Category: Poland

Czabanski & Galuszynski has advised the Focus Estate Fund on obtaining financing for the acquisition of the Galeria Sandecja shopping center in Nowy Sacz from BNP Paribas. Dentons reportedly advised BNP Paribas.

According to C&G, “Galeria Sandecja is a shopping center with a total area of over 17,700 square meters. The facility is the first shopping center built in Nowy Sacz, has been in operation since 2009, and houses more than 70 shops and service and dining outlets.”

The C&G team included Partner Piotr Galuszynski, Of Counsel Urszula Rachwol, Managing Associate Adam Janczewski, Associate Katarzyna Pasek, and Intern Iga Karasinska.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised PKO Bank Polski, EBRD, ING Bank, Credit Agricole, Santander, Bank Pekao, mBank, and PZU on their PLN 2.8 billion syndicated refinancing of Fiberhost, INEA, and their associated companies. Clifford Chance advised the borrowers.

In addition to refinancing, the funds made available under the financing – equivalent to approximately EUR 650 million – will be used for further expansion of the borrowers’ fiber optic network.

Fiberhost operates in the construction and management of a multi-fiber network.

INEA is a supplier of telecommunications services in the Wielkopolskie Province, in the west of Poland.

The Norton Rose team included Warsaw-based Partner Grzegorz Dyczkowski, Counsel Marta Kawecka, Associates Karolina Lepakiewicz and Daniel Ksiazek, and Lawyers Wiktoria Jadczak and Dominika Wojtkowska as well as further team members in Luxembourg.

The Clifford Chance team included Partner Andrzej Stosio, Counsel Kacper Bardan, and Associates Artur Gladysz, Mateusz Leleno, and Oskar Ratajczak.

Clifford Chance has advised Northrop Grumman on executing an offset agreement – covering eight different projects and valued at over PLN 300 million – with the Polish State Treasury as part of the implementation of Phase II of the Wisla air/missile defense program.

The Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company.

According to Clifford Chance, “the offset agreement covers a total of eight projects with a total value of over PLN 300 million, concerning technology transfers to prepare Polish industry to manufacture, integrate, and test critical components of Poland’s IBCS-based air and missile defense system; an ammunition cooperative production program for medium and large-caliber ammunition to support Bushmaster Chain Guns for Poland’s new Rosomak and Borsuk fighting vehicle fleets as well as Abrams tanks and Apache helicopter munitions.”

The Clifford Chance team included Partners Adelina Prokop and Bartosz Kruzewski, Counsels Piotr Bogdanowicz and Krzysztof Hajdamowicz, Senior Associate Lukasz Piergies, and Associates Leopold Gerlach and Martyna Sieczka.

Former Deloitte Legal Partners Ryszard Manteuffel and Robert Semczuk have joined the CMS Corporate/M&A practice in Poland as a Partner and a Counsel, respectively.

Over the next months, more Deloitte Legal lawyers will join CMS alongside Manteuffel and Semczuk, including Zuzanna Sapocinska, Lukasz Duchinski, and Piotr Wojcik.

Before the move, Manteuffel spent over four and a half years with Deloitte Legal as a Partner. Earlier, he spent three and a half years with Dentons, where he made Counsel, and, earlier still, almost nine years with Baker McKenzie.

Before joining CMS, Semczuk spent almost three years with Deloitte Legal as a Partner Associate. Before that, he spent two years with Dubij Legal and, earlier still, almost eight years with Dentons.

“The expertise of Ryszard and his team, as well as their unique experience, provide the perfect synergy with our other business lines,” CMS Poland Managing Partner Andrzej Posniak commented. “No less important is also the personality of each of the new team members, their openness to cooperation and joint initiatives, and their collegial attitude.”

“I value Richard’s competence and experience very highly,” CMS Poland Partner and Head of Corporate/M&A Slawomir Czerwinski said. “We have had the pleasure of meeting more than once while working on M&A projects. I am confident that together with his team, he will bring a new perspective and expertise to our practice, which will allow us to implement our development strategy even more effectively and to offer our clients unique and tailored solutions at the highest level.”

“I am delighted to be joining CMS and to be able to pursue the ambitious goals that the firm aims to achieve,” Manteuffel added. “Working with the other CMS teams in Poland and the international team will open up new opportunities for us to support clients in both local and cross-border projects. We will also participate in the development of customer tools based on new technologies, including AI.”

