Our team

Prof. George Dimitrov, DSc is а founder and senior expert of Law and Internet Foundation. He is also a member of the Foundation's Management Board.

He is currently a lecturer in ICT Law at Sofia University, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, in Technical University of Sofia, University of Library Studies and Information Technologies and in Veliko Tarnovo University.

Being a Chairman of Law and Internet Foundation, Prof. Dr. Dimitrov has been the leading expert and head of numerous work groups that have drafted the contemporary Bulgarian legislation in the area of ICT, inter alia, the Electronic Commerce Act, the Electronic Governance Act, the Electronic Communications Act, the Commercial Register Act, the latest amendments to the Electronic Document and Electronic Signature Act, the secondary legislation of the cybercrimes section of the Criminal Code, and many other acts. He played an essential role in the elaboration of key strategies of national importance such as: the Strategy for the Implementation of Electronic Healthcare in Bulgaria, the Strategy for Electronic Government, the Strategy for Bulgaria’s Competitiveness on International ICT Markets, etc.

Prof. Dr. Dimitrov was conferred the honour to be appointed a national correspondent for Bulgaria in many projects assigned by the European Commission on reporting the implementation of various EU directives in the area of e-signatures, e-documents and e-governance in Bulgaria. He is a member of Scientific Board of the European Privacy Institute, a panelist at the Czech Arbitration Court for providing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for the .eu domain and since 2009 he is an arbiter at the International Arbitration Court at the Alliance for Legal Interaction.

For a number of years he has trained attorneys-at-law, judges, prosecutors, investigators, in-house lawyers and state officials in the legal aspects of the implementation of the legislation in the areas of e-commerce, e-government and cyber crimes and has authored a number of related articles and commentaries. He is an author of several monographs and books - Liability of Certification Service Providers at VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller, Saarbruecken, The International Encyclopedia of Laws – Cyber Law, Monograph Bulgaria at the Kluwer Law International, etc. and co-authored over 10 books with leading European experts.

Prof. Dimitrov, DSc is a member of various committees and professional legal organizations of local and international importance such as: the Technology and E-commerce Law Committee at the International Bar Association (IBA), the International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw), the European Electronic Messaging Association (EEMA), the Council of the Sofia Bar Association and many others.

Mr. Bogdan Petrov is a founder and senior expert in Law and Internet Foundation. He is also member of the Foundation's Management Board. Mr. Petrov graduated from Sofia University, Faculty of Law (LL.M. 1994) and specialized Management at the University of National and World Economy, Sofia. He also completed the Enterprise and Investment Course organized by the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Rome, Italy (2003).

Mr. Petrov has more than 15 years of experience in leading projects and international transactions for acquisition of telecom, ICT and energy companies in Bulgaria.

He has published relevant studies and articles in national and international editions. For more than 8 years Mr. Petrov has trained attorneys-at-law, judges, and state officials in the legal aspects of the implementation of legislation in the areas of e-Commerce and e-Government.

Mr. Petrov is a member of the Sofia Bar Association and the International Bar Association.

Prof. Dr. Daniela Ilieva, PhD is a Member of the Management Board and the Executive Director of Law and Internet Foundation. As a management specialist, consultant and internationally recognized trainer, she joined the Foundation in 2015. Her profile includes extensive experience in business process management, business communications, intercultural communication and presentation skills. Prof. Dr. Ilieva, PhD currently works actively as team lead, project manager or communication expert on the ongoing EU-funded projects of the Foundation.

Additionally, prof. Dr. Ilieva, PhD is a certified trainer in Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) and Coaching, recognized by the International NLP Association and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. Prof. Dr. Ilieva, PhD holds an expert degree in International Tourism and Hospitality Management, a Bachelor degree in Business Administration, and a Master degree in Marketing. She is an expert in presentation skills and public speaking and has acquired her PhD with a dissertation on the topic “Methodology for perfecting presentation skills”. Furthermore, in 2016 she has acquired an Associate Professor title in Administration and Business Process Management with numerous academic and non-academic publications, among which the book “Mentoring: Process, Guidelines and Programs” – the only cohesive guide to mentoring published in Bulgaria. In 2022 she became Professor in Management (Business Communication and Personal Development Management).

She is currently a lecturer at several public and private universities - VUZF University, the University of Library Studies and Information Technology (UNIBIT), Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, and other where she is frequently invited as guest lecturer. In her classes she focuses on human behaviour studies and transfers specific knowledge on business processes management, business communication, strategic management, organisational behaviour, corporate social responsibility and ethics. She is an honored and valued asset for these universities, as she provides the most up-to-date education on the above-mentioned topics, as well as provides the so needed bridge between business and academia.

