Category: Poland

Krzysztof Mazurek, former Legal & Compliance Director for CEE at Bayer, has been promoted to Regional Legal & Compliance Operations – Head Team EMEA.

Mazurek started his career with CMS in 2007. In 2011, he joined White & Case for almost one year, after which he moved in-house to become Legal Counsel for the Central European Cluster of Eli Lilly. In 2013, his role was expanded to include Portugal. He moved to Bayer in 2015 as the Legal & Compliance Director CEE and board member. In 2017, he also took on the role of Global Anticorruption Lead, responsible for the Anti-Corruption area of Bayer’s global Compliance Program.

“I am excited about the challenge of building a team of approximately 40 professionals working across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa on compliance, privacy, and investigations processes,” Mazurek said. “My key objectives will be to 1) ensure we can efficiently support the Bayer business in the countries using above-country expertise, and 2) working with HQ and local legal & compliance colleagues so that the global solutions and service delivery models fit local markets and business needs.”

Greenberg Traurig has helped Zygmunt Solorz, the founder and major shareholder of Grupa Polsat, purchase 200 thousand genetic tests to be used by all Ministry of Health laboratories in Poland to diagnose the coronavirus. The tests were purchased for PLN 16 million.

The purchase also included eight diagnostic devices – thermal cyclers and automatic extraction systems – genetic tests and disposable materials necessary to conduct 200 thousand tests. The tests will be provided to Polish citizens and donated to the Polish Ministry of Health for the purpose  identifying and isolating the infected.

In March 2020, the Warsaw office of Greenberg Traurig launched a Covid-19 pro bono program for micro, small, and medium-sized entrepreneurs, whom the firm helps to implement the tax and labor-related components of the “crisis shield” as well as analyze and renegotiate the agreements which they will not able to comply with due to the outbreak. 

Greenberg Traurig’s team consisted of Managing Partner Jaroslaw Grzesiak.

On April 17, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Greenberg Traurig had advised IAD Investments on its acquisition of the company holding the D48 office building in Warsaw from Penta Real Estate. We reached out to Vladimir Bolek, Member of the Board at IAD Investment, to learn more about the acquisition.

CEELM: To give our readers a bit of background, please tell us a few words about IAD Investments.

Vladimir: IAD is the oldest independent asset manager in Slovakia with over 28 years in the market. We currently manage 15 mutual open-ended funds. IAD has a subsidiary in the Czech Republic – ZFP Investments. We manage two real estate funds denominated in EUR and CZK.

CEELM: What was it about this specific target that you found particularly appealing and what are your short- and mid-term plans for it?

Vladimir: Basically, we wanted to enter the Warsaw office market and the D48 fulfilled all our basic investment criteria: its location in the business district, its tenant mix, the building quality (green certification), etc. Plus we know that Penta, as a developer, has a high standard in terms of its processes during the whole construction phase.

In the short-term, especially in the current COVID-19 situation, we would like to finalize a smooth takeover, keep the asset in good condition, and create a good relationship with tenants by listening and understanding their needs. In terms of mid-term plans, we would like to improve some asset management points which we usually apply in our assets and we have identified as currently missing. The main issue is securing the value of the asset and building upon it.

CEELM: What would you say was the most challenging/complex aspect of this deal? Where there any unforeseen hurdles along the way in getting the deal across the finish line?

Vladimir: As a newcomer to the Warsaw market we had to go through some new obstacles beyond simply adapting to local standards. The whole transaction was under the influence of the COVID-19 context and its impact on the market. This was especially the case given that one of the financing parties is a Chinese bank. This meant that we felt the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in this transaction even before the virus really hit Europe. It was a very new situation for everybody involved in the transaction and I think all teams showed a great deal of flexibility.

CEELM: What was Greenberg’s role specifically in advising you on this deal? Where they involved in the negotiations themselves or where they brought in only after the terms were generally agreed upon?

