The Legal 500

At sector-focused CMS Cameron McKenna Dariusz Greszta Spólka Komandytowa, Malgorzata Surdek advises on antitrust issues, restrictive agreements and abuse of dominant positions, consumer protection and merger control issues. Surdek also conducts competition compliance audits for clients in the FMCG, pharmaceutical and energy sectors, and has advised public authorities and private investors in state aid issues pertinent to infrastructure projects, and represented foreign investors in relation to their investments in Poland’s Special Economic Zones. Malgorzata Urbanska advises on anticompetitive and unfair competition practices, state aids and EU regulations related to the free movement of goods and the compliance of domestic regulations with EU law.

Linklaters’ dedicated competition/antitrust team is led by Malgorzata Szwaj. The practice is recommended for merger-related work, cartel investigations, dominance issues, state aid and antitrust litigation.

Clients praise Salans’ ‘practical approach to competition issues’. The team is especially known for antitrust proceedings, state aids and complex merger controls, usually within the pharmaceuticals, power, retail trade, telecoms, and banking sectors. Highlights included representing PKO BP in its appeal concerning the advertising of bank services and advising Gmina Miasta Sopot on state aid issues relating to Poland’s first PPP project. The team also represented Carrefour in unprecedented proceedings, concerning a change of the conditions established in an earlier merger control clearance. The ‘very involved’ Agnieszka Stefanowicz-Baranska is ‘always fully updated on files’.

Allen & Overy, A. Pedzich sp. k. advised Polish mobile phone operator, P4, in proceedings before the President of the Competition and Consumers’ Protection Office challenging anticompetitive clauses within the National Roaming Agreement entered into with Polkomtel. Marta Sendrowicz is rated.

Clifford Chance’s counsel Iwona Terlecka is recommended for antitrust, cartel and state aid representation, as well as merger control assistance. The team continues to advise Lafarge Cement in horizontal cartel proceedings.

Hogan Lovells (Warszawa) LLP successfully represented Lesaffre in appeal proceedings concerning a decision on allegedly illegal exclusivity clauses in distribution agreements and represented a cable TV network operator in an abuse of dominant position case. Robert Gago is recommended.

Soltysinski Kawecki & Szlezak’s department also employs two former OCCP employees. The team conducts cases on restrictive practices, abuse of dominant market positions, state aids and antitrust controls. Krzysztof Kanton offers ‘superior quality and great service’.

Headed by Aleksander Stawicki, WKB Wiercinski, Kwiecinski, Baehr’s standalone five-strong team advised PGNIG on various regulatory and competition issues, assisted Polish National Forest in a series of proceedings relating to the rules on sales of wood and in appeal proceedings against an alleged abuse of a dominant position decision. The Polish Union of Plasterboard Producers was advised on compliance issues.

Wardynski & Partners represented Visa before an appellate court in the interchange fee case. Dorothy Hansberry-Biegunska is ‘good to have on your side’.

The ‘outstanding’ Baker & McKenzie Gruszczynski & Partners Attorneys at Law LP acted in cartel appeal proccedings and represented a group of the largest international innovative pharmaceutical companies operating in Poland in competition law matters. Clients praise Marcin Kolasinski’s ‘brilliant mind, analytic personality and pro-business approach’.

Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka is ‘very up to date regarding developments at the cartel authority’. The team represented Dyckerhoff in large horizontal cement-related cartel proceedings. Krzysztof Kowalczyk is ‘a reliable lawyer’, while Janina Ligner-Zeromska and Jaroslaw Konecko are also recommended.

Markiewicz & Sroczynski GP has acted on cases within the FMCG sector, television broadcasting, pharmaceuticals, cement, fuel, software licensing, tobacco industry, and motor vehicle distribution sectors. Typical experience includes abuses of dominant market cases such as exclusion from the market, tie-in obligations and predatory or excessive pricing, as well as prohibited restrictive arrangements such as price-fixing cartels. The practice also acts in merger control notifications. Founding partner Jaroslaw Sroczynski is recommended.

Wierzbowski Eversheds’ Malgorzata Modzelewska de Raad recently acted on a major abuse of dominant position case.

FKA Furtek Komosa Aleksandrowicz’s ‘team is always prepared and the advice given is on a realistic basis’. The practice advised NG2 in several unfair competition cases. Procter & Gamble is also a client. Team head Anna Cudna-Wagner is ‘client-minded and always offers a high level of service’.

Gessel Attorneys at Law’s Bernadeta Kasztelan-Swietlik represents clients before the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection in cases concerning mergers, alleged abuse of dominant market positions, and consumer interest protection.

Studnicki, Pleszka, Górski LLP’s Slawomir Dudzik is recommended by market experts for competition law. Dudzik acted on a headline competition case concerning payment cards.