White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k. > Warsaw, Poland > Firm Profile

White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k.
al. Jana Pawla II 22
00-133 Warszawa
Poland

Poland > Capital markets Tier 1

White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k. fields 'one of the best teams of legal advisors for capital markets transactions in Poland'. Leveraging its equally strong ECM and DCM expertise, the team is able to handle the gamut of global equity offerings and bond issuances. Rafał Kamiński has significant knowledge of the law relating to joint-stock companies, while Andrzej Sutkowski is particularly noted for his expertise in the field of securities. The partner bench was further strengthened by the promotions of Bartosz Smardzewski and Paweł Zagórski in January 2022. Marcin Studniarek heads up the practice, with Grzegorz Abram providing additional oversight on the debt side.

Practice head(s):

Marcin Studniarek

Testimonials

‘White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy is the highest quality advisor. Their partners and associates are always open for cooperation and explaining even the most complicated legal situations. They are always able to help in the most complicated deals. They are involved in the majority of important transactions on Polish capital market.’

‘Lawyers working in W&C are the highest quality with high law and market knowledge.’

‘The team is always ready to cooperate and find the best solution for the client. I was working with the team in different time zones and I always received their support on time.’

‘The staff are very committed, have very high qualifications.’

‘One of the best teams of legal advisors for capital markets transactions in Poland. They are uniquely experienced, having advised on the most prominent transactions in the market. Practical approach and understanding of business needs makes them one of the leading law firms in the field.’

‘Rafał Kamiński is a fine negotiator and excellent leader. His business-minded approach makes him one of the top-notch choices for ECM mandates.’

‘Bartosz Smardzewski is a very skilled capital markets lawyer and project manager. Bartosz understands business needs and is able to navigate the client through the most complex issues.’

Key clients

STS Holding S.A.

Grupa Pracuj S.A.

Polenergia S.A.

Huuuge, Inc.

Woods Company Financial Services, a.s.

Globe Trade Center S.A.

Celon Pharma S.A.

Synthos S.A.

InPost S.A.

The State Treasury of the Republic of Poland represented by the Ministry of Finance

Echo Investments S.A.

PKO Bank Hipoteczny S.A.

R.Power

Ghelamco Invest sp. z o.o.

mBank S.A.

Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU S.A.

Cavatina Holding S.A.

Woods Company Financial Services, a.s. and mBank S.A.

Morgan Stanley

Citi Bank

UniCredit Bank AG

PKO Bank Polski S.A.

Invest Line E S.A

Metric Capital Partners LLP

BEKaP Fundusz Inwestycyjny Zamknięty

Government Debt Management Agency Private Company Limited by Shares of the Republic of Hungary

Banco Santander

Erste Group Bank AG

Landesbank Baden-Württemberg

PKO BP S.A.

Work highlights

  • Advising STS Holding on its zł1.1bn IPO on the regulated market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
  • Advising Grupa Pracuj on its zł1.12bn IPO on the regulated market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
  • Advising the Polish Ministry of Finance on the issuance of panda bonds with a nominal value of ¥‎3bn.

Poland > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

Under the expert guidance of Marcin Studniarek, the offering at White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k. leverages its US, English and Polish law capabilities to advise on some of the most complex cross-border M&A deals in the market, as well as regularly handling the foreign law aspects of domestic transactions. The group is particularly known for its strength in the renewable energy, technology, e-commerce, media, private equity, venture capital, real estate, logistics and manufacturing sectors. Standout practitioners include Aneta Maria Hajska and recently promoted partner Marek Sawicki.

Practice head(s):

Marcin Studniarek

Other key lawyers:

Maciej Zalewski; Aneta Maria Hajska; Marek Sawicki; Małgorzata Paśnik; Rafał Kamiński

Testimonials

‘Great team to work with, always helpful and able to accommodate the client’s request.’

‘Good commercial understanding.’

‘Maciej Zalewski – very well-mannered, measured, and pleasant to work with. I appreciate he’s very respectful to his team.’

Key clients

Synthos S.A.

Liberty Global

PPF Group

Booksy

Predica Consulting Services sp. z o.o.

Octopus Renewables

Polenergia S.A.

Grupa Pracuj S.A.

Aquiline Capital Partners Limited

Legrand S.A.

Invest Line E S.A

Metric Capital Partners LLP

BEKaP Fundusz Inwestycyjny Zamknięty

Nets Holding A/S

Dekada S.A.

CTP

Catella

Work highlights

  • Advising Synthos, a player in the global synthetic rubber market, on the acquisition of synthetic rubber operations based in Schkopau, Germany, from Trinseo, a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders and synthetic rubber, for $491m.
  • Advising Liberty Global on the signing of an agreement with Iliad for the sale of 100% of the share capital in Polish cable operator UPC Poland to Iliad’s Polish mobile subsidiary Play for an enterprise value of $1.8bn.
  • Advising Grupa Pracuj on its €118m acquisition of a Germany-based softgarden e-recruiting company.

Poland > Dispute resolution Tier 2

White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k.‘s Warsaw-based offering operates as an integral part of the firm’s global dispute resolution practice, and is consequently particularly well placed to handle international cases, both litigation and arbitration. Recently, much of the group’s contentious workload has centred around trending issues, including e-services and the environment. M&A, real estate, and competition-related disputes are traditional areas of strength. Michał Subocz leads the team, which also includes Jakub Wołkowicz, who is described by one client as ‘the highly talented lawyer you want on a complex case‘.

Practice head(s):

Michał Subocz

Other key lawyers:

Jakub Wołkowicz; Piotr Bytnerowicz; Aleksandra Oziemska

Testimonials

‘Extremely devoted – individual approach to the client and case.’

