The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Poland > Insurance

The team at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang Posniak i Sawicki sp.k. handles cross-border contentious and non-contentious matters, including regulatory and M&A advice, for a variety of major multi-national insurance clients, including AXA, Allianz and Generali. Alongside London's Christopher Southorn, practice head Ewa Świderska advised Unum Group on the acquisition of shares in the Polish subsidiary of Prudential Group, Pramerica Życie TUiR; a matter that involved expertise in insurance regulation. Świderska also advised Wagas on the distribution of extended warranty insurance for a major car producer in a number of European countries, including Poland. Managing partner Małgorzata Surdek and Katarzyna Kucharczyk are also recommended.

DLA Piper's department head Beata Mrozowska-Bartkiewicz stands out for her 'deep knowledge of the Polish insurance market'. The group has expertise in advising insurance companies on the regulatory aspects of their operations, assisting with governance and compliance issues and the implementation of the EU's Solvency II and Insurance Distribution directives. In addition, it often handles insurance company M&A and other transactions, on which Anna Wietrzyńska-Ciołkowska takes the lead. Senior associate Dominika Wolf-Jezierska is recommended for regulatory and contentious cases, including crisis and risk management.

Hogan Lovells (Warszawa) LLP's team is noted for its 'excellent knowledge' of the Polish insurance legal framework, which it combines with 'a good business understanding'. Managing partner and practice head Beata Balas-Noszczyk assists Aviva Group with day-to-day regulatory issues. Her highlights include advising mBank on the $138m sale of shares in insurance agent Latona to Denmark-based Phaebe IVS. Counsel Bartosz Romanowski and senior associate Maryla Surowiec are other key contacts.

In addition to day-to-day advisory work, the 'client-oriented' team at WKB Wiercinski, Kwiecinski, Baehr often represents insurance-sector clients before the courts and in other dispute resolution proceedings. The group also has expertise in the intersection between insurance and consumer protection law. Practice heads Tomasz Kwieciński and Jakub Pokrzywniak successfully defended Talanx Group in a cargo insurance and third-party liability claim against a security company whose driver misappropriated PLN7m. Senior associate Marek Prętki is another key contact.

Baker & McKenzie Krzyżowski i Wspólnicy Spółka Komandytowa's team handles insurance and reinsurance claims, policy drafting, regulatory, corporate and compliance issues. 'A devoted and precise lawyer', Sebastian Pabian is advising Vienna Insurance Group subsidiary InterRisk Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń on a new model of group insurance distribution. Of counsel Paweł Wajda is advising the Polish Insurance Association on strategies for handling third-party liability claims. Ireneusz Stolarski is another name to note.

Budzowska, Fiutowski & Partnerzy - Radcowie Prawni's team, which 'inspires confidence', specialises in personal injury, medical negligence and product liability cases, representing insurance companies and supporting foreign law firms that represent clients injured on Polish territory. The team is led by name partner Jolanta Budzowska, who has vast experience in UK personal injury law. Karolina Kolary is recommended for medical negligence cases.

Clifford Chance's M&A team has vast experience in advising insurance companies on a variety of transactions. Marcin Bartnicki advised Prudential Financial on the sale of Pramerica Życie TUiR  to Unum. He also assisted Neon Underwriters with the warranty and indemnity (W&I) insurance in relation to the purchase by Echo Investment of property in Łódź. Counsel Marta Bieniada is recommended for her expertise in regulatory and operational issues.

The 'very competent' insurance team at Dentons provides transactional and regulatory advice to insurers, negotiates insurance contracts for insured parties, and handles claims and loss adjustment matters. Paweł Grabowski advised Fairfax Financial Holdings on the Polish aspects of its $240m acquisition of AIG businesses in several European jurisdictions, which involved regulatory matters, including contracts with the Polish Financial Supervision Authority. The department is led by regulatory specialist Marcin Bartczak. Counsel Michał Steinhagen is recommended for commercial insurance issues.

Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka's department head Julita Zimoch-Tuchołka advised Electrolux on the drafting and distribution of a new insurance product and, in another highlight, assisted PPF with W&I insurance for its acquisition of Solaris Group. German-speaking senior associate Joanna Schubel is another key name.

Dual US- and Polish-qualified  Lukasz Gasinski heads the team at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where he leads on regulatory matters. The group has an active transactional practice, and highlights for Paweł Rymarz included advising insurance company PZU on its acquisition of a 25% equity stake in Alior Bank. Senior associate Jacek Zawadzki is another key contact.