediation work?

At its core, mediation is a process of assisted negotiation that requires the active participation of the parties to the dispute. It is aimed at finding a solution that meets the interests of both disputing parties.

The mediator facilitates this process. He or she is a professional trained in conflict management who helps you find common interests with the other party and look for different resolution options, but he does not propose or make a decision for you; the decision remains yours. The key to a successful mediation is to explore multiple options and seek a solution that the other party also benefits from.

What makes us different?

Members of our team are both certified mediators and mediation trainers with more than 15 years of mediation experience and, at the same time, have expertise and experience in commercial and company law and intellectual property.