BSJP BNT has advised Douglas on leasing warehouse space at CTPark Warsaw South to launch its main distribution center in Poland.
Douglas is a European omnichannel beauty company.
According to BSJP BNT, the facility spans over 46,200 square meters, including 1,317 square meters of offices and 44,940 square meters of warehouse space.
The BSJP BNT team included Partner Jaroslaw Sroka and Attorney at Law Agnieszka Pokora.
BSJP BNT did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.
Walless has advised Scandi Standard on its EUR 18 million acquisition of six chicken farms in Lithuania.
According to Walless, this investment will drive the production of locally sourced chicken, elevate quality and sustainability standards, and improve animal welfare.
In 2024, Walless advised Scandi Standard on entering the Lithuanian market (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on August 27, 2024).
The Walless team in Lithuania included Managing Partner Dovile Burgiene, Associate Partners Domas Sileika and Liucija Bitinaite, Senior Associate Raminta Vilcinskaite, and Associates Aura Rimonyte and Rasa Jakstaite.
Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Walless informed CEE Legal Matters that it worked with Sweden-based Gernandt & Danielsson.
Intellectual property rights (IPRs) such as trademarks, patents, and designs, help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to expand their business and stand out from competitors, protecting their creations and developments, and making it easier to grow through innovation and creativity.
In this context we refer to the more than interesting study[1] published in January 2025 from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO), which explores the impact of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on the economic performance of firms across the European Union. The study evaluated over 119,000 firms across all 27 EU member states and the main finding is that, in general, companies that hold IPR perform better than those that do not register such rights.
According to the earlier study results, in the EU, IPR ownership is significantly lower among SMEs compared to large firms. Fewer than 10% of SMEs hold any of the three types of IPR (trademarks, patents, or designs), whereas nearly 50% of large firms own at least one type of IPR or a combination thereof.
Among the types of intellectual property protection:
Note – A trademark is a strategic, (typically) most valuable, asset of a company either if small/ medium or large.
Protection of trademarks, patents or designs may be obtained through registrations with relevant intellectual property offices.
In terms of other type of IPRs whose protection is ensured without registration with authorities, copyright protects original works of authorship (i.e. software, musical, literary, visual, photographic and audiovisual works, etc.), while business confidential information may be protected by trade secrets.
IPRs provide exclusive rights to their owners which would have resources to prevent others from making, using and selling such without consent. Any unauthorized exploitation of the registered and protected IPRs constitutes infringement, which may result in legal actions (i.e. civil actions, including interim injunctions, customs measures, criminal complaints, request for award of damages).
IPRs provide to businesses a competitive advantage and leverage to confidently expand into new markets internationally.
IPRs also make SMEs more valuable for acquisition. In the context of mergers & acquisitions, IPRs play an extremely important role in assessing the value and risks associated with the target company and, during the due diligence process, the IP portfolio of the said company is carefully and comprehensively analyzed.
A common misconception we encountered in our experience is that IP protection is expensive and only relevant for large companies.
In fact, SMEs stand to gain even more from securing IPRs, as they have more resources to combat competitors and infringements to seek avoiding having unique ideas, products, or services copied or used without permission. Authorities support schemes and programs[2], cost-effective registration processes, and legal support for SMEs make IPR protection increasingly accessible.
Investors view registered IPRs as valuable assets. Businesses with protected intangible assets — the knowledge and expertise they have gained through experience, or with long – established brands often secure better financing terms and higher valuations. IPR portfolios serve as proof of innovation and commercial growth potential.
As recent studies also show, for SMEs, intellectual property is not just a legal formality, it’s a strategic business tool. By protecting their brands, innovations/ creations, and designs, SMEs safeguard their creative assets and unlock new growth opportunities, attract financing, and expand confidently into new markets.
IPRs are a key tool towards competitive and prosperous businesses, thus protecting the intellectual property becomes a must in the digital age.
Companies should proactively safeguard and strategically manage their intellectual assets, proprietary knowledge, and innovations they generate to enhance competitiveness and mitigate legal risks. To effectively navigate the intellectual property system, SMEs should conduct regular reviews of their IP strategies for rights identification and management, perform comprehensive due diligence before engaging in any IP-related activities, and ensure corresponding marketing and legal strategies as well as employees training on the importance of intellectual property protection and compliance.
The complex legislation in the field provides a useful basis for protection and enforcement of company’s IPRs.
[1] Intellectual property rights and firm performance in the European Union. Firm-level analysis report, January 2025. The report is available here.
[2] As an example, The Ideas Powered for business SME Fund is a grant scheme designed to help EU-based SMEs to protect their IPRs and this year program runs from 3 February 2025 to 5 December 2025. SME’s may be reimbursed for up to 75% of official fees.
By Florina Firaru, Head of Intellectual Property, NNDKP
Norton Rose Fulbright has advised PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna on the EUR 3 billion financing of its stake in the 1.5-gigawatt Baltica 2 offshore wind project, located off the Polish coast between Ustka and Choczewo. Clifford Chance advised the lenders.
According to Norton Rose Fulbright, this multi-sourced financing – arranged by 25 international and domestic financial institutions, including Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, the EIB, the EBRD, and ING Bank, with additional backing from the EIFO – forms part of the first phase of Poland’s offshore wind program.
Moreover, according to Norton Rose Fulbright, Baltica 2 is structured as holdco financing using a multi-contracting approach and complies with the Green Loan Principles. The project is a 50/50 joint venture between PGE and Orsted, involves 107 wind turbines to achieve a proposed capacity of 1498 gigawatts, and is expected to produce up to 4 terawatt-hours of electricity annually – enough to power approximately 2.5 million households.
