Category: Poland

DLA Piper, working with Slaughter and May, has advised Corsair Capital on the acquisition of MJM Holdings and the related financing. Marszalek & Partnerzy, working with sole practitioner Szymon Skiendzielewski, advised the MJM Holdings shareholders.

Corsair Capital is an investment firm focusing on payments, software, and business services.

According to DLA Piper, MJM Holdings is a fast-growing insurance brokerage platform founded in 2017 with the goal of “creating an independent, client-first, and expertise-led platform, able to drive sector consolidation in the Polish market. MJM’s three divisions cover property & casualty insurance, commercial motor insurance, and reinsurance, enabling MJM to offer a comprehensive suite of solutions with specialist advice and high levels of service across its focused client sectors.”

The DLA Piper team was led by Partner Piotr Miller and included Counsels Magdalena Koniarska, Beata Mrozowska-Bartkiewicz, Pawel Turek, and Michal Orzechowski, Senior Associates Michal Baldowski, Michal Sowinski, Olga Lesniewska, Dominika Wolf-Jezierska, and Agnieszka Staszek, Associates Michal Celinski, Milosz Dykacz, Emilia Kalecka, Joanna Kuchna, and Ewelina Szlachcic, Junior Associates Dominik Mizerski, Konrad Nazarowski, Magdalena Kolodziejczyk, Karol Kuterek, and Agnieszka Tarasiuk, Trainee Michal Bandurski, and Paralegal Marcel Baron.

The M&P team was led by Senior Counsel Grzegorz Motyka and included Partner Tomasz Dudzinski and Lawyers Mariusz Machcinski, Adam Ziebicki, and Igor Gutowski.

Former Maruta Wachta Partners Daniel Jastrun and Slawomir Kowalski have teamed up to launch their new boutique law firm specializing in the digital sector in Warsaw: JustLaw Jastrun Kowalski.

Before establishing his own firm, Jastrun spent over one year as a Partner with LegalKraft, and almost eight with Maruta Wachta, where he was a Partner and Head of the firm’s Corporate/M&A practice. Earlier, he spent 16 years with Magnusson, between 1999 and 2015.

Kowalski, a privacy and new-tech lawyer, moved to JustLaw from the old Maruta Wachta team, which he had joined in 2015 as a Senior Associate, before Co-Heading the firm’s Personal Data Protection practice as a Partner. Earlier, he spent two years with PwC Legal, one year with LDS Lazewski Depo & Partners, and almost two with CMS.

In addition to the two name partners, JustLaw includes two counsels, two associates, and four of counsels.

“Having my own law firm is a new challenge and an adventure that I am looking forward to,” Kowalski commented. “I believe that together with Daniel and our team we will create a unique place where legal services will be provided at the highest level.”

“Slawomir Kowalski is a great lawyer and at the same time a very good colleague, so I am even more pleased that we will be founding the JustLaw law firm together,” Jastrun added. “What’s more, I am convinced that with Slawomir, who is one of the best RODO specialists in Poland, we have the potential to become a market leader in the field of personal data and privacy.”

MFW Fialek has advised the Play Group on its acquisition of the Phobos Grupa Taurus IT&C company.

The Play Group, part of the French Iliad Group, is a provider of mobile services, fixed internet, and digital TV in Poland.

Phobos Grupa Taurus operates in the field of network maintenance, subscriber service, and installations in Poland.

The MFW Fialek team included Partner Miroslaw Fialek, Associate Partner Rafal Siemieniec, Senior Associates Mariusz Domagala and Pawel Siwiec, Associates Michal Kret, Maksymilian Kylczycki, Wojciech Lichterowicz, Mateusz Wieckowski, and Cezary Gizinski, and Junior Associate Natalia Grzegorzewska.

MFW Fialek did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

SKJB Szybkowski Kuzma Jelen Brzoza-Ostrowska has advised a Polish HB Reavis subsidiary on the 1,500-square-meter lease agreement with tenant Atlas Ward Polska for space in the Varso Tower in Warsaw. Greenberg Traurig advised Atlas Ward.

Atlas Ward Polska is a Polish construction company.

The SKJB team included Partner Angnieszka Kuzma and Assocaite Piotr Kuczynski.

The Greenberg Traurig team included Managing Partner Jolanta Nowakowska-Zimoch and Senior Associate Izabela Zmijewska.

MFW Fialek has advised a franchisee of the Bulgari brand on the lease agreement with the administrator and the owner of the building where the first Bulgari brand store in Poland was opened.

The property in question is situated on Plac Trzech Krzyzy in Warsaw.

Bulgari is an Italian luxury brand created in 1884 by Greek-born jeweler Sotirio Bulgari.

The MFW Fialek team included Associate Partner Rafal Siemieniec and Junior Associate Natalia Grzegorzewska.

MFW Fialek did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

Dentons has advised P Capital Partners on a euro-denominated senior debt package to project companies controlled by Susi Partners, acting on behalf of the Susi Energy Transition Fund, for a 167-megawatt portfolio of photovoltaic and wind power projects in Poland. Norton Rose Fulbright advised Susi.

Susi Partners is a Swiss fund manager specializing in sustainable energy infrastructure investments.