Prof. Dr. Daniela Ilieva, PhD is also a professional trainer-consultant on Business Etiquette and International Protocol, certified by EUROPROTOCOL – The European School of Protocol. She is regularly invited as a guest speaker and trainer at different academic and business events. She was twice part of the renowned TED events - in Varna, and in Sofia. She is the author of several books, and her work and publications often appear in internationally recognized scientific journals and conferences around the world. She is the only trainer and educator in Bulgaria combining the fields of business process management, modern business etiquette, international protocol, image management, NLP, coaching and mentoring.

As a consultant, among her clients are Microsoft, Sitel, Pepsi, Post Bank, Novartis, Trace, Evrotrust, Unitcargo, The Family Business Network, The Bulgarian Dental Association, The National Real Estate Association, Pipe System, large law firms, and many other private and public sector organizations.

Contact Info:

E-mail: daniela.ilieva@netlaw.bg;

M: +359 888 636 308

Ms Desislava Rancheva has a Master’s degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy Sofia. In 2012, she completed another Master degree in Corporate Finance at the University of Economics Varna.

Ms Desislava Rancheva completed specialised training courses in practical aspects in public procurement, risk management in the public sector, development and management of European projects, public relations, protection of classified information, and management of health and safety labour.

In her professional career, she was involved in the successful development, implementation and integration of various projects and programs of organisational and national level, and projects from donor programs in the EU.

Ms Rancheva successfully plans and prepares legal and technical contracts for public and private organisations.

She has extensive experience in the administration of policy, strategic and financial planning activities, as well as in the establishment and implementation of management and control systems of public sector organisations.

Ms Desislava Rancheva has more than 10 years’ experience in planning and contractual information, and provision of organizational activity.

In November 2015 Ms Rancheva joined the team of Law and Internet Foundation as Financial specialist and Head of the Strategic Development Department, and currently holds the position of Financial Manager.

She is directly involved in the human resource management, strategic analysis, monitoring and reporting of the Foundation's broad spectrum of activities as well as the financial management of the organisation's resources and the projects for which it is a contractor/beneficiary. She works actively for development and expansion of the overall activity of the organisation, as well as for exploring new opportunities for realisation of project ideas.

Denitsa Kozhuharova graduated from Sofia University, Faculty of Law (LLM, 2015). Her professional interests are related with International Law and Human Rights, their protection in terms of the ever evolving digital technologies in particular.

Denitsa Kozhuharova has participated in many different national and international projects and programmes in the youth policies, education, legal analysis and monitoring fields. She has also participated in international students conferences focused on different International and European Law aspects. Denitsa Kozhuharova has taken part in the “Legal Barometer” Project.

Denitsa Kozhuharova has started her career as an intern in the Ministry of Justice, Directorate “Procedural Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria before the European Court of Human Rights”.

Denitsa Kozhuharova has successfully widen her legal expertise taking part in the Erasmus exchange programme, spending a semester in Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, where she has completed European Law, Copyright and Neighboring Rights, International and European Environmental Law, Legal Anthropology courses. In 2015 Denitsa Kozhuharova is a participant in the CEE Vienna International Tax Law Summer School at the Institute for Austrian and International Tax Law. Both gained knowledge and experience had helped in the process of defining the fields of her professional interests.

In February 2016 she joined Law and Internet Foundation team where she actively participates in the project proposals drafting process both on national and international level as well as the implementation of other initiatives, funded by various donor programmes. Ms. Kozhuharova is currently leading the Human Rights Department.

She speaks fluently English and French.

Mina Kyurkchieva completed specialised education at the Institute of Air Transport and Aviation College of Bulgaria (Sofia Flight Training), simultaneously with a bachelor's degree, with a successful merger of years, from VUZF University. She continued with a first master's degree in Human Resource Management and Leadership Behavior. Then, she successfully completed a second master's degree in Applied Business Psychology, with a profile focused on people, processes and effective management. Her previous professional experience includes working as junior accountant, a tax inspector for a large Metropolitan Municipality and a flight attendant for a charter airline. She joins the team of Law and Internet Foundation in November 2022 as an Office Manager and then gets promoted to Project Coordinator.

As Project Coordinator she has worked on numerous international projects dealing with themes connected to human rights, social support, judicial cooperation, crime prevention & protection of vulnerable groups, cybersecurity, data protection, smart infrastructure and urban development.

Her professional interests are related to innovation and entrepreneurship, leadership and managerial effectiveness. She is fluent in English and has basic knowledge of Russian, is also a member of the Bulgarian Red Cross, EREPS (supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and a volunteer in various social campaigns.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading and sharing her thoughts on the books she has read through her personal blog.

