Category: Poland

Linklaters has advised NEPI Rockcastle on the acquisition of the Magnolia Park shopping center from Union Investment for EUR 373 million. CMS advised Union.

According to Linklaters, NEPI Rockcastle is Europe’s third-largest listed retail real estate company by investment portfolio value and the largest owner, operator, and developer of shopping centers in Central and Eastern Europe.

As to the target, according to the firm: “Magnolia Park, located in Wroclaw, is one of the top ten shopping centers in Poland. It enjoys a strategic location with excellent visibility and access both by car and public transport, reflected in its operational performance and a very high occupancy rate of more than 99%. The shopping center has a BREEAM Excellent sustainability certification.”

In 2023, Linklaters advised on NEPI Rockcastle’s acquisition of Atrium Copernicus shopping center (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on January 10, 2023) and, in 2022, on Blackstone’s sale of Forum Gdansk to NEPI Rockcastle (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on December 22, 2022).

The Linklaters team included Poland-based Managing Partner Janusz Dzianachowski, Managing Associates Tomasz Trystula, Wojciech Podlasin, Szymon Sieniewicz, Michal Szperzynski, and Barbara Wanat, Senior Associate Marta Strykowska, Associates Maksymilian Hau, Joanna Roman, and Aleksandra Mielniczuk, and Junior Associates Aleksandra Piela and Malgorzata Czubernat as well as Germany-based Partner Wolfram Kruger.

The CMS team included Partner Michal Miecinski, Counsel Krzysztof Sikora, Senior Associates Zuzanna Bafia and Pawel Sliwka, and Associate Agnieszka Gorecka.

Gide has advised Amethyst Radiotherapy Group on EUR 360 million refinancing from Ares Management and other financial institutions.

Amethyst Radiotherapy Group is a network of medical centers specializing in radiotherapies.

Ares Management is an investment management company.

The Gide team included Partner Pawel Grzeskowiak and Associates Katarzyna Anna Gromnicka, Pawel Wasiel, and Szymon Makowski.

Gide did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

DLA Piper has advised Hochtief Group’s special purpose vehicle Private Partner on the public-private partnership for the design, construction, financing, and maintenance of multi-family residential buildings in Zory. Cieslak Law Firm advised the Municipality of Zory.

According to DLA Piper, the value of the contract is PLN 405 million and will be implemented over the next 24 years. “The project in Zory is a pilot project in which, for the first time, a model involving financial support from the BGK Subsidy Fund was used in the PPP formula.”

The DLA Piper team included Partner Adriana Mierzwa-Bronikowska, Senior Associates Piotr Galazka and Slawomir Mikolajuk, and Junior Associate Szymon Piotrowski.

The Cieslak Law Firm team included Attorneys at Law Rafal Cieslak and Przemyslaw Kocielski.

Baker McKenzie has advised Bank Pekao on the issuance of EUR 500 million 4.00% senior non-preferred Eurobonds due 2030 under its EMTN program established in November 2023. Clifford Chance reportedly advised JP Morgan on the deal.

According to Baker McKenzie, “the bonds have been admitted to trading on the Regulated Market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and are expected to be admitted to trading on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The proceeds of the issuance will be used by Bank Pekao for general corporate purposes.”

The Baker McKenzie team included Partners Marcin Chylinski and Michal Glowacki, Counsel Katarzyna Grodziewicz, and Lawyers Robert Smigielski and Julia Gorczyca as well as additional team members in London.

CK Legal Chabasiewicz Kowalska has advised Szymon Negacz on an investment in Silver TV.

Szymon Negacz is a business trainer, consultant, and the founder of the consulting company WiseGroup.

Silver TV is an internet television channel aimed at viewers aged 50 and over.

Greenberg Traurig has advised Axpo Polska on a power purchase agreement with Akuo for the offtake of energy from a wind farm in Poland’s Silesia region.

Akuo is a French independent global renewable energy producer and developer. 

According to Greenberg Traurig, “Axpo’s first agreement with Akuo in Poland covers the offtake of electricity from one of the biggest wind power plants in Silesia. The plant, located in Wielowies, has a total installed capacity of 66 megawatts and is expected to produce around 220 gigawatt/hours of green energy a year.”

Earlier this year, Greenberg Traurig advised Axpo Polska on a PPA for energy offtake from RWE renewables Poland (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 2, 2024) as well as on a PPA with DIF Capital Partners (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on March 14, 2024).

The Greenberg Traurig included Partner Konrad Kosicki.

