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Linklaters

WARSAW TOWERS, UL SIENNA 39, 00-121 WARSAW
Warsaw, Tokyo, Stockholm, Singapore, Shanghai, São Paulo , and 21 more

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Poland

Banking and finance

Within Banking and finance, Linklaters LLP is a second tier firm,

Linklaters’ seven-strong group, run by Jaroslaw Miller, provides a ‘full and comprehensive service where communication levels are open and clear’. The firm has strengthened its domestic banking practice over the last few years, especially as regards property and acquisition finance, and offers both Polish and English law capabilities. It advised a consortium of Polish banks (Bank Pekao, BRE Bank and Rabobank Polska) on a $400m refinancing of the inventories of crude oil and other petrochemical products; acted on one of the first wind farm project finance transactions in Poland; and managed to close real estate financings even after the economic crisis took hold.

Capital markets

Within Capital markets, Linklaters LLP is a third tier firm,

Linklaters suffered a blow when its capital markets star Marcin Chylinski returned to Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Before his departure, the firm acted for Credit Suisse on the IPO of agricultural bank BGZ and on the privatisation of LOT Polish Airlines as underwriters’ counsel. Debt matters will, for the moment, be handled through London, where CEE expert Francis Kucera resides.

Competition/antitrust

Within Competition/antitrust, Linklaters LLP is a first tier firm,

Linklaters’s Malgorzata Szwaj is a strongly recommended competition law practitioner admired throughout the market. The year saw less merger clearance work but the practice did take on antitrust cases from the pharma sector, abuse matters and state aids instructions.

Corporate and M&A

Within Corporate and M&A, Linklaters LLP is a second tier firm,

Linklaters’s ‘first-class’ and ‘service-minded’ corporate practice is headed by the ‘outstanding’ Jolanta Tropaczynska, a highly-experienced M&A specialist also noted for her energy law expertise. Managing partner Cezary Wisniewski is also recommended. Highlights of the year included advising PGE on its huge €3.3bn reorganisation, and acting on the corporate restructuring of the Orlen Capital Group. The firm also represented Bouygues Bâtiment International on its purchase of Karmar, and assisted private equity player Mid Europe Partners on the acquisition of leading healthcare provider Centrum Medyczne LIM. Private equity partner and telecoms specialist Tadeusz Komosa, along with associates Michal Miecinski, Edyta Jusiel and Jolanta Sawicka, departed for Furtek Komosa Aleksandrowicz.

Dispute resolution

Within Dispute resolution , Linklaters LLP is a third tier firm,

Managing associate Zbigniew Kruczkowski continues to lead Linklaters’ disputes group. The firm is active within the banking and real estate sectors, and acted for BRE Bank on a financial services negligence case. It also advised EMKA (subsidiary of London & Cambridge Properties) on a commercial lease case. Managing partner Cezary Wisniewski is recommended for international arbitration.

Intellectual property

Within Intellectual property, tier 5

Linklaters lost its IP head Lovells (Warszawa) LLP (Spólka partnerska) in January 2008. A four-strong team is now led by associate Ewa Kurowska-Tober, who arrived from Salans, who has experience in copyright, trade marks, data protection and software licences, and has telecoms clients. Litigation is undertaken before all courts, as are annulment proceedings before the Patent Office.

Legal market

Within Legal market,

The legal market remains fluid and rumours have circulated about large domestic and international firms firing lawyers and fee dumping. Although the market conditions may appear far from ripe for critical lateral hires, the year did not pass without some significant partner moves. After years of gentle growth in Warsaw, Norton Rose Piotr Strawa and Partners LP took energy partner Rafal Hajduk from CMS Cameron McKenna Dariusz Greszta Spólka Komandytowa and real estate experts David Dixon and Agnieszka Stankiewicz from Chadbourne & Parke LLP. Chadbourne & Parke LLP itself raided a four-strong infrastructure and PPP team from Wierzbowski Eversheds. In late 2008, international firm Bird & Bird Maciej Gawronski sp.k made a concerted drive into the CE region, opening four new offices, including one in Warsaw headed by ex-M. Furtek i Wspolnicy Kancelaria Prawnicza IT expert Maciej Gawronski. Additionally, an alliance was formed with Telco regulatory experts Grynhoff Wozny Malinski. The year saw Linklaters close its Bucharest, Prague and Budapest offices and rumours abounded about Warsaw likewise shutting. The office remains very much open for business but has endured significant departures affecting its tax, employment, IP and capital markets teams. Meanwhile, Gleiss Lutz pulled out of the whole CEE region and Austrian law firm Schönherr took over the German outfit’s Warsaw office as of January 2009.

