The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Salans is a third tier firm,

In cooperation with Pinsent Masons LLP, with which it is now formally allied, the ‘excellent and on time’ Salans advised HSBC Bank and Rabobank International on debt refinancing loans granted to Gerber Emig group. The practice also acted for Bank Polska Kasa Opieki in the negotiation and preparation of documentation with respect to a €57m long-term financing granted to a Czech company. Wojciech Zielinski is recommended.

Within Capital markets (debt), Salans is a second tier firm,

Clients praise Salans’ ‘openness to new solutions’. The team advised Bank Millennium, DZ Bank Polska and Bank BPH on the restructuring of derivative transactions involving Polish companies, and acted for Nordea Bank Polska on its bond issuance programme, which constituted a partial financing of the modernisation of Warsaw’s airport. Robert Dulewicz is ‘a particularly good DCM lawyer’.

Within Competition/antitrust, Salans is a first tier firm,

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’.

Within Corporate and M&A, Salans is a third tier firm,

Salans welcomed new co-corporate head Piotr Dulewicz and Michal Karwacki from Clifford Chance, as well as Pawel Halwa from Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka. The team advised the State Treasury on the privatisation of Energa and acted for Groupe Société Générale in the bid for Daimler’s car-leasing portfolio in Poland. Managing partner Tomasz Dabrowski is recommended.

Within Dispute resolution, Salans is a second tier firm,

The ‘competent’ Salans successfully obtained a final refusal of recognition of an award issued by the Arbitration Tribunal in Vienna against Vivendi’s subsidiary, the case concerning Vivendi’s investment in Elektrim Telekomunikacja and Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa. ‘True litigator’ Wojciech Kozlowski is ‘very good at shaping defence strategies’. Piotr Nowaczyk is also recommended.

Within Employment, tier 4

Salans recently acted on the implementation of a temporary work scheme in Poland for a multinational recruitment company.

Within Energy and natural resources, Salans is a first tier firm,

Clients praise Salans’ ‘extremely positive attitude’. Arek Krasnodebski heads the energy and natural resources team and Aldona Kowalczyk leads the public procurement practice. Highlights included advising an investor in connection with wind farm projects in central Poland. The practice also represented the State Treasury in Energa’s privatisation.

Within Legal market overview,

News of the year for the Polish legal market was the defection of Pawel Debowski and his prized real estate team to Salans from Clifford Chance. Salans’ own property group endured some losses, when Marek Grodek and three lawyers left for Dewey & LeBoeuf Grzesiak SP.K..

Within Real estate, Salans is a first tier firm,

Salans welcomed Pawel Debowski as CEE real estate head, as well as Piotr Szafarz and Maciej Ryniewicz, from Clifford Chance. Recent highlights include assisting Investec GLL Special Global Opportunities Real Estate Fund on the acquisition of two office buildings in Warsaw. Anna Tomowicz is recommended. Marek Grodek and a team of three lawyers left for Dewey & LeBoeuf Grzesiak SP.K..

Within TMT, Salans is a second tier firm,

Salans noted an increase in transactions related to on-line activity such as gambling and social portals. Highlights included advising on the global outsourcing of a telecommunications network. Krzysztof Stefanowicz’s ‘advice is very reasonable and he never avoids difficult subjects’.

Within Tax, Salans is a third tier firm,

Salans’ experience includes transactional support, day-to-day tax issues, transfer pricing, tax structuring and advice on the tax incentives available to investors in Poland. The team represented Bioton before the Provincial Administrative Court in a VAT case. Karina Furga-Dabrowska is recommended.