Category: Poland

Former Deloitte Legal Partner Lawyer Katarzyna Jakubiak has joined DLA Piper as a Partner in the firm’s International Finance group. Joining alongside her is Senior Associate Anna Tomaszewska.

According to DLA Piper, Jakubiak “focuses on financing transactions across a range of sectors and transaction backgrounds, including bilateral and syndicated loans, project finance, structured finance, acquisition finance, and corporate finance as well as margin lending and PTO finance.”

Before the move, Jakubiak was with Deloitte Legal as a Partner between 2020 and 2024. Earlier, she was with White & Case as Senior Associate between 2018 and 2019 and as Counsel in 2020. Earlier still, she was with Clifford Chance as a Senior Associate between 2011 and 2017, with Squire Patton Boggs as an Associate between 2008 and 2011, and with PwC as an Associate between 2007 and 2008.

“We are seeing increased demand from clients looking to CEE markets,” said International Co-Chair of DLA Piper Finance Colin Wilson. “With Katarzyna and Anna’s appointment, we are gaining two highly experienced lawyers, which will greatly benefit a wide range of stakeholders across a range of sectors, along with our wider teams across the firm’s International business.”

“On behalf of the entire DLA Piper team, we would like to warmly welcome Katarzyna and Anna to our ranks,” added Co-Country Managing Partner Jacek Gizinski. “We wish them much success, inspiring projects, and successful collaboration.”

“Katarzyna’s experience in project finance, sustainable finance, or leveraged buyouts ideally complements our expertise, allowing us to offer clients even broader support in the most demanding projects,” commented Head of Finance Mariusz Hyla. “Together with Anna, they will bring not only an impressive track record in executing complex financial transactions but also unique market knowledge to build lasting relations with clients.”

“In my practice so far, I have had the opportunity to manage complex financial transactions, such as the financing of the development of the DCT Gdansk container terminal or the Polimery Police project, which were pioneering ventures on the Polish market,” Jakubiak added. “The experience I gained there cemented my knowledge of the key aspects of project and structured finance. At DLA Piper, it will be my goal to develop innovative financial solutions that not only address our clients‘ current needs but also contribute to their long-term success in an increasingly sustainable and regulated financial world.”

KWKR has advised NCBR Investment Fund on its PLN 6 million co-investment in Imagene.me alongside Aban.VC fund. Triloka reportedly advised Aban.VC.

Imagene.me is a Polish biotechnology company operating in the field of personal genomics. 

The KWKR team included Partner Paulina Opielka and Associates Pawel Machowski and Dominik Korybalski.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Triloka confirmed its involvement to CEE Legal Matters. The firm’s team included Dominik Czaplicki.

Gide Warsaw has advised Frey on obtaining a EUR 50 million loan from BNP Paribas Bank Polska for refinancing the Matarnia Retail Park in Gdansk, Poland. CMS advised BNP Paribas.

Euronext-listed Frey is a real estate company specializing in the development and operation of open-air shopping centers in Europe.

The Gide team included Of Counsel Marta Karminska, Counsel Rafal Osetek, and Associate Michal Wisniewski.

The CMS team included Partner Jakub Podkowa, Senior Associate Krzysztof Schulz, and Trainee Pawel Jochymczyk.

Greenberg Traurig has advised the shareholders of Shoper, including Value4Capital, on the sale of a controlling stake in Shoper to Cyber_Folks. Gessel advised Cyber_Folks.

Shoper is an e-commerce infrastructure provider in Poland.

Cyber_Folks is a group of technology players in the area of business digitization, supporting companies in their online presence, business process automation, communication, marketing, and sales.

According to Greenberg Traurig, “this transaction, valued at PLN 547.5 million, underscores the accelerating evolution of the Polish e-commerce industry, and constitutes one of the most significant deals in the sector announced this year in Poland.”

The Greenberg Traurig team included Partner Rafal Sienski, Local Partner Mateusz Zalenski, and Senior Associate Grzegorz Socha. 

The Gessel team included Partner Karol Sokol and Managing Associates Michal Osowski and Michal Wielinski.

Dentons has advised Zabka Property Fund on the sale and leaseback transaction involving a portfolio of 123 Zabka convenience stores in Poland to W.P. Carey. Linklaters advised W.P. Carey.

Zabka Property Fund is part of the Zabka Property Group.

W.P. Carey is a real estate investment trust.

According to Dentons, “the project consisted of two phases: the first stage covered the sale of 114 stores in July and the final tranche – the disposal of the remaining nine stores in September 2024.”

The Dentons team included Partner Jakub Sobotkowski, Senior Associate Kornelia Borowiec, and Associates Aleksandra Kepas, Szymon Grzeszyk, and Piotr Bazydlo.

The Linklaters team included Managing Associate Tomasz Trystula and Associates Bartosz Boenigk, Joanna Roman, and Maksymilian Hau.

