Category: Poland

Wojciech Koczara has joined Andersen’s Polish team as a Partner and will be responsible for the development of the Real Estate and Construction practice of the firm.

Before joining Andersen, Koczara spent three years as a Partner with DZP. Earlier, he spent almost 15 years with CMS, two and a half years with Clifford Chance, an additional year and three months with DZP, as well as a year with EY Law and two years with Haarmann Hemmelrath.

“That Wojtek has joined Andersen is great news at the beginning of 2024,” Andersen Poland Managing Partner Marcin Matyka commented. “It is a milestone in building a strong real estate practice at Andersen and a significant boost to our transaction competencies. Wojtek is an outstanding lawyer with experience that our younger colleagues will surely benefit from.”

CK Legal has advised PCC Rokita on its PLN 25 million issuance of HB bonds with a 74.23% subscription reduction.

PCC Rokita is a chemical company in Poland. It has been listed on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2014.

According to CK Legal, “the public offering of the series HB bonds was conducted under the prospectus for PCC Rokita’s eighth bond program, approved by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority. Under the prospectus, PCC Rokita may issue bonds with a total nominal value of up to PLN 200 million. The company introduced the bonds to trading on the regulated market operated by the Warsaw Stock Exchange within the framework of the Catalyst.”

The CK Legal team included Founding Partner Wojciech Chabasiewicz and Head of Capital Markets Anita Gwozdz.

BSJP BNT has helped Kapsch Telematic Services secure a public procurement contract for the provision of direct customer support services for the electronic toll collection system of the National Tax Administration in Poland.

Kapsch Telematic Services is the local branch of Kapsch TrafficCom, a mobility and telecommunications company with headquarters in Austria.

According to BSJP, “as a result, Kapsch Telematic Services has executed an agreement worth nearly PLN 70 million with the state treasury – the Minister of Finance. This is the third contract for Kapsch to provide direct customer service for the Electronic Toll Collection System of the National Tax Administration at the distribution points and border customer service points.”

The firm also represented Kapsch in two appeal proceedings regarding the contract before the National Appeals Chamber and in proceedings of the second instance, initiated by a complaint filed by one of Kapsch’s competitors before the Regional Court in Warsaw, the Public Procurement Court.

The BSJP BNT team included Partner Jaroslaw Sroka and Attorney at Law Michal Rusin.

Clyde & Co has announced that it will open an office in Warsaw, following the hires of Partners Arkadiusz Krasnodebski, Agnieszka Kulinska, and Radoslaw Goral – alongside a team of 20 associates and counsel.

Kulinska, Krasnodebski, and Goral were all previously Partners in Dentons’ Poland office. According to Clyde & Co, “the team brings a multidisciplinary corporate and energy offering, with a particular focus on renewables, and including disputes across various sectors.”

Kulinska had spent the past 13 years with Dentons, the final four as a Partner. Before that, she spent a year with Dentons legacy firm Salans and a further four and a half years with Wardynski & Partners. Going forward, she will lead Clyde & Co’s Energy practice in the country.

Before the move, energy specialist Krasnodebski spent 20 years with the Dentons team: almost 11 years with Dentons – over nine of which as the firm’s Managing Partner – and another nine years with legacy firm Salans.

Before joining Clyde & Co, Goral had spent over ten years with Dentons, as well as six and a half years with Salans, and a further two and a half years with Chadbourne & Parke. According to Clyde & Co, he specializes in “dispute resolution, with a specific focus on insurance and financial sector clients, but also works with telecommunications, energy, and other regulated industries.”

“Poland is Europe’s sixth largest economy and will be a significant player in the energy transition as it seeks to move away from fossil fuels and improve its energy security at pace,” Clyde & Co CEO Matthew Kelsall commented. “Opening here has been a long-term ambition for us and this high caliber team provides a strong foundation for our Warsaw office to grow, bringing with them impressive energy sector expertise alongside a broad corporate and contentious offering.”

“The opening of Clyde & Co’s Warsaw office is a real milestone in the firm’s international expansion,” Clyde & Co Energy, Marine, and Natural Resources practice Global Chair David Bennet added. “The country’s commitment to the transition to renewable and clean energy sources is unequivocal and backed by significant government investment. We welcome [Krasnodebski, Kulinska, and Goral] and the rest of the team and look forward to engaging with clients on the energy transition in Poland and the broader CEE region.”

Attorneys-at-Law Wojciech Kulczyk and Krzysztof Sikorski have been elevated to Partner positions with WKB Lawyers at the start of 2024.

Kulczyk is part of the firm’s Competition and Consumer Law team. He joined WKB as a fourth-year law student intern and became an Associate in 2011. He was promoted to Senior Associate in 2017, a Managing Associate in 2021, and a Counsel in 2022, before making Partner with this promotion round.

Sikorski is part of the firm’s Energy team as well as its German Desk. He joined the firm in 2013 as an Associate and was made a Managing Associate in 2021, before making Counsel in 2022.

Magdalena Zielinska-Kuc, a member of the firm’s IP & TMT,  Life Sciences, and Italian Desk teams, has been appointed a Counsel during the same promotion round.