Projects, energy and natural resources

Within Projects, energy and natural resources, Linklaters LLP is a second tier firm,

Highlights at Linklaters included acting for The Polish National Grid on its reorganisation (involving corporate transactions concerning over 100 companies) and acting for PSE-Operator in relation to the use of EU funds for the development of the transmission grid in Eastern and Northern Poland. Energy-focused M&A partner Jolanta Tropaczynska is department head.

Real estate

Within Real estate, Linklaters LLP is a second tier firm,

Linklaters has recently been acting predominantly on developments, office buildings and the sale of distressed property assets. Practice head Artur Kulawski played a leading role in advising Arcapita Bank on its multi-jurisdictional €220m acquisition of Pinnacle Central & Eastern Europe from Merrill Lynch, while the group advised the Polish Government on the construction of the National Stadium in Warsaw, fundamental to the UEFA 2012 Football Championships. The firm assisted Helical Poland in relation to a new shopping centre and retail park project and carried out extensive due diligence on two office buildings in Warsaw. Marcin Muszel recently joined from Clifford Chance, and Rafal Zboch is known for administrative real estate work.

Tax

Within Tax, Linklaters LLP is a third tier firm,

Linklaters’ cross-border tax group works closely with its finance and corporate colleagues. Team head Mariusz Alexsandrowicz has departed for Furtek Komosa Aleksandrowicz, leaving the very experienced Mikolaj Bieniasz as group leader. Recent work for the firm has included advising PGE on the tax implications of its reorganisation, and acting for Banco Commercial Portugues on the tax aspects of wind farm construction financing. PKN Orlen and Caterpillar Logistic Services Polska are also clients.

What we say worldwide

Please choose another Linklaters LLP office to view full details of what we say in that region, or choose from this list to view a specific editorial reference in context.

United Arab Emirates

Offices in Dubai

Belgium

Offices in Brussels and Antwerp

China

Offices in Shanghai and Beijing

Germany

Offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, and Dusseldorf

Algeria

Spain

Offices in Madrid

France

Offices in Paris

Hong Kong

Offices in Hong Kong

Indonesia

India

Italy

Offices in Rome and Milan

Japan

Offices in Tokyo

Jordan

Cayman Islands

Lebanon

London

Offices in London and London

Luxembourg

Offices in Luxembourg

Libya

Morocco

Netherlands

Offices in Amsterdam

Oman

UK Overview

Philippines

Poland

Offices in Warsaw

Portugal

Offices in Lisbon

Qatar

Russia

Offices in Moscow

Scotland

Sweden

Offices in Stockholm

Singapore

Offices in Singapore

South Korea

Thailand

Offices in Bangkok

Tunisia

US

Offices in New York

Vietnam

Search News and Articles

Legal Developments in Poland

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

  • Towards uniform European standards – changes in Polish capital market law

    DZP is pleased to present an article written for the IBA newsletter and prepared by partners from DZP - Professor Grzegorz Domański and Paweł Halwa.
    - Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka

  • Mergers and Acquisitions Department

    Mergers and Acquisitions Department advises in a wide range of transactions in Poland as well as in eastern Europe. Our lawyers have experience in assisting in sophisticated transactions.
    - Chalas & Partners Law Office

  • The Lawsuit Department

    The Lawsuit Department provides all-round legal assistance in the scope of broadly understood settling disputes. The legal assistance covers both legal representation before common courts of all instances, arbitration courts as well as the Client’s representation in settling disputes on a pre-litigation stage.
    - Chalas & Partners Law Office

  • The Real Estate Department

    The Real Estate Department renders advisory in all aspects of real estate transaction law, investment and infrastructure projects. The Department consist of experienced lawyers ensuring legal help in all kinds of investment projects.
    - Chalas & Partners Law Office

  • Departament of Energy

    Department droves full, current legal attendance in aid of enterprises from energy sector. Particular feature differing this Department is knowledge and experiences in service constant and current legal equipment for entrepreneur with specialized knowledge to the point specific posed that require businesses by reason of their specificity of activities, these activities of controls of regulators of markets relying on subjecting.
    - Chalas & Partners Law Office

  • The Mergers & Acquisitions Review

    DZP is pleased to present The European Mergers &Acquisitions Review (Polish Section) published by Law Business Research. The book contains a collection of reports on M&A transactions carried out in selected European countries in the years 2006 – 2007. It was drawn up by renowned lawyers at European law firms one of which was Domański Zakrzewski Palinka. The chapter on the Polish market was prepared by two partners from DZP: Krzysztof Zakrzewski and Remco van der Kroft.
    - Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka

  • Redundancy Law in Europe

    DZP is pleased topresent a Polish section of the „RedundancyLaw in Europe” book published by Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. The Polish chapterwas prepared by a lawyer from DZP - Łukasz Kuczkowski.
    - Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka
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