Atty. Boyana Milcheva graduated from Sofia University, Faculty of Law (LL.M. 2002). Ms. Milcheva specializes in construction law, real estate law, tax law, financial law and corporate law.

Boyana Milcheva possesses in-depth expertise in the area of construction and urban law, and provides a complete range of legal solutions to the construction sector. She has significant experience representing clients involved in major infrastructure projects in the areas of road construction and rehabilitation, railway and highway construction, construction and maintenance of airports. Ms. Milcheva is actively engaged as a legal consultant in public-private partnerships and concessions, providing full scope of interdisciplinary legal assistance. She successfully supports clients in specific dispute resolution procedures under international construction contracts. Boyana Milcheva provides full legal support with regard to property acquisition, including real estate due diligence and investigation of ownership, transactions structuring, negotiations and representation.

As an experienced tax lawyer, Boyana Milcheva provides expert advice and comprehensive tax legal consultations on a wide range of business matters in a variety of industries, including tax planning for establishment of companies and in the context of property acquisition and on tax implications of commercial restructurings and transactions. Ms. Milcheva leads complex lawsuits in the field of VAT, corporate tax and avoidance of double taxation.

Atty. Desislava Krusteva graduated from Sofia University, Faculty of Law (LL.M. 2003). Her practice now focuses on e-Commerce and Internet Law, Telecommunications Law, Personal Data Protection, Contract Law and Corporate and Commercial Law.

In recent years Atty. Krusteva has been actively involved in drafting numerous legislative acts including the Law for Amendment and Supplementation of the Access to Public Information Act, Law for Amendment and Supplementation of the e-Documents and e-Signatures Act, the Electronic Communications Act, legislation regarding the state administration's corporate identity, etc.

Atty. Krusteva has been a regular speaker at conferences and trainings on the legal aspects of the electronic government, personal data protection, etc.

She has written numerous reports and legal opinions on the implementation of the EU ICT legal framework, e-government, privacy and data protection, e-communications, e-commerce, e-signatures, e-health, etc. She has coauthored a chapter on Electronic Evidence in Bulgaria in International Electronic Evidence published by the British Institute of International Comparative Law as well as a report on the implementation of the acquis in the area of information society.

In 2008, Atty. Krusteva won the scholarship of the Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Section of the International Bar Association (IBA).

She is a member of the Sofia Bar Association and the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and a Certified Information Privacy Professional Europe (CIPP/E) by the latter, as well as Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM).

Prof. Martin Zahariev is a Trade Mark and Design Attorney at the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as a European Trade Mark and Design Attorney. He graduated with honors from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Law (LL.M. 2014) and now specializes in intellectual property litigation, domain names disputes, privacy and arbitration. He advises also in the fields of employment law and life sciences regulation.

Prof. Martin Zahariev is a member of the winner team in the Europeaus Moot Court competition about the law of the European Union, preliminary ruling before the European Court of Justice about the protection of competition, May 2014. Member of the team that received an Honourable Mention for Werner Melis Award Best Memorandum for Respondent (top 20 of the world) in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot: competition in the area of international commercial arbitration and the Vienna Convention for International Sale of Goods, May 2014 – April 2015. Participated for two consecutive years in one of the world’s largest and most prestigious international private law competitions – Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot by serving as an arbitrator in the pre-moots held in 2016 and 2017 in Sofia, Bulgaria (2nd and 3rd Sofia Vis Pre-Moot) and in Belgrade, Serbia (9th and 10th Belgrade Open Pre-Moot). Participant in The Young Arbitrators Match 2015/2016 – the first and only competition that offers young practitioners the opportunity to decide a dispute based on an exchange of submissions and evidence, which was held in Paris in the autumn of 2016.

Prof. Martin Zahariev has an educational and scientific degree PhD in the professional field of "Public Communications and Information Sciences" at the University of Library and Information Technology (ULSIT), Sofia. His doctoral dissertation is entitled "Organisation and management of automated profiling in the context of personal data protection".

Prof. Zahariev is a university lecturer at the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT) in the disciplines Regime of Information and Basics of Law.

He is a member of Sofia Bar Association and the International Moot Court Competitions Association.

He speaks English and German.

Nikola Stoychev graduated from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Law (LL.M.) and now specializes in Telecommunications Law, Information and Communication Technology Law, Media Law.

He has a diploma in Introduction to British Law and EU law issued by the British Law Centre under the auspices of and in collaboration with the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Distance Learning at Cambridge University.

He has extensive legal and telecommunication and media-specific business knowledge and competencies, attention to detail and non-standard thinking.

