Category: Poland

Former counsels Marta Midloch and Wioleta Polak have been promoted to partner at WKB Wierciński Kwiecinski Baehr in Warsaw.

Marta Midloch is Co-Head of the firm’s Infrastructure Projects practice and a member of the M&A and Public Procurement teams. She provides advice in infrastructure projects to clients operating in  the energy, oil and gas, chemical, road, rail, and public transport sectors, among others. She also supports both contracting authorities and contractors, and renders legal advisory services to consortium partners. She  also specializes in M&A transactions, including transactions with capital markets law, and provides advice to public companies regarding their disclosure requirements. She joined WKB in 2014.

Wioleta Polak is Head of the WKB Employment Law practice and works with the Public Procurement Law team. She advises on individual and collective employment law, workplace restructuring, remuneration rules, and collective redundancies, among other areas. She also provides day-to-day advice to Polish and foreign bidders, as well as various contracting authorities, regarding procurements in the public and utilities sectors, as well as providing representation before the National Appeal Chamber and common courts. She joined the firm in 2015.

At the same time, WKB announced that lawyers Klaudia Fratczak-Kospin, Piotr Grabarczyk, and Jordan Zafirow have been promoted to Counsel.

“For years WKB has been steadily growing, both in the overall headcount and in the number of partners and counsels leading the firm,” says WKB Managing Partner Jerzy Baehr. “In the last three years we have seen the total of nine partner appointments, including six female and three male lawyers elevated or brought in as partners. Experience shows that it’s been a good strategy and the strong, dynamically growing team allows us to be optimistic about the future.”

Former CMS Warsaw Partner Ireneusz Piecuch has left the firm to join Maciej Gawronski, turning Gawronski & Partners, which was formed by Gawronski in 2017, into Gawronski & Piecuch S.K.A.

According to a statement sent to CEE Legal Matters by the firm, “both Maciej Gawronski and Ireneusz Piecuch have more than twenty years of experience in local and cross-border legal advisory. Maciej Gawronski opened, and for eight years managed, the Polish office of international law firm Bird & Bird …. Ireneusz Piecuch for fourteen years served as in house counsel to IBM for Poland and Eastern Europe, then served as Board Member of Telekomunikacja Polska (Orange) and as CIO of Polish Post.” Before joining Gawronski on January 7, 2019, Piecuch spent the past years at CMS, where he led the firm’s Technology Media & Telecommunications CEE Practice and was Co-Head of the firm’s Global Telecomm Practice.

“When experts such as Maciej Gawronski and Ireneusz Piecuch join forces,” the firm’s statement asserts, “supported by a team of great lawyers, a uniquely experienced and specialised law firm is brought into existence. Gawronski & Piecuch is aiming to become a leading technology legal advisor, a true partner in digital transformation, based on knowledge and interest in new technologies, profound understanding of many sectors of global economy, and of course excellent knowledge of law and legal trends in regulating digital markets.”

When I first met Irek (Ireneusz) around 2003,” Gawronski said, “he was already an important player among European technology lawyers. For many years thereafter we discussed legal and technology trends, having a common view on the role of a business lawyer and critically commenting on the reality of Big Law advisory. I cannot overstate Irek’s legal knowledge, C-level managerial experience, and technological understanding, as well as his reputation and market position. A main challenge of our new venture will be to maintain the identity of Gawronski & Piecuch to avoid falling into the trap of ‘average’ described by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman in one of his books. That cannot be achieved alone. Thanks to Irek’s involvement, the dedication of our great team, and of course with my own effort, I am sure we will become a thought and efficiency leader of legal advice for the Digital Age.”

“The majority of lawyers do not believe that the digital revolution will soon affect lawyering,” Piecuch said,” but we – to the contrary – are certain that the change is already happening. Our clients undergoing a digital transformation do not expect their lawyers to draft legal opinions; they expect guidance and assistance during the journey into the unknown. Our multidisciplinary legal, technological, and business experience allows us to recommend a specific path and maneuvers to our clients instead of describing general traffic regulations.”