Vladimir: The GT team was involved in negotiations from an early stage of the transaction and we discussed a lot of our business ideas and issues with them during the whole process. I appreciate their flexibility, professional approach, and help.

CEELM: What were the reasons you chose to retain GT in particular for this deal?

Vladimir: We received a strong recommendation and, during a personal meeting in Warsaw during the tendering process, GT showed a lot of professionalism, which they retained during the whole process.

CMS has advised PZ Cussons on the sale of LUKSJA, a Polish personal care cosmetics brand present in several CEE and former CIS countries, to the Sarantis Group.

PZ Cussons is a consumer products group operating in Europe, Asia, and Africa. According to CMS, “LUKSJA is a brand with a successful 30-year history on the Polish cosmetics market. As part of the deal, PZ Cussons and Sarantis also agreed to enter into a distribution agreement whereby Sarantis will distribute certain PZ Cussons core brands (which include Carex, Original Source, and Morning Fresh) in Poland, as well as in Central and Eastern Europe.”

CMS’ team included Partners Blazej Zagorski, Katarzyna Dulewicz, Malgorzata Urbanska, and Maxim Boulba, Counsel Tomasz Sancewicz, Senior Associates Grzegorz Paczek, Rafal Burda, Izabela Biernat, and Maciej Olejnik, Associates Joanna Bialoskorska, Agnieszka Kalwa, and Krzysztof Sikora, Lawyer Patrycja Maliszewska, and Advocate Trainee Aleksandra Nowakowska.

Editor’s note: After this article was published CEE Legal Matters learned that Schoenherr had advised Sarantis on the deal. The firm’s team included Partner Pawel Halwa, Counsel Krzystof Pawlak, and Attorneys Krzystof Lesniak and Paulina Klimek-Wozniak.

Greenberg Traurig has advised the Polsat Group on its acquisition of Interia Group from Bauer Media Group. Noerr advised the sellers on the deal, which remains subject to regulatory approval.

Grupa Polsat, which includes the Cyfrowy Polsat, Polkomtel, Telewizja Polsat, Netia, and IPLA brands, is the largest media and telecommunication group in Poland. The group provides its 5.7 million customers with access to 16.9 million services: mobile phone services, pay digital TV, and the Internet.

Greenberg Traurig describes the Interia Group as a new generation media company, reaching “nearly 60% of Internet users in Poland.”

The transaction was valued at PLN 422 million, although Greenberg Traurig reports that the final price “will be subject to an adjustment mechanism and interest set out in the preliminary agreement.”

According to Greenberg Traurig, “as part of the deal, Telewizja Polsat sp. z o.o. entered into a preliminary agreement with Bauer Media Invest GmbH and Bauer Polen Invest GmbH for the acquisition of 100% of the shares in Grupa Interia.pl sp. z o.o. and all the rights and obligations of the limited partner in Grupa Interia.pl Media sp. z o.o. sp. k. Other parties to the preliminary agreement are Cyfrowy Polsat S.A, as a guarantor for obligations of Telewizja Polsat under the preliminary agreement and Heinrich Bauer Verlag Beteiligungs GmbH, as a guarantor for sellers’ obligations under the preliminary agreement.”

Greenberg Traurig’s team included Managing Partner Jaroslaw Grzesiak, Partners Daniel Kaczorowski and Michal Fereniec, Local Partner Michal Bobrzynski, Senior Associates Agnieszka Stopinska, Marek Kleczek, Paulina Kimla-Kaczorowska, Magdalena Bachleda-Ksiedzularz, and Magdalena Medynska, and Associate Natalia Wolkowycka.

Noerr’s team included Partner Volker Land, Associated Partner Jakub Lerner, Senior Associates Mateusz Slodczyk and Anna Mirek, Associates Joanna Kuc and Joanna Szacinska, and Legal Advisor Aleksandra Drozdz.

