Awards & Rankings
Awards & Rankings
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Meyer
06.04.26
Pillsbury’s representation of Kozloduy NPP-New Build in connection with the engineering, procurement and construction of its Unit 7 and Unit 8 nuclear power reactors has been named the 2025 CEE Legal Matters Deal of the Year for Bulgaria. The annual awards recognize the most significant transactions shaping Central and Eastern European markets, as well as the legal teams behind them.
The award recognizes one of the most significant nuclear energy projects currently underway globally and highlights Pillsbury's role in supporting the expansion of clean, reliable baseload power generation through advanced nuclear technology.
The Pillsbury team, which was led by Energy partners Elina Teplinsky and Vincent Zabielski, advised on several key milestones advancing the project, including the negotiation and execution of an Engineering Services Contract (ESC) with a consortium of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Westinghouse) and Hyundai E&C for two new reactors (Units 7 and 8).
The team included Energy partners William Fork and Sid Fowler, Construction partner Jeffrey Gans, Finance partner Victoria Judd and Intellectual Property special counsel Benjamin Kiersz, in addition to Teplinsky and Zabielski.
“We are honored that this project has been recognized as Bulgaria’s Deal of the Year,” Zabielski said. “The development of Units 7 and 8 at Kozloduy is a transformational project for Bulgaria and the broader region, and it demonstrates the important role that advanced nuclear technologies will play in meeting future energy security and clean energy goals.”
The new reactors will utilize Westinghouse AP1000 technology and are expected to deliver a combined generating capacity of 2,300 megawatts. Unit 7 is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2035, with Unit 8 expected to follow in 2037.
The transaction represents a major milestone in Bulgaria’s long-term energy strategy and one of the most significant energy projects currently under development in Europe. The project is expected to strengthen regional energy security, support decarbonization objectives and reinforce Bulgaria's position as a leader in nuclear power generation in Central Europe.
“This recognition reflects the breadth and depth of Pillsbury’s nuclear practice and the experience our team brings to some of the industry’s most complex and consequential matters,” Teplinsky said. “For more than 60 years, Pillsbury has advised on major reactor deployments, fuel-cycle facilities, cross-border collaborations and strategic transactions around the world. By drawing on lessons learned across multiple jurisdictions, project structures, financing models and reactor technologies, we help clients anticipate challenges, navigate complexity and advance transformative nuclear projects.”
Since 2017, the CEE Legal Matters Deals of the Year Awards have honored landmark transactions and the legal teams driving investment and growth across Central and Eastern Europe. Winners are selected by senior law firm partners and in-house counsel from across the region. The 2025 awards were presented at the annual awards banquet on May 27, 2026, in Bucharest.