Georgi Baev is the chairman of the Plovdiv Bar Association. He started his career in 2005, and from February 2022 he holds the position of chairman of the Plovdiv Bar Association. It is the first in Bulgaria that already has its Strategy for Sustainable Development. We talked with Georgi Baev about the challenges in the legal profession and those related to the preparation of the ESG strategy, as well as about his vision for the future of the college.
Can you share what were the main factors and motives that provoked the Plovdiv Bar Association to proceed with the development and adoption of a Sustainable Development Strategy?
The main factor that provoked the development and adoption of the Sustainable Development Strategy by the Plovdiv Bar Association was the scientific research conducted by lawyer Desislava Beleva - a member of the Plovdiv Bar Association. Based on her report, the Bar Council in Plovdiv decided to start work on preparing the country's first strategy for the sustainable development of a bar association. The analysis of the activity of the college from the point of view of sustainability criteria contained observations and conclusions, as well as specific recommendations for improvement. Members of the Bar Council saw this approach as a meaningful way to identify important topics for our organization to focus our work on.
The analysis highlighted the importance of environmental protection, social justice and good governance, which are fundamental to the legal profession, and brought to the fore many positive trends in the activities of the College, namely from the point of view of sustainability. For example, traditional initiatives we run such as the Open Day, in which lawyers consult citizens for free, have proven to be a very good example of the social commitment of fellow lawyers to the community from a sustainability point of view, beyond its legal obligation. The only thing we had to do along these lines was how to organize our initiative more effectively.
Another example that we associate with the College's high degree of commitment to the community is our constant cooperation with the University of Plovdiv and the Law students studying there. The College supports and regularly participates in various University initiatives. Our members are included as a jury in evaluating the achievements of young colleagues, general practical discussions are organized to show students the practical application of their knowledge, practical internships are offered to young people and much more. etc.
For the colleagues - members of the Bar Association, the determination of the essential topics for our organization was an extremely useful exercise, because it brought to the fore questions such as "What is the mission of the College?” and "How do we formulate the College's vision for the future?”. The answers to these questions, although at first glance obvious, were the subject of discussions before they were formulated and published on the website of our organization.
What are the main goals and initiatives set in the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Plovdiv Bar Association?
The main goals and initiatives are aimed at improving environmental responsibility, supporting social justice and improving management processes. First, our goal is to improve the environmental responsibility of the College. This includes reducing waste and promoting the use of renewable resources. We are planning joint measures with the other members of the condominium where the premises of the College are located to reduce the environmental footprint of our activities.
Second, our strategy includes support for social justice through various projects and initiatives targeting vulnerable groups in society. We believe that the legal profession has a social responsibility and work to provide legal aid and support to those who need it most.
Third, the improvement of management processes in the college is a key part of our strategy. Our goal is to increase the transparency and efficiency of our work so that we can provide better services to our members and to society as a whole. This includes introducing new technologies and management methods to improve communication and coordination within the college.
With these initiatives and goals, we strive to make the Plovdiv Bar Association an example of sustainable development and social responsibility.
In what way do you plan to integrate ESG principles in the daily practice of lawyers and in the work of the Bar Council?
The integration of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles in the daily practice of lawyers and in the work of the Bar Council is a new topic for many of us, but it reveals significant potential for connecting economic and legal science. Fellow lawyers and law firms themselves can adopt sustainable practices. This can include implementing environmental standards in offices, such as using energy-efficient technologies, reducing paper documents and promoting recycling. Implementing and promoting these practices will demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
On the other hand, with the right additional qualification, lawyers can significantly help businesses structure their processes in a way that makes their business more sustainable and prepared for the new sustainability reporting requirements. European and global standards in this direction are becoming more and more complex, and lawyers, as consultants, can play a key role in preparing businesses for these requirements. Fellow expertise may include consulting on legal issues related to environmental, social and governance aspects of business practices.
Practicing lawyers are very well equipped to think systematically about problems from different perspectives and often offer sensible and practical solutions to many problems, including environmental, social and governance. They are the ideal professionals when it comes to compliance, but above all their experience and expertise can contribute to positive change in society based on well-organized practices and systemic changes where necessary.
In this context, the Plovdiv Bar Association received permission from the International Association of Bar Associations to translate into Bulgarian and distribute to lawyers the so-called ESG Handbook for law firms. This Handbook will provide lawyers with the necessary resources and guidance to apply ESG principles in their work, but will also help them understand sustainability principles in practice.
In this way, by integrating and disseminating knowledge about ESG principles, we will not only improve our own practice, but also help businesses become more resilient and prepared for the new reporting requirements. This is a step forward towards a more responsible and sustainable society in which lawyers play an important role.
What do you think of the strategy?for sustainability of the Bar Association - Plovdiv will it affect the future of the legal profession in Bulgaria and the professional development of the members?
We expect this strategy to significantly influence the future of the legal profession in Bulgaria and the professional development of the members of the college. The strategy will raise the standards of the legal profession, making it more responsible and oriented towards sustainable development. This will improve the image of lawyers in society and provide new opportunities for professional development.