Editor’s Note: On July 6, 2020, Greenberg Traurig announced that it had helped Telewizja Polsat obtain merger clearance from the Polish Competition Authority for its acquisition of the Interia Group. The firm’s team included Partner Robert Gago, Senior Associate Radoslaw Pawluk, and Associates Filip Drgas and Marta Kownacka.

SSW Pragmatic Solutions has advised Zedra Malta Limited on the acquisition of 100% shares in Poland’s Awans Corporate Services.

According to SSW, “Zedra Malta Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Zedra Group, a global provider of Active Wealth, Corporate, and Fund solutions.”

SSW Pragmatic Solutions’ team included Partners Pawel Chyb and Tomasz Wickel, Senior Associate Adam Pawlisz, Associate Rafal Lapinski, and Junior Associate Marcin Gutkowski.

SSW Pragmatic Solutions did not reply to our inquiry on the matter.

SSW Pragmatic Solutions has advised Dirlango Trading & Investments Limited on the sale of shares in Virgin Mobile Polska to Play Communications.

The value of the transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approval, is PLN 60 million.

SSW Pragmatic Solutions’ team included Partners Katarzyna Solarz, Pawel Chyb, and Wojciech Szczepaniak. The firm did not reply to our inquiry on the matter.

Editor’s note: After this article was published, CEE Legal Matters learned that Rymarz Zdort also advised the sellers on the transaction. The firm’s team included Partners Jakub Zagrajek, Robert Krasnodebski, and Iwona Her, Counsels Jerzy Bombczynski and Marek Kanczew, Senior Associates Aleksandra Kabac and Marek Sikorski, and Associate Michal Chyla.

Rymarz Zdort also reported that the deal had been cleared by Poland’s antitrust authority and that it closed on August 6, 2020.

SSW Pragmatic Solutions has advised Link4 TU S.A., a Polish motor insurance company, on the implementation of a blockchain-based project that will allow the company to, in the firm’s words, “meet the requirements set by the regulator in the area of providing clients with documents, and save costs through digitization.”

SSW Pragmatic Solution’s team included Senior Associate Piotr Galka and Associate Szymon Ciach.

SSW Pragmatic Solutions did not reply to our inquiry on the matter.

Jaroslaw Lukawski, former Senior Counsel at Soltysinski Kawecki & Slezak, has joined Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka as Partner and Head of Competition law team.

According to DZP, “Lukawski has been advising on restrictive practices and control of concentrations between undertakings for many years. He has represented many clients before both the President of the Competition and Consumer Protection Office and the European Commission. He is a specialist in creating distribution systems that are safe in anti-monopoly terms, including selective distribution and franchise networks. He also advises on unfair practices in the agro-food distribution sector and on countering payment backlogs.”

Lukawski holds a Ph.D. from the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Law. Prior to joining Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka he spent seven years with Soltysinski Kawecki & Slezak.

“I am very pleased to be heading such an experienced competition law team,” says Lukawski. “The many years’ professional practice of each of the team members guarantees that the antitrust advice provided to our clients is of the highest standards.”

Alipay Limited has hired Polish lawyer Tomasz Janyst as its Chief Compliance Officer / Money Laundering Reporting Officer in Luxembourg.

Alipay is a third-party mobile and online payment platform that was established in Hangzhou, China, in February 2004 by the Alibaba Group.

Janyst started his legal career with Miller Canfield in Warsaw. In 2011, he joined the Industrial And Commercial Bank of China as an Assistant Compliance Officer. In June 2015 he was promoted to Legal and Compliance Manager, and in 2017 he became Deputy Head of Legal and Compliance. In July 2019, he relocated to Luxembourg to take on the role of Head of Financial Crime Compliance for ICBC in Europe.

In 2014, Janyst co-founded the Kalecki Foundation, an independent Polish think tank established in Warsaw dedicated to broadening the public debate on economic policy in Poland. He acted as head of the foundation’s board until March 2020.