With 25 years of SEE Legal behind him and over four decades in the legal profession, Boyanov & Co Managing Partner Borislav Boyanov reflects on how the idea for the regional alliance first took shape, from early conversations with peers to building a network across borders.
CEELM: What sparked the idea to create SEE Legal, and what were some of the key thoughts behind putting it together?
Boyanov: Boyanov & Co was established back in February 1990, and from the very beginning, we worked with international clients and were sensitive about their needs. We also participated in global professional organizations and networks. In 2000, we organized on behalf of the IBA the first Balkan Legal Forum, which turned out to be a key event. There I met colleagues from the Balkan countries, and that is where the idea was born – not just to meet at events, but to work together for clients. The concept itself came from personal experience, showing that large legal networks worked very well for big markets like the US and UK, but law firms from smaller countries did not benefit a lot from them. That’s why we wanted a model tailored to our reality and our clients’ needs. We also studied similar regional approaches in Latin America and Europe.
So, at the Balkan Forum, I spoke with Ion Nestor from NNDKP in Romania and Perparim Kalo from Kalo & Associates in Albania. The vision was to create a leading structure that would cover the entire Southeast European region, with one first-tier law firm in each jurisdiction covered. We believed there was immense potential in the region, despite its historical complexities. At the time, the smell of gunpowder from the wars in the region was still in the air, but despite it, international clients were already operating here.
Our idea was not to focus only on referrals. We wanted to create a group with exclusive relations among the members to share knowledge, know-how, models, and contacts openly, to create joint business development strategies and marketing synergies. In time, we managed to build a solid infrastructure. Today, SEE Legal has regular meetings and effective management, including a coordinator with a US legal background, various practice groups, many publications, IT tools, etc. That is why some law firm management experts even call us a “virtual firm.”
At one of our early dinners, the IBA President at that time asked, “Who are these people from diverse countries who genuinely seem to enjoy each other’s company?” I told her these were my SEE Legal partners who, although they were coming from countries with difficult histories, liked and trusted each other very much. We had one goal – to build an innovative organization providing first-class services to its clients. She commented that we were a best-practice example for the politicians from our region.
I also remember a very experienced international partner from Allen & Overy once telling me, “If the members from your group do not merge in five years, you’ll disappear as an organization.” But here we are, 23 years later, still going strong with many ideas and a commitment to refresh ourselves and to grow. Others have even copied our model, name, or even logo, which confirms our approach works.
CEELM: As a Bulgarian lawyer and one of the co-founders, where did Bulgaria fit into the network at the time, and what was the relevance? Has the jurisdiction’s position changed within the network since?
Boyanov: To be honest, it wasn’t about any country, firm, or personality having a dominant role. What really mattered was the commitment and energy of individual leaders – their willingness to invest time and effort in building something unique that benefits all members. Of course, each country and its respective law firm are different. We have, for example, Turkiye and Montenegro in the group, different markets in terms of size, population, and economic development, but we found the proper balance that works.
The development is dynamic. Bulgaria, in certain periods, had a good number of multinational clients whom we referred to our partners. We also get referrals. Now we often work together, covering two or more jurisdictions from SEE. It’s always been about a shared mindset. We also gained some fun and unexpected insights, like when we were once discussing a historical event that happened 700 years ago and realized that we had all learned completely different versions of the same story in school. We laughed about it, but it also underscored why this regional collaboration makes so much sense.
CEELM: When you first got started, what was the very first thing you focused on?
Boyanov: From the start, we wanted to provide services at international standards, with respective quality and speed. That is why we aimed to bring in only first-tier firms, although we made one exception, and it took that firm less than a year to join the leaders in the respective country. We were quite methodical – conducted inquiries among international clients, checked the legal directories, and traveled to all countries. We visited the majority of the leading independent national firms and held detailed discussions. It took about a year and a half to identify the right partners in all 12 countries and to build the infrastructure. The good news is that we are very satisfied with where we ended up. One of the best things of the last few years is that the younger generation within our firms has embraced this model – they believe in it, and they have built strong professional and personal ties across the firms.
CEELM: What did you see as the main value for members back then? Has that evolved in any way since?
Boyanov: Some years ago, on a Saturday, a partner from an international law firm called me. He had an important inquiry from an Asian client and needed answers from 10 of our countries by Sunday lunchtime. We delivered. That effect of quick responsiveness showed that the system works. Now we have regular cases like that one.
The value was clear from the beginning, and it has only grown over time. We share knowledge, contacts, and business development. That openness enriches all of us. It works well – not just for our clients, but for us as professionals and people. We feel like one family. We treat each other with respect as equals, regardless of firm size, and genuinely enjoy working and parting together. It is a close community of good friends.
CEELM: Do you see SEE Legal growing in the upcoming years? If so, toward which jurisdictions do you see the network expanding?
Boyanov: Over the years, we have received inquiries from firms from Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and other countries. However, we have always believed it is better to focus on deepening our existing coverage in Southeast Europe rather than expanding for the sake of expansion.
At the Balkan Legal Forum in Sofia last year, a well-known legal management expert shared his view that networks are useful, but in today’s tech-driven world, they can lose relevance unless they are deeply integrated. What we have built takes lots of effort and personal commitment, but it works very well. I am not saying it is the only model – but it’s the one we chose, and we’re very satisfied with it.
This article was originally published in Issue 12.5 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the magazine, you can subscribe here.