Gide has advised Qemetica on a PLN 3.4 billion loan agreement with a consortium of ten Polish and international banks. White & Case reportedly advised the banks.

The financing consortium consisted of BNP Paribas Bank Polska, PKO Bank Polski, Bank Pekao, Bank Millennium, ING Bank Slaski, Credit Agricole Bank Polska, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Europe), mBank, Societe Generale, and Citi Bank Handlowy w Warszawie.

Qemetica is a Polish chemical company operating in sectors such as soda ash production, evaporated salt, plant protection products, polyurethane foams, silicates, and glass, as well as rail transport services. 

According to Gide, the funds will be used to refinance the company’s existing debt, finance the acquisition of a precipitated silica business, and support its ongoing operations.

Earlier in 2024, Gide advised on Qemetica’s acquisition financing for PPG’s precipitated silica business (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 5, 2024).

The Gide team included Partner Dariusz Tokarczuk and Of Counsel Marta Karminska.

CMS has advised Solterra Brand Services on a framework agreement with Pacific Green as well as on a separate acquisition of an energy storage system. WKB reportedly advised the Pacific Green group.

Solterra is a renewable energy power generation company.

According to CMS, the framework agreement with a company from the Pacific Green group concerns the development of battery energy storage system projects with a potential capacity of up to 400 megawatts. The second project involved Solterra’s acquisition of an energy storage system in the Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship with a planned capacity of 35 megawatts.

The CMS team included Partner Lukasz Szatkowski, Counsels Jan Radziuk, Adam Kedziora, Olga Czyzycka-Szczygiel, Robert Semczuk, and Piotr Nowicki, Senior Associate Katarzyna Mazur, Associates Magdalena Mentrak and Maciej Brezden, and Lawyers Stanislaw Gorzelinski, Dominika Paczena, and Mateusz Tymowski.

Former DLA Piper Partner Lukasz Dynysiuk has joined Rymarz Zdort Maruta’s Corporate Department as a Partner.

Before the move, Dynysiuk was a Partner with DLA Piper between 2021 and 2024 (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on November 12, 2021). Earlier, he was with CMS as a Lawyer between 2011 and 2013, an Associate between 2013 and 2015, a Senior Associate between 2015 and 2017, a Counsel between 2017 and 2019, and a Partner between 2019 and 2021. Earlier still, Dynysiuk was a Tax Consultant, between 2007 and 2009 with PwC and between 2009 and 2011 with Deloitte.

“Lukasz and I have known each other for many years,” added Managing Partner Pawel Zdort. “I have always greatly valued his substantive knowledge and his unique combination of high tax competence and proficiency in navigating corporate structuring issues. I am all the more pleased that we will be able to work as part of one team from now on. I warmly welcome him to the law firm and wish him much success.”

“I am extremely pleased to join Rymarz Zdort Maruta as a Partner and to have the opportunity to work with the transactional legal team,” Dynysiuk said. “It is an honor for me and is another step in my professional development. Thank you for the confidence you have shown in me.”

Former Dentons Partner Magdalena Szwarc-Brozyna has joined Clyde & Co’s Warsaw office as Partner and Head of the Real Estate team, a new practice launched by the firm at the beginning of December.

Joining with Szwarc-Brozyna is her team of former Dentons Senior Associate Paulina Dabek and Associate Maciej Kulpinski.

Before the move, Magdalena Szwarc-Brozyna was with Dentons as a Senior Associate between 2015 and 2019, as a Counsel between 2019 and 2021, and as a Partner between 2021 and 2024. Earlier, she spent more than 12 years with Laszczuk & Partners.

“Magdalena’s broad experience and excellent reputation in the market mean that our clients benefit from a leading real estate advisor, both in Poland and the region,” commented Partner Agnieszka Kulinska. 

“I am delighted that together with my team we are strengthening the firm in a key area in the Polish market and globally,” added Szwarc-Brozyna. 

Greenberg Traurig has advised Echo Investment on the sale of the React office building in Lodz to Estonian investor Summus Capital. Penteris advised Summus Capital.

The closing of the transaction is subject to the City of Lodz not exercising its pre-emption right.

Echo Investment is a Polish development company. It has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 1996.

Summus Capital is a real estate investment holding group established to invest in commercial real estate across the Baltic countries.

According to Greenberg Traurig, the React office building offers 15,000 square meters of gross leasable area spread across seven above-ground floors. 

The Greenberg Traurig team included Deputy Managing Partner Radomil Charzynski, Local Partner Kamil Majewski, and Associates Jakub Gajzler and Maciej Smaczynski.

The Penteris team included Managing Partner Agnieszka Pytlas, Partner Katarzyna Sawa-Rybaczek, Associates Justyna Jozwiak and Ewa Olszewska, and Head of Tax Piotr Prokocki