Gessel has advised the majority shareholders of Fast White Cat S.A. on their divestment of a 94% stake in the company to Sare S.A.

Fast White Cat S.A. specializes in setting up e-commerce websites based on the Magento platform. Gessel describes it as “the force behind one of the largest implementations in the Central and Eastern Europe region in terms of site visits – the Magento 2 Open Source platform put in place for 4F.”

Sare is an e-marketing and sale support group founded 11 years ago. According to Gessel, “its member entities provide a variety of services in step with current trends on the internet – unique, original solutions, complementary services and professional analytical services. Its professionals create communication strategies, deliver knowledge-based solutions and build customer relationships and loyalty.”

The Gessel team was supervised by Partner Malgorzata Badowska and included Managing Associate Michał Bochowicz, Attorney Krzysztof Jasinski and Inarda Bielinska, and Trainee Advocates Weronika Zdeb and Marcin Piatkowski.

Linklaters has advised Unilever on the sale of assets used for the manufacturing in its Polish factory in Katowice of “spreads” products to Upfield Polska sp. z o.o., a company from the KKR group.

The transaction was part of the global sale of Unilever’s spreads business, which has operations in 66 countries worldwide, and which includes brands such as Becel, Flora, Country Crock, Blue Band, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Rama, and ProActiv.

According to Linklaters, the global sale was the largest leveraged buyout in Europe in 2017 and one of the largest private equity deals of 2017. The Polish part of the transaction closed on January 1, 2019.

The Linklaters Warsaw team consisted of Partners Daniel Cousens and Janusz Dzianachowski, Managing Associate Klaudia Krolak, Associate Lukasz Burakowski, and Junior Associate Justyna Glinka.

Linklaters informed CEE Legal Matters that no further information could be disclosed on the deal.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published Dentons informed CEE Legal Matters that it had represented Upfield in the deal. The firm’s team consisted of Partner Pawel Grabowski, Counsels Marcin Paliwoda and Jakub Sobotkowski, and Associate Robert Semczuk.

Counsel Witold Slawinski has become the head of the Tech & Industrial Engineering Practice at Wierzbowski Eversheds Sutherland in Poland.

Slawinski specializes in legal support for development processes and construction contracts for firms from the construction sector, particularly the building automation segment. “Under his leadership,” Wierzbowski Eversheds Sutherland reports, “the team will focus on advising on major infrastructure projects and projects involving the application of new technologies in industry, construction and energy.”

According to Wierzbowski Eversheds Sutherland, “for over a decade Witold Slawinski has advised manufacturers, suppliers, and contractors from numerous sectors of the economy, supporting them in strategic projects and advising on business negotiations, commercial contracts, and dispute resolution. He has particular experience working for clients from the sectors of industrial automation, heating, cooling, electricity, environmental protection and new technologies. He has many years of experience advising on public procurement projects for construction of roads and stadiums, and in proceedings before the National Appeal Chamber. Among other matters, he has advised on proceedings for award of contracts for selection of technical and economic advisers on motorway projects in Poland, and on the design and execution of sections of the A2 and A4 motorways to meet toll expressway standards. He was involved in preparing and conducting proceedings for selection of the contractor for the National Toll Collection System.”

Slawinski is a graduate of Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland, and he earned an LL.M. in international and comparative law at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology.

He first worked at Wierzbowski Eversheds Sutherland from 2007–2013 and rejoined the firm in 2018 as Counsel.

Poland’s SK&S has assisted ING Bank Hipoteczny SA on its successful application for permission to start operations.

According to SK&S, it “advised the bank on legal and tax issues related to its creation and commencement of operations, and represented the bank in proceedings … before the Financial Supervision Commission.” The firm reports that “on January 2, 2019 the PFSA unanimously allowed ING Bank Hipoteczny to start operating.” 