The introduction of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles will make the legal profession more attractive to the new generation of lawyers who value sustainability and social responsibility. Lawyers will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in new areas, such as advising businesses on issues related to sustainability and compliance with international standards.
In addition, increasing awareness and qualification in ESG areas will give lawyers new tools to solve complex legal issues and to offer practical solutions that contribute to positive changes in society. This will strengthen the role of lawyers as key advisors to businesses and strengthen their position as leaders in sustainable development processes.
In the long term, the integration of ESG principles will lead to the construction of better organized and efficient law firms that will be able to provide higher quality services to their clients. This will create a competitive advantage for Bulgarian lawyers on the international stage and will open up new opportunities for professional development and growth.
We hope that other bar associations in the country will follow our example, and why not the Supreme Bar Council. In this way, we will be able to create a unified and strong legal community that actively contributes to the sustainable development and improvement of society as a whole.
Can you share some of the challenges and opportunities you see in implementing this strategy?
The integration of the principles of sustainable development into legal practice and the work of the Bar Council presents both significant challenges and numerous opportunities. Key challenges include the need to change established habits, practices and beliefs within the legal community. Many lawyers are used to traditional methods of working, and integrating innovative practices requires effort and a change in mindset. Regardless of everything, I believe that with targeted communication and training, we will have the opportunity to highlight the importance and benefits of implementing good practices and the work of our college.
On the other hand, the possibilities associated with the implementation of this strategy are numerous. First and foremost, improving the College's environmental and social footprint will demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. This will contribute to raising the image of lawyers in society by positioning them as leaders in sustainable practices.
Despite the challenges we face, the opportunities the strategy presents are diverse and very interesting. For example, structuring our processes and mapping our stakeholders in itself provides a different picture that allows us to analyze issues and assess risks within a much broader context.
How do you plan to fulfill the commitments and goals within the Strategy?
We have already taken several important steps to meet the commitments and targets within our Sustainability Strategy. We continue to organize open days for free consultations for citizens and have introduced measures to reduce waste in the office.
Moving forward, we plan to conduct training for barrister members of the College to inform them of the principles of sustainability and their impact on legal practice. The integration of sustainability into law practice is an important aspect that we promote through the translation and distribution of the ESG Handbook for Law Firms. We hope this document will provide attorneys with specific guidance and resources for implementing sustainable practices.
Partnerships with external organizations and experts are also a key element of our strategy, as they can provide us with additional support and advice. The specific initiatives laid down in the Strategy include the introduction of separate waste collection in the entire condominium, where, in addition to the administration and library of the Bar Association - Plovdiv, the Registry Agency, numerous lawyers, notaries and company offices are housed. Despite the challenge that there are no containers for separate waste collection near the building, we will seek solutions through partnerships with local organizations and the municipality. Within our office, we envision limiting the use of single-use packaging for food and beverages, replacing bottled water with a drinking water filter system, and ending the use of plastic cups and other single-use plastic items.
These are only initial steps, but we believe that this strategy has the potential to provoke other ideas and the implementation of new initiatives. This will not only improve the image of lawyers in the society, but also provide new opportunities for professional development of the members of the college. We hope that in this way we will be able to create a united and strong legal community that actively contributes to the sustainable development and improvement of society as a whole.
How do you plan to interact with stakeholders, including the public, the judiciary and other institutions?
Engagement with stakeholders – our members, the public, the judiciary and other institutions – is a key element of our strategy. We will continue to build our relationships with all these groups through active collaboration and open communication. In this regard, we have identified the need to update our site and have a more active presence in social networks, as well as more active communication with citizens about the benefits of early consultation with lawyers on various legal issues. In addition to being more effective, early consultation with an expert is often much faster and cheaper, and is too often underestimated.
We also plan to seek and collect feedback from the various stakeholders when organizing events. This will allow us to better understand the needs and expectations of the public, the judiciary and other institutions and to adapt our actions accordingly.
Ultimately, through proactive interaction and collaboration with stakeholders, we will be able to implement our strategy more successfully and contribute to the creation of a more sustainable and responsible society.
How will the results be measured and what are the key indicators of progress?
It is essential for us to track the progress and results of the implementation of the principles laid down in the strategy and this is one of the challenges facing the Bar Association. Once we have developed detailed plans for the projects embedded in the strategy of the Bar Association - Plovdiv, we will not only have a clear idea of the work ahead of us, but we will also ensure continuity in leading the organization. In this way, each subsequent leadership will be able to announce their priorities in advance and benefit from the already developed plans, and the interested parties will be able to monitor the implementation of the declared priorities.
On the other hand, each Bar Council annually reports on its activities to the general assembly, where we present the results of our efforts and the goals achieved. This provides transparency and accountability, allowing members of the College to monitor our progress and actively participate in the decision-making process.
Кak you think these yours efforts will affect the overall sustainability and social responsibility of the legal profession in Bulgaria?
Although we are still at the beginning of our journey towards the integration of the principles of sustainable development, we have already taken significant steps and are convinced that we have much to contribute. With our efforts to increase sustainability and social responsibility, we not only improve our professional practice, but also set a positive example for the whole society. We believe that through persistence and commitment we will achieve significant results and create a more engaged legal community in Bulgaria.