Gide has advised KGHM Polska Miedz on receiving a USD 450 million unsecured working capital loan from Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego. Deloitte Legal reportedly advised Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego.

KGHM Polska Miedz, a Polish state-owned company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, is a producer of copper and refined silver.

Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego is a Polish development bank.

According to Gide, the funds will be used to finance the company’s general corporate objectives.

Back in 2022, Gide advised KGHM on its sale of a stake in Sierra Gorda to South32 (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on March 8, 2022).

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

Eversheds Sutherland has advised Bank Pekao on its financing for 7R’s warehouse development in Katy Wroclawskie.

According to Eversheds Sutherland, the credit facility comprises a “EUR 16.5 million convertible construction and investment term facility and a PLN 16 million revolving VAT facility.”

7R is a Poland-based developer that offers its clients warehouse and industrial facilities. 7R has been active in the commercial real estate sector since 2008, has delivered 1.8 million square meters of gross leasable area, and is developing a further 2.3 million square meters in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The Eversheds Sutherland team included Partners Mateusz Dereszynski and Michal Smolny, Counsel Adrian Ziolkowski, Attorneys at Law Rafal Wlodzimierz and Marcin Gruszka, and Associate Grzegorz Witczymiszyn.

MJH Moskwa, Jarmul, Haladyj has advised a consortium of investors including Smyk Management Board President Michal Grom, Maciej Zuzalek, and an Accession Capital Partners-managed private equity fund on the management buyout of Smyk from the Bridgepoint private equity fund.

Smyk is an iconic Polish brand offering a range of toys, children’s clothing, and accessories. The company currently has a network of over 280 stationary stores in Poland, Romania, and Ukraine, as well as an e-commerce platform.

The MJH team included Partners Pawel Moskwa and Lukasz Blazejczyk, Senior Counsel Pawel Ostrowski, and Senior Associate Wojciech Grabowski.

MJH did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, CEE Legal Matters learned that Filip & Company and Rymarz Zdort Maruta advised Bridgepoint.

The Filip & Company team included Partner Alexandru Birsan and Associates Andrei Konya, Alexandra-Monica Popa, and Gabriela-Bianca Gheorghe.

The Rymarz Zdort Maruta team included Managing Partner Pawel Zdort, Partner Jakub Rachwol, Counsel Marcin Gruszka, Senior Associate Malgorzata Derus, and Associates Aleksander Jakubisiak, Szymon Marcinak, Engjell Sokoli, and Filip Ksiazczak.

Schoenherr has advised Polish renewable energy solution provider Sunex on the accelerated bookbuilding process and sale of 2 million shares – 9.86% of the company’s share capital – by its shareholder.

According to the firm, the sale’s proceeds are earmarked “for acquisitions within the German market and the expansion of production infrastructure in Raciborz […] The decision to focus on the German market for acquisitions aligns with Sunex’s strategic vision of providing renewable energy solutions.”

Headquartered in Raciborz, Poland, Sunex is a manufacturer of renewable energy-based solutions. The company’s portfolio includes heat pumps, solar collectors, assembly systems, connection systems, storage tanks, and pumping stations. Sunex has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2015.

The Schoenherr team was led by Partner Szymon Okon.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has advised mBank on providing a multi-product working capital financing to an Apple Premium Reseller in Poland.

The Rymarz Zdort Maruta team was led by Partner Jakub Rachwol and Counsel Marcin Gruszka and included Associates Augustyna Porzucek, Filip Ksiazczak, and Engjell Sokoli.

Allen & Overy has advised BNP Paribas Bank Polska and mBank on their provision of an acquisition loan facility to Bielenda Kosmetyki Naturalne for its acquisition of the Torf Corporation. Greenberg Traurig reportedly advised Bielenda.

The Torf Corporation is a Polish cosmetics company. It was founded by Polish-American Barbara Piasecka-Johnson, an heir to a Johnson & Johnson co-founder, and professor Stanislaw Tolpa. Torf has been present in the Polish cosmetics sector for over 27 years and produces the Tolpa brand of cosmetics using peat-based biologically active substances.

Bielenda Kosmetyki Naturalne is a Polish producer of cosmetics for the face and body, as well as hair-care products.

The Allen & Overy team included Partner Tomasz Kawczynski, Associates Maciej Szalak and Maria Korba, and Legal Intern Joanna Paczkowska.