He has extensive and varied experience in consulting local and international companies, including: Internet service providers, IPTV, telephone services, collocation services, music streaming service providers, television content providers, technology companies, e-shops, one of the leading mobile operators in the country, etc.

Nikola Stoychev is among the experts who participated in the consultations on the adoption of the Cybersecurity Act. At the 8th Annual Conference of the Bulgarian Association of Cable and Communication Operators at the end of 2018, he presented a draft Code of Ethics for Telecommunications Operators, in whose preparation he was actively involved.

Nikola Stoychev is a Legal expert in Law and Internet Foundation, Senior Associate in Dimitrov, Petrov & Co. Law Firm and a member of the Sofia Bar Association.

Fluent in English.

Mr. Hristo Nihrizov graduated from Sofia University, Faculty of Law (LL.M. 2005) and has since completed a course on the New Regulatory Framework in the Telecom Sector at the Center for European Programs at the American University in Bulgaria as well as a summer program on US Business Law held at the American Institute for Legal Education on the campus of the University of Michigan, USA.

Mr. Nihrizov has extensive experience in developing legal analysis of the legislation in various economic sectors, as well as in the preparation of reports, analyzes and opinions on the implementation of the EU legal framework related to information and communication technologies. Mr. Nihrizov has been involved in the drafting of the new Bulgarian Electronic Communications Act and the secondary legislation in the area. He has been a speaker on topics related to Information Technologies, Telecommunications Law, Competition Law, Privacy and Data Retention on various occasions and has authored related articles.

Mr. Hristo Nihrizov has been advising in the areas of Telecommunications Law, Media Law, Banking and Financial Law, Competition Law, Administrative Litigation for more than 10 years. His broad experience includes working on a number of national and international telecom projects with regard to the rolling out of all types of telecom networks, on-line services and platforms, as well as on several ground breaking banking and financing projects. He’s deep industry knowledge has made him a key participant in the process of elaboration of the current electronic communication regulatory framework of Bulgaria.

Viktoriya Veleva is a senior associate with over 6 years of professional experience. She has an LLM from the Faculty of Law of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and а master's in Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer from the Faculty of Economics of the same university – a programme conducted in cooperation with WIPO, EPO, EUIPO, USPTO & CEIPI.

She specializes in the field of technology law, including personal data, fintech and blockchain, as well as intellectual property. She advises leading international companies on a regular basis, including Google, on data protection issues, advertising requirements, and local compliance.

Her internship at the European Commission's Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) has helped her gain project management experience that proves extremely useful in balancing the legal and business sides of each case.

In her past experience as a legal consultant of the Balkan Blockchain Association, Viktoriya has contributed to the activities of the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA) in the field of blockchain technologies and their regulation at regional level.

She has significant experience as a lecturer and guest lecturer on topics related to personal data and intellectual property at seminars, training courses and universities, including the Faculty of Economics of Sofia University and University of Library Studies and Information Technologies.

Defne Halil, LL.M. is a Legal Expert at the Law and Internet Foundation. She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Corporate and Commercial Law from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where she graduated cum laude and with honours. She also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in European Law, complemented by a minor in Business and Law, from the same university, graduating with excellence.

During her studies, Defne participated in the Maastricht Research-Based Learning Excellence Programme, where she conducted a research project titled “Fight the Power (with Data): Looking Behind the Scenes of Big Tech with the Digital Services Act.” Her work was later presented at Digital Legal Talks 2024 (Utrecht, the Netherlands) and at an event hosted by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society. Based on this project, she co-authored a paper with distinguished scholars, published in the Internet Policy Review and submitted recommendations to the European Commission on the Delegated Act for Data Access Requests.

She has also authored two further publications on environmental law in the Maastricht Student Law Review. Her research background includes participation in the Our Rule of Law Academy, where, as a Policy Researcher, she conducted a study with other peers on academic freedom and presented the findings before key decision-makers in Brussels, Belgium. Additionally, she contributed as a National Legal Researcher to the International Legal Research Group on Law and Sustainability, organised in collaboration with ELSA International and the Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie.

Professionally, Defne has been a Student Consultant for the Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation, supporting the development of the Fair Pharma Cancer Scoreboard. Her research focused on analysing pharmaceutical companies’ registration, marketing, and pricing practices for essential cancer medicines in the Netherlands, Kenya, and South Africa, assessed against legal and ethical criteria. This work was carried out within the framework of the PREMIUM Honours Programme for high-performing master’s students.

She also has experience in Financial Crime Compliance, particularly in anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF), gained during her internship at De Lage Landen (DLL) in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Additionally, she completed an internship in criminal law at the Regional Prosecution Office in Varna, Bulgaria.