According to Dentons, “the construction of most of the planned investments will start at the beginning of 2024, and the entire portfolio is expected to be fully operational at the beginning of 2025. All projects were brought to the ready-to-build stage and will be constructed and operated by SETF portfolio company Luneos Green Energy, a joint venture between Susi Partners and leading Polish energy transition partner Luneos.”

PCP is a private credit investor based in Stockholm, lending to [Luneos] via its Transition Fund. The Transition Fund provides financing solutions to projects and companies.

The Dentons team included Partners Tomasz Zwolinski and Christian Schnell, Senior Associates Katarzyna Mazur and Aleksandra Czyz, and Associate Daria Dabrowska.

The Norton Rose team included Partner Tomasz Rogalski, Senior Associates Igor Kondratowicz and Cezary Zawislak, Associates Karolina Lepakiewicz, Daniel Ksiazek, Paula Stepien, Wojciech Jaskulak, and Cezary Zientecki, and Lawyers Katarzyna Petru and Wiktoria Jadczak.

Noerr has advised Bauer Media on its sale of the Semergy Group to the WeNet Group. Baker McKenzie advised WeNet.

The transaction remains contingent on regulatory approval.

According to Noerr, the Semergy Group, comprising “five digital marketing agencies, including Sunrise System, Artefakt, Grupa-Tense, Semahead, and Widzialni.pl, is highly regarded for its focus on delivering SEO services to small and medium-sized businesses across Poland. The acquisition is part of WeNet’s strategy to consolidate the digital marketing services sector, thereby creating a robust business with the scale needed to innovate and serve SME customers in Poland effectively.”

WeNet is backed by Polish private equity firm Innova Capital.

Bauer Media, according to its Chief Operating Officer Paul Keenan, will continue to focus on the transformation of its core publishing and audio divisions, maintaining a strong presence in Poland.

The Noerr team included Associated Partner Karol Kicun, Senior Associates Jaroslaw Karlikowski, Jerzy Kapitanczuk, and Maciej Gorgol, Associate Ada Zahorodna, and Junior Associate Gustaw Steinke.

The Baker McKenzie team included Partner Filip Uzieblo, Counsel Magdalena Medynska, Senior Associates Pawel Jaros and Michal Derdak, Associate Monika Michalowska, and Lawyers Michal Lulka and Natalia Jasek.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has advised the founders of the Akademeia Educational Group on its sale to the International Schools Partnership.

Akademeia High School is an international school in Warsaw, a part of the Akademeia Educational Group, and offers an individualized course of British iGCSEs and A Levels.

According to Rymarz Zdort Maruta, the “International Schools Partnership is an educational and commercial organization that aims to bring together and develop privately funded educational units for children aged 2 to 18. ISP currently operates 80 schools in 22 countries located in many parts of the world.”

The Rymarz Zdort Maruta team included Partner Pawel Zdort, Senior Associate Pawel Mazur, and Associate Karol Wojtkowski.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta could not provide additional information on the deal.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Allen & Overy announced it had advised the International Schools Partnership on the acquisition. The firm’s team included Partner Magdalena Nasilowska, Counsel Piotr Szczecinski, Senior Associates Malgorzata Jastrzebska and Marcin Ziarkowski, and Associates Jakub Zebrowski, Pawel Grzesik, Olga Mrowiec, Jacek Mainardi, and Julia Pytko.

Former Attorney at Law Jacek Blachut and former Counsels Jacek Budzik and Bartlomiej Jarco have been promoted to Partner positions with SPCG in Krakow.

According to the firm, Blachut has “several years of experience in servicing clients in the field of criminal law, with particular emphasis on commercial criminal law. He also specializes in personal data protection law, telecommunications law, and anti-money laundering.” He has been with the firm for almost 20 years, starting in 2005.

Budzik “specializes in business law, including competition law and regulatory and criminal aspects of business. He also conducts litigation regarding construction investments.” He joined SPCG in 2006 as a Bar Trainee, before being admitted to the Krakow Bar in 2011.

Jarco is an energy law, commercial company law, and civil law specialist. He has also been with the firm since 2006.

“All of them have been associated with the law firm for many years and during their legal career at SPCG they have gone through all levels in the law firm’s structure,” the SPCG announcement read. “We wish the three new Partners good luck in their new role at the law firm!”

Taylor Wessing, working with Gowling WLG, has advised Germany’s MWB Fairtrade Wertpapierhandelsbank investment bank on the launch of LM Pay on the Duesseldorf Stock Exchange.

LM Pay is a Warsaw-based company specializing in the financing of medical and dental services.

According to Taylor Wessing, “620,779 bearer shares were introduced to trading on the primary market in a special segment for innovative companies with small and medium capitalization.”

The Taylor Wessing team included Partners Jakub Pitera, Lukasz Szymanski, Krystian Stanasiuk, and Andrzej Mikosz, Counsels Marta Janowska and Antoni Goraj, Senior Associates Patrycja Sojka, Bartosz Swidrak, Magdalena Jaczewska-Zurek, and Adrian Bielecki, and Associates Maria Galezowska and Michal Zabost.