Vanina Popova

Vanina Popova is an attorney-at-law with a high-level expertise in Venture Capital (‘VC’), Litigation and AML. She is an Associate at Georgiev & Kolev Law Office and their Deputy Head of the VC Department.

Currently, the VC team of Georgiev & Kolev is responsible for the full legal service of two Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMs) regarding all matters related to the investment activity of the Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) managed by them. The total resource of both AIFS amounts to appr. EUR 70 million and consists of public financing provided by the Fund of Funds in Bulgaria and additional private funding provided by the fund managers and independent private investors.

Vanina has participated in the consultation concerning the structuring of the funds and the fund managers, including but not limited to the establishment of the AIFMs and AIFs and the provision of legal services regarding the whole investment activity of the funds since their incorporation. So far, Vanina has advised both AIFs on the closing of 26 equity investments in high-tech and innovative SMEs for the total amount of appr. EUR 13.5 million. The legal services regarding the structuring of the equity and quasi-equity investments executed by the AIFs include legal due diligence, regulatory checks, ensuring compliance with the legal framework in the field of state aid and de minimis aid, the criteria for SME and other eligibility requirements related to public financing, preparation of investment agreements and/or convertible loan agreements, negotiations with beneficiary companies, drawdown notices, capital increase documents, corporate policies, etc.

Additionally, Vanina has practice in the field of commercial (including mergers and acquisitions) and contract law and real estate. She has experience in legal representation in judicial proceedings and prepares legal opinions and analyzes concerning various areas of law.

Apart from that, Vanina has a leading role in the consultancy activity of Georgiev & Kolev regarding bringing companies in compliance with the requirements of the Directive (EU) 2015/849 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing and the Bulgarian Law on Measures against Money Laundering.