Greenberg Traurig could not provide additional information on the matter.

Bajno, Dubij, Pasternak has opened its doors for business in Poland, with the core team comprising Partners Pawel Bajno, Tomasz Dubij, and Robert Pasternak as well as Attorney at Law Slawomir Lebioda.

Before setting up the new firm, Bajno spent almost two years as the Head of KPMG Law in Poland, between 2022 and 2024. Earlier, he was a Partner with Bird & Bird between 2019 and 2022 and with Norton Rose, where he worked between 2012 and 2018. Between 1994 and 2012, he was a part of Dewey & LeBoeuf.

Dubij spent the last six years at the helm of Dubij-Legal. Between 1997 and 2018, he worked for Dentons.

Finally, Pasternak spent 24 years with Deloitte, having been a Partner with Deloitte Legal between 2007 and 2021.

According to the firm, its primary focus will be on “providing legal advice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, financing, commercial contracts, litigation, and family businesses.”

Editor’s Note: This article originally erroneously reported that Pawel Bajno was a Partner with Baker McKenzie between 2012 and 2018. The piece has been corrected to state he held that position with Norton Rose. We apologize for the error. 

Dentons has advised Metroprojekt on the tender for pre-design work for Line IV of the Warsaw subway including the Technical and Parking Station.

Metroprojekt specializes in the design of cubic structures, transportation infrastructure, and railroad and subway installations and systems. It is part of the Kombud Group, a manufacturer of rail traffic control systems.

According to Dentons, “the M4 line will connect the Tarchomin neighborhood in the Bialoleka district with the Wilanow district. The Dentons team also represented the client in the proceedings before the National Appeals Chamber, which dismissed the appeal against the selection of the most favorable bid and thus confirmed Metroprojekt’s victory in the tender.”

Moreover, the firm reports that “Metroprojekt will prepare a concept for the routing of the M4 line, along with the documentation necessary for the planned investment. The study will be ready in 2027. It will provide recommendations and answers to key issues regarding the planning of this investment, including decisions related to the possible phasing and implementation sequence.”

The Dentons team included Partner Aldona Kowalczyk and Counsel Sylwester Kuchnio.

Wardynski & Partners has advised IVC Evidensia Poland on the acquisition of two veterinary clinics in Warsaw.

The clinics are operated by Ursynowska Klinika Weterynaryjna S.C. Raczko, Pogorzelska, Drachal, Dejnarowicz-Palczewska.

IVC Evidensia Poland is part of the IVC Evidensia group, a global leader in the veterinary services market. The IVC Evidensia group operates more than 2,500 veterinary clinics in 20 countries.

The Wardynski & Partners team included Partners Adam Pawlisz, Adrian Budny, Lena Marcinoska-Boulange, and Magdalena Switajska, Counsel Kacper Czubacki, and Attorneys at Law Marcin Rytel, Tomasz Plesniak, Karolina Romanowska, Malgorzata Piekarska, and Karolina Dawidczyk-Belc.

Wardynski & Partners could not provide further information on the deal.

Dentons has advised the VSB Group on its sale of the project rights to the 190-megawatt Miejska Gorka wind farm, located in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, to Tauron Zielona Energia. Clyde & Co advised Tauron.

The VSB Group is a project developer for wind energy, photovoltaics, and battery storage.

Tauron Zielona Energia is part of the Tauron Group, a Polish energy distributor.

According to Dentons, “the planned Miejska Gorka wind farm will consist of up to 53 wind turbines and is expected to be operational in 2027. Tauron has also commissioned VSB to carry out further construction and planning work necessary for the commissioning of the wind farm. According to Tauron, the total cost of the acquisition and construction of the wind farm may reach approximately PLN 1.9 billion. Once operational, Miejska Gorka will be one of the largest onshore wind projects in Poland.”

The Dentons team included Partners Christian Schnell, Marceli Kasperkiewicz, and Cezary Przygodzki, Counsels Joanna Swiostek and Marcin Czajkowski, Senior Associates Beata Blaz, Hanna Szymanska, and Grzegorz Ciesniarski, and Associates Aleksandra Redzisz, Weronika Urbszys, and Bartosz Tokarczyk.

The Clyde & Co team included Partner Agnieszka Kulinska, Counsels Ernest Dymel, Lena Boczkaja, Mikolaj Kepas, and Maciej Dymnicki, Senior Associate Jacek Korcz, Associates Julia Krynska and Witold Szpek, and Junior Associate Anna Narodzonek.