The SK&A team was headed by Partner Marcin Olechowski and included Of Counsel Slawomir Stawczyk, Senior Counsels Wojciech Iwanski and Borys Sawicki, and Associates Jan Pierzgalski, Mateusz Blocher, and Katarzyna Janczewska. “In matters related to the protection of personal data,” the firm reports, its team consisted of Partner Agata Szeliga and Associate Katarzyna Paziewska, while the bank received assistance on tax matters from Senior Partner Jaroslaw Bieronski, Senior Associate Bartlomiej Bialy, and Associates Michal Brągiel and Katarzyna Juralewicz.

Chajec, Don-Siemion & Zyto has advised Capital Partners S.A., the majority shareholder of Gekoplast S.A, in connection with Gekoplast’s acquisition by Karton S.p.A.

In January 2018, a public tender offer for 99.3% of Gekoplast shares announced by Karton S.p.A. ended successfully. According to CDZ, “the new owner intends to delist Gekoplast’s shares.”

CDZ assignment included drafting of the transaction documentation, in particular the agreement obligating the Capital Partners Funds to sell the shares in the public tender.

The CDZ team of lawyers advising on the transaction was led by Partner Maciej Kotlicki, supported by legal advisor Piotr Rychta.

Former Wierzbowski Eversheds Sutherland Managing Partner Tomasz Zalewski has joined Bird & Bird as Partner and Head of the firm’s Commercial team in Warsaw.

Zalewski provides advice to companies in the technology, healthcare, energy, industrial automation, environmental protection, defense, retail, and consumer space. He handles development ventures and projects connected with the application of new technologies and digital transformation. 

Zalewski advises on public procurement law and represents clients in procurement disputes before the National Appeal Chamber and the courts. He also has extensive experience advising on infrastructure and IT procurement projects, representing both contractors and contracting authorities.

After nearly 20 years at the firm, Zalewski left Wierzbowski Eversheds Sutherland at the end of 2018 as reported by CEE Legal Matters on December 3, 2018. 

“I am delighted to welcome Tomasz to Bird & Bird,” said B&B Poland Managing Partner Slawomir Szepietowski. “This appointment is a key part of our strategy in the Warsaw office – to further strengthen our Commercial IT offering. His extensive experience advising on a number of significant IT cases makes Tomasz a natural fit for the Tech & Comms team at Bird & Bird.”

“The fast-changing world of technology has created a need for more regulation across all industries,” commented Zalewski. “Bird & Bird’s strong technology focus and international network will help develop my practice and support the needs of my clients. I look forward to meeting my colleagues in Warsaw and around the world.”

Jaroslaw Szewczyk, already the Head of the Financial Services and Compliance practice at Warsaw’s RKKW — Kwasnicki, Wrobel & Partners, has been promoted to the firm’s partnership.

According to RKKW, Szewczyk “deals with consulting for public companies, VC/PE/investment funds, brokerage houses and banks. He advised on financing enterprises and in numerous mergers and acquisitions transactions. He also deals with criminal aspects of market manipulation and consulting in structuring transactions.”

Szewczyk received his Master’s degree in Law from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow in 2011 and obtained a PhD. in Legal Sciences from the same institution in 2017. He also graduate degrees from the University of Haifa (2014), University of Bologna (2013) and University of Ghent (2013/14) as well.

His career began with a year at Krakow’s FWSK Forys Wojciechowski firm in 2010, then spent seven months with Allen & Overy, nine months with DJBW Danilowicz Jurcewicz Biedecki i Wspolnicy, and 11 months with Garrigues, all in Warsaw. He joined RKKW in March 2015.

CMS Warsaw has advised global dermo cosmetics manufacturer Pierre Fabre on the November 2018 launch of its first online store in Europe.

CMS describes Pierre Fabre as “the second largest dermo cosmetics laboratory in the world.” Its brands include Eau Thermale Avene, Klorane, Elancyl, Galenic, Rene Furterer, A-Derma, and Ducrey. Currently the group is present in 47 countries and distributes products on more than 130 markets.

The CMS team was led by Senior Associate Malgorzata Sajkiewicz and included Parter Andrzej Posniak, Senior Associates Damian Karwala and Paulina Komorowska, and Associates Anna Szczygiel and Adrian Latoszek.