Eversheds Sutherland Poland Founding Partner Krzysztof Wierzbowski has joined Drzewiecki Tomaszek as a Senior Partner.

According to DT, Wierzbowski is one of the “pioneers of business law in Poland. From the early years of the free market, he was involved in privatizations and restructurings of Polish companies and pioneering projects for financing large investments. In 1991, representing Ameritech International, he participated in negotiations and the establishment of the country’s first cell phone operator, PTK Centertel. He managed the legal work on the winning offer of Poland and Ukraine for the organization of UEFA Euro 2012.”

Prior to the move, Wierzbowski spent 25 years with Eversheds Sutherland and its legacy firm Wierzbowski Eversheds. Before that, he spent time with Dickinson Wright, Baker McKenzie, and PwC.

“I am excited with the new challenges and opportunities at Drzewiecki Tomaszek,” Wierzbowski said. “We share values, dedication to quality, and enthusiasm for the new projects we plan to realize for our valued clients. Many thanks to the management for their invitation. I look forward to a successful 2024!”

DWF has advised the shareholders of Auto Partner on the sale of a part of their shares in ABB through an accelerated book-building process.

Santander Bank Polska – Santander Biuro Maklerskie acted as the sole global coordinator and sole bookrunner.

According to DWF, “the transaction covered the sale of 4.175 million shares by two shareholders at a price set at PLN 25.50 per share, which constitutes 3,20% of the shares and the same amount of the total number of votes in the company. The total value of the transaction exceeded PLN 106 million. Following the completion of the sale, the selling shareholders hold approximately 43.75% of the shares in the company’s share capital. The shares were sold only to selected qualified investors and outside the United States of America under Regulation S pursuant to the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended.”

The DWF team included Managing Partner Michal Pawlowski, Partner Rafal Wozniak, and Associate Patrycja Figula.

Greenberg Traurig has advised Capital Park majority shareholder Madison International Realty on the sale of certain assets of the group as part of a management buy-out.

The buy-out was co-financed by Europi Property Group, Capital Park’s minority shareholder.

Madison focuses on capital partner replacements, equity monetizations, and recapitalizations of class A properties and portfolios located throughout the US, UK, and Western Europe, as well as investments in public/private companies owning similar quality properties. 

According to Greenberg Traurig, “as a result of the transaction, Madison will continue to control the companies that own the Norblin Factory and Royal Wilanow in a joint venture with the managers and Europi Property Group.”

The Greenberg Traurig team included Deputy Managing Partner Radomil Charzynski, Partners Rafal Sienski and Anna Halas-Krawczyk, Local Partners Kamil Majewski and Paulina Kimla-Kaczorowska, Senior Associates Grzegorz Socha, Iga Czerniak, and Agnieszka Gul-Czajkowska, Associates Natalia Skomorowska and Jakub Gajzler, and Junior Associates Maciej Smaczynski, Kamil Nagawski, and Szymon Swierszcz.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Rymarz Zdort Maruta announced it had advised Capital Park on its delisting as well as the company’s managers – Jan Motz and Marcin Juszczyk – on the management buyout, supported by the Europi Property Group. The firm’s team included Partners Jakub Zagrajek and Iwona Her, Counsel Irmina Watly, Senior Associates Pawel Mazur and Justyna Wigier, and Associates Filip Goledzinowski, Tymoteusz Matusiak, Patrycja Gliwka, Karolina Chudy, and Engjell Sokoli.

Subsequently, Allen & Overy announced it had advised the Europi Property Group. The firm’s team included Partner Michal Matera, Counsel Maciej Skoczynski, Associate Jan Spierzak, and Paralegal Joanna Maleszka.

Greenberg Traurig has advised Cyfrowy Polsat on its series F bond issuance with an aggregate nominal value of PLN 400 million.

Polsat Plus Group is Poland’s largest media and telecommunications group. 

According to Greenberg Traurig, “all series F bonds were allocated to PFR Fundusz Inwestycyjny Fundusz Inwestycyjny Zamkniety Aktywow Niepublicznych.”

Previously, Greenberg Traurig advised on Cyfrowy Polsat’s series E bond issuance (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on October 3, 2023), as well as on the group’s corporate bond issuance in 2022 (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on December 23, 2022) and, in 2020, on its first corporate green bonds issuance (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on February 19, 2020).

The Greenberg Traurig team included Partner Daniel Kaczorowski, Local Partner Paulina Kimla-Kaczorowska, and Associates Katarzyna Goljan and Michal Kuratowski.

Allen & Overy has advised EDF Renewables Poland on its acquisition of a 50-megawatt battery energy storage project in Poland.

EDF Renewables Poland is an international energy company.

According to Allen & Overy, “the project supports EDF Renewables’ strategy for energy transition and expansion in Europe.”

The Allen & Overy tea included Counsel Kamil Jankielewicz, Senior Associate Antoni Roszkowski, and Associates Mateusz Kwolek, Pawel Grzesik, and Julia Pytko.