Dual purpose-- Product liability attorney to work both sides of border

By Tom Kirvan Legal News Fluent in three languages, Tina Georgieva is about to have a two-sided legal career, one that will cross the longest international border in the world. Born in Bulgaria and a resident of Canada until last year, Georgieva earned a joint juris doctorate degree from the University of Windsor and University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2011, affording her the opportunity to practice law in both Michigan and the province of Ontario. A products liability attorney with Bowman and Brooke in Troy, Georgieva passed the bar exam in Michigan last year and successfully completed the Ontario bar as well, and will be licensed to practice there in September after wrapping up a mandatory 10-month internship program. "It's been an involved process to obtain licensing in both countries, but I'm looking forward to the opportunities it will present in handling cases that cross borders," said Georgieva, who is fluent in Bulgarian, French, and English. "I've also taken the Florida bar exam and will look forward to be able to practice there as well." At the age of 14, Georgieva, her parents, and younger sister moved to Toronto "to build a new life," free from the restrictions of the former Eastern Bloc country, a Soviet satellite state. "I had just started ninth grade when we moved to Toronto," Georgieva explained. "My father is an electrical engineer and my mother is a nurse, and they have built their careers there. It was a great move for them and our family, giving us all the opportunity to build new lives." Following high school, Georgieva attended Ryerson University, a 28,000-student college in downtown Toronto, majoring in French studies. She graduated from there in 2008, and was accepted for the joint degree program at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law and UDM School of Law. It's trumpeted by school officials as "Three years. Two degrees. One program." Georgieva found that it more than lived up to its billing. "It's unique and it is demanding, especially taking courses at both law schools," she said. While in law school, Georgieva served as an intern at the Michigan Attorney General's Office, also finding time to work as a student attorney at the University of Windsor's Community Legal Aid Clinic. Both assignments whetted her appetite for a career in litigation. "I enjoy every aspect of the courtroom experience and feel it gives me a chance to best use the skillset I am developing as a lawyer," Georgieva said. "I'm fortunate to work with some of the finest product liability attorneys in the country with this firm, and they have been very willing to share their expertise with me." As an associate with Bowman and Brooke--which has offices in seven states, Georgieva knows that the stakes are considerably higher. "We're involved in defending a number of multi-district litigation and class action cases," Georgieva said. "Some of them, of course, have international implications with high exposure potential for our clients." Published: Thu, Aug 30, 2012

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