The Norton Rose Fulbright team included Warsaw-based Partner Tomasz Rogalski, Counsels Krzysztof Gorzelak, Artur Jonczyk, Krzysztof Jasinski, and Jan Wszolek, Senior Associates Daniel Popek, Igor Kondratowicz, and Cezary Zawislak, Associates Karolina Lepakiewicz, Karolina Majcher, Jakub Wiatrzyk, Daniel Ksiazek, Izabela Kregiel, Przemyslaw Piasecki, Dominika Wojtkowska, Michal Rutkowski, Paula Stepien, Mateusz Czuba, Martyna Orlowska, Aleksandra Szostak, Jan Nowjalis and Damian Pawlak, and Lawyers Antoni Krzyzanowski, Wiktoria Jadczak, Natalia Rybak, Bartosz Odziemkowski, Nina Strzelczyk, Mikolaj Wolczynski, and Mikolaj Rydzewskim as well as further team members in Singapore, the UK, Belgium, and France.
The Clifford Chance team included Partners Irena Floras-Goode, Florian Mahler, Pawel Puacz, Andrzej Stosio, and Adelina Prokop, Senior Counsel Sandrine Colletier, Counsel Piotr Bogdanowicz, Senior Associates Maksymilian Jarzabek, Wojciech Wator, Agnieszka Kozikowska, Bartosz Zielinski, Aleksandra Bartoszewicz, Adrian Krol, Arkadiusz Walkowicz, and Artur Gladysz, Associates Piotr Weclawowicz, Marius Fritz, Brianna Harcus, Joanna Korycinska, Zarina Tuliszka, Julia Rychlinska, and Oskar Ratajczak, and Trainee Lawyers Natalia Zan and Jeffrey Arthur.
Iablonschi & Asociatii has advised Cultivate Capital Partners Fund Cooperatief on the phased acquisition of a logistics complex in Stefanestii de Jos, Romania.
Cultivate Capital Partners Fund Cooperatief is a Dutch fund focused on sustainable growth and innovation.
According to Iablonschi & Asociatii, the transaction marks CCP’s initial investment in the Romanian market, involving the purchase of a fully leased 13,000 square-meter logistics warehouse alongside 31,000 square meters of land.
The Iablonschi & Asociatii team included Partners Ionut–Romeo Iablonschi and Remus Ene and Of Counsel Amalia Rapan.
Iablonschi & Asociatii did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.
Fellner Wratzfeld & Partner has advised approximately 38% of the creditors in the restructuring proceedings of Pierer Industrie on a vote under the Restructuring Ordinance in Austria.
According to FWP, on February 20, 2025, the creditors successfully accepted the restructuring plan of the KTM parent company, along with agreed collateralization measures. This was the first restructuring plan vote in Austria since the law came into force in 2021 to address corporate financial crises.
The FWP team was led by Partner Markus Fellner.
IPA Legal has advised RebelDot on a partnership with the Visa Cash App RB F1 team.
RebelDot is a product design and development company.
According to RebelDot, it is now the official technology partner of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One team. “Through this multi-year partnership, we will work alongside Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One team to develop cutting-edge digital solutions, helping the team make faster, smarter decisions – on and off the track.”
In 2023, IPA Legal advised RebelDot on its acquisition of Steepsoft (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on May 22, 2023).
The IPA Legal team included Partner Grigore Pop and Senior Associate Oana Salageanu.
IPA Legal did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.
BBH has advised PPF Real Estate on its acquisition of Quinn Hotels Praha which owns Hilton Prague. CMS advised Quinn Hotels Praha.
Hilton Prague is the largest hotel in the Czech Republic.
The BBH team included Partners Petr Precechtel and Andrea Adamcova, Senior Associates Jan Krejci and Adam Necas, Junior Associates Adam Krejci and Mikulas Zacpal, and Trainee Marek Pieklo.
The CMS team included Partners Helen Rodwell and Lukas Hejduk, Consultant David Cranfield, Counsel Lukas Valusek, Senior Associate Pavel Kocian, and Associates Stepan Havranek and Lukas Reichmann.
Avellum, working with Latham & Watkins, has advised Vodafone Ukraine on its consent solicitation regarding USD 500 million 6.20% loan participation notes due 2025. Sayenko Kharenko and Linklaters advised JP Morgan as the solicitation agent.
According to Avellum, the proposal received strong support from noteholders representing over 95% of the principal amount, and the amended terms provided for a two-year maturity extension, an increased coupon rate, redemption of USD 99.88 million in principal, and a put option for noteholders upon changes to Ukrainian currency control restrictions.
The Avellum team included Senior Partner Glib Bondar, Of Counsel Yurii Krasnoliudskyi, Managing Associate Mariana Pylypenko, and Associates Andrii Kroshko and Elina Kryhan.
The Sayenko Kharenko team included Partners Anton Korobeynikov and Igor Lozenko, Senior Associate Oles Trachuk, Associate Yevgen Koval, and Trainee Danylo Dashko.
Walless has successfully represented CarVertical before the Vilnius District Court in a case that resulted in the confirmation that database makers cannot block the reuse of non-substantial publicly accessible data.
According to Walless, the court emphasized that for database sui generis rights to restrict data reuse, an adverse effect on the database maker’s investment must be reasonably proven, rather than merely demonstrating a possible minor decline in revenue.
The Walless team included Partner Laura Ziferman and Expert Raimondas Andrijauskas.