Beyond her academic and professional work, Defne is committed to civic engagement. As a Rule of Law Trainer, she has volunteered to educate high school students in the Netherlands on the importance of the rule of law, statelessness, and the right to nationality.

She speaks fluently English and Turkish.

Mr. Kostadinov has attained his LLM in the Heinrich Heine University (HHU), Düsseldorf, Germany, along with supplementary studies in Anglo American Law (HHU) and Legal Issues of Artificial Intelligence (HHU). He has completed several valuable internships, including with the Düsseldorf Municipality, the German Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and multiple years at a big law firm.

He now specializes in Intellectual Property, Life Sciences, and Technology and Privacy matters. Mr. Kostadinov has worked on several opposition proceedings involving popular trademarks and complex patent invalidation and patent application proceedings. He supports multiple technology companies with securing their copyrights and other intellectual property rights regarding their developments and software on a regular basis. He has been further involved in local compliance and legal matters relating to multiple top pharmaceutical companies and a leading German car manufacturer.

Mr. Kostadinov also has varied experience in consulting and providing legal and ethical support on several EU projects such as the MaaSAI Project (Agile Manufacturing as a Service through AI Autonomous Agents) and the Tools4LEAs Project (Tools for Law Enforcement Agencies) of the European Anti-Cybercrime Technology Development Association (EACTDA).

Mr. Kostadinov is legal expert in Law and Internet Foundation, attorney at Dimitrov, Petrov & Co. Law Firm, and a member of the Sofia Bar Association.

He speaks English, German, Bulgarian and French.

Polina Petrova holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in “European and International Business Law” (with a strong emphasis on Intellectual Property and New Technologies) from the University of Vienna (Vienna, Austria) (together with Stanford Law School), where she has graduated as an Academic Excellence Scholarship Recipient. She is also a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) (Honours) graduate in “International and European Law” from the University of Groningen (Groningen, The Netherlands), and she has as well completed a specialisation in “International and Comparative Business Law” at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany.

Polina Petrova has gained a few years of professional experience at two intellectual property law firms, including in Singapore. She worked as a Legal Analyst at the European Commission, in Brussels, Belgium, where she also provided support during inter-institutional negotiations between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, as well as during stakeholder consultations, regarding legislative revisions. She represented Bulgaria as a Youth Delegate at the Model Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), held in conjunction with the 14th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FMM14) on “Asia & Europe – Together for Effective Multilateralism” in Madrid, Spain.

Among her major interests are intellectual property and technology law, as well as diplomacy in foreign policy.

When not devoted to professional commitments, she indulges her other passions – reading, photography, as well as swimming.

Atanas Kirov graduated from Sofia University, Faculty of Law (LLM 2019). His professional interests are related with the protection of personal data, criminal law, Human rights and EU law.

Atanas Kirov started his career as an intern with the legal advisers in the Administration of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria. In 2016, he participated in the internship program of the Supreme Judicial Council administration. In the period 2017-2018 he worked as a legal associate at Bulgarian law firm. He has participated in the Fulbright Internship Program at Sofia District Court, where he acquires practical and theoretical knowledge in the fields of civil and criminal law.

He joined Law and Internet Foundation team in July 2019.

He speaks English fluently.

Sofiya Spasova holds a Master’s degree in European Law (LL.M.) with a specialisation in European Public Law and Governance from Maastricht University (Maastricht, The Netherlands), and a focus on Human Rights Law (European and International), as well as International Humanitarian Law. Prior to her specialisation in the field of law, Sofiya obtained a Bachelor in European Studies (BA) from Maastricht University.

In her previous role as project coordinator at the Trust for Social Achievement Foundation, Sofiya worked on projects focused on the integration and inclusion of ethnic minorities in Bulgaria, more specifically access to early education for Roma children. She was also involved in a project that is aimed at providing possibilities for Roma university students, studying preschool pedagogy, to become successful role models that will have a positive influence on the development of children at an early age.

She is fluent in English and Bulgarian and has basic understanding of Spanish.

Alexander Zarkov graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science at the University of Mining and Geology St. Ivan Rilski (2012). In 2014, he completed a master’s degree in Computer and Network Security at Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski”.

In 2011, Mr. Zarkov is awarded by the Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies (BAIT) for the contribution to the development of the information and communication technologies. Mr. Zarkov gained extensive experience in the field of information and communication technologies. He has been part of the development of one of the Cisco System’s largest projects named Cloud Web Security.

Mr. Zarkov is part of Law and Internet Foundation’s team as an expert in field of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and Information Security.

Alexander Zarkov also holds the position of System Administrator/ DevOps in a leading technology company.