Q & A with Ani Stancheva​

Your name, current occupation and country of work:
My name is Ani Stancheva and I am currently working as a lawyer in Sofia, Bulgaria. I have experience predominantly in the areas of commercial law, venture capital, public procurement and competition. I advise both venture capital funds which seek to invest in innovative SMEs and the companies that are looking for financing opportunities.

How do you use (will you use) European law in your work?
Having a solid knowledge of EU law is very useful as I advise my clients on legal matters that are harmonized within the EU. Consequently, understanding the applicable EU Directives and case-law of the CJEU makes me a far better expert on these topics. Being able to interpret the Bulgarian domestic law in the light of the relevant EU law has proved to have a lot of importance when giving advice to a client or defending their case before the national courts. I have relied on my knowledge of EU law in many instances, especially in the areas of public procurement, late payments, competition, etc. After the ERA Summer School on IP law, I am certain that I would be able to provide more precise legal advice regarding the exercise and protection of IPR as well.

How you benefited (will benefit) from the scholarship and the gained knowledge?
I am very grateful for receiving the scholarship as I have immensely benefitted from the Summer Course on IP law. I have gained valuable knowledge of different areas of IP law that will be very useful in my future professional endeavours. I also really enjoyed the social program as I had the chance to meet great colleagues from across the world and share unforgettable moments with them.

What particularly of the event did impress you the most (e.g. speaker, your takeaways on a specific legal topic)?
The whole event was organised extremely well. The speakers gave clear, engaging and up-to-date presentations that covered all important aspects of IP law. Each speaker discussed the relevant case-law and gave practical examples. We spend some time having workshops and discussions and there was enough time to ask questions during or after the presentations. I was particularly interested in trademarks, patent law and copyright and the speakers presenting these topics (André Pohlmann, Philippe de Jong and Eleonora Rosati) exceeded my expectations. Additionally, I found the lectures on cross-border litigation and enforcement of IPR given by Benjamin Raue and Carina Gommers very useful.
Of course, it is impossible to learn everything about IP law in one week, but I dare say that I have deepened my understanding of some topics and would feel more confident to practice in these areas. I would definitely return to the presentations of this ERA event whenever I need to refresh my knowledge on a certain topic of IP law.
The social program of the Summer Course contributed to the overall great experience. I really enjoyed all the social events (dinner, walking tour of Trier, wine tasting tour, etc.) as I had the chance to spend quality time outside the classroom sharing diverse knowledge and experiences with colleagues from all over the world.