‘White & Case really puts its all into the assignments. The overall work performed proves that they have significant experience in procedural aspects. In court disputes conducted on our behalf, they have shown strength by persuading courts to accept niche legal views.’

‘Jakub Wołkowicz – we appreciate his proposed solutions and the ease of communication to the company’s management board.’

‘I was positively surprised to see the level of engagement on the part of the team at W&C. The level of understanding was far from being simply high level, it was also highly useful in the case.’

‘One partner who stood out in the case was Jakub Wołkowicz. Not only did he assume a phenomenal (!!) quantity of work, but the quality was always there too. He was particularly numerically literate which was very useful when having to delve into the nitty-gritty of poorly presented spreadsheets provided by the other sides’ experts. Where it would have been very tough to explain without the usage of calculations and technical terms, he not only engaged but also helped uncover more issues and provide useful feedback. Thanks!’

‘Michał Subocz and Piotr Bytnerowicz showed great dedication to the needs of the case.’

‘Jakub Wołkowicz is the highly talented lawyer you want on a complex case. Very committed to always delivering the best quality – not only of legal advice, but also in terms of project management.’

‘I have had the extraordinary pleasure of working with Jakub Wołkowicz. Outside of the qualities that every litigation lawyer should possess, Jakub is characterised by great creativity when preparing litigation strategies, remaining open to the arguments of those who co-operate with him. He is a person with whom one can always exchange thoughts on various legal issues that affect and influence business decisions.’

Key clients

Acciona Construcción S.A.

Generali Real Estate

INPEX Operations Australia Pty Ltd

Mostostal Power Development sp. z o.o.

Mostostal Warszawa S.A.

PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna S.A.

WeBuild S.p.A.

Jan De Nul N.V.

Sacyr S.A.

Grupo Unidos por el Canal, S.A.

Work highlights

  • Represented INPEX in an ICC arbitration arising out of the construction of its onshore LNG processing facility in Western Australia.
  • Representing a multi-national consortium, consisting of Sacyr, Salini Impregilo and Jan De Nul, in a dispute with the Panama Canal Authority concerning the expansion of the Panama Canal at a cost of $5.5bn.
  • Representing MPD, a subsidiary of Mostostal Warszawa, in two disputes against Sarens, relating to the construction of two power blocks in Brzezie near Opole.

Poland > Investment funds Tier 2

Leveraging the strength of its global private equity and venture capital expertise, White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k. is well placed to assist clients ranging from domestic and regional funds, family offices and investment banks, to the largest public and private companies. Aside from Polish law experts, the team also fields several US-qualified practitioners, including Michał Petz and associate Michał Szczepański. M&A practice head, Marcin Studniarek, oversees the work.

Practice head(s):

Marcin Studniarek

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

PPF Group

EC Investments

Rockaway Capital

Aquiline Capital Partners Limited

Catella

PKN Orlen S.A.

Orlen VC

MidEuropa

Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU S.A.

Ramp

Molecule.one

Invest Line E S.A

Metric Capital Partners LLP

BEKaP Fundusz Inwestycyjny Zamknięty

Octopus Renewables

Work highlights

  • Advising PPF Group, EC Investments and Rockaway Capital on the €975m sale of the e-commerce assets of Mall Group and the logistics assets of WE|DO to Allegro.
  • Advising Aquiline Capital Partners, a private investment firm based in New York and London, on the acquisition of Virtus Lab Group, a software development company.
  • Assisting PKN Orlen with the establishment and launch of Orlen VC.

Poland > Private equity Tier 2

White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k.‘s multi-disciplinary group is instructed by clients raning from domestic and regional private equity houses and investment banks, to the largest public and private companies involved in transactions into the sector. In addition to its competence advising on English and Polish law issues, the team also fields several US-qualified practitioners, including Michał Petz. In January 2022, Marek Sawicki made partner. Corporate and M&A practice head Marcin Studniarek is also responsible for overseeing the private equity offering.

Practice head(s):

Marcin Studniarek

Other key lawyers:

Marek Sawicki; Michał Petz; Aneta Maria Hajska

Testimonials

‘Great team to work with, always helpful and able to accommodate clients’ requests. Particularly good understanding of the energy market. Able to come back with answers quickly even on more nuanced areas. Good commercial understanding.’

Key clients

PPF Group

EC Investments

Rockaway Capital

Aquiline Capital Partners Limited

Catella

PKN Orlen S.A.

Orlen VC

MidEuropa

Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU S.A.

Ramp

Molecule.one

Invest Line E S.A

Metric Capital Partners LLP

BEKaP Fundusz Inwestycyjny Zamknięty

Octopus Renewables

Work highlights

  • Advising PPF Group, EC Investments and Rockaway Capital on the €975m sale of the e-commerce assets of Mall Group and the logistics assets of WE|DO to Allegro.
  • Advising Aquiline Capital Partners, a private investment firm based in New York and London, on the acquisition of Virtus Lab Group, a software development company.
  • Assisted PKN Orlen with the establishment and launch of Orlen VC, as well as advising on its first investment in Emerald Technology Ventures’ Industrial Fund, a global venture capital fund investing in innovative technologies.

Poland > Competition/antitrust Tier 3

White & Case LLP's ability to provide sector-specific competition law advice ensures that the firm is instructed by a significant roster of global and domestic industry leaders. The practice is predominantly focused on representing clients in Polish and EU antitrust investigations, assisting with merger control and state aid matters, and providing ongoing compliance advice. Katarzyna Czapracka - who splits her time between the Warsaw and Brussels offices - plays a key linking role between the two locations, while Jakub Gubański oversees work on the ground.

Practice head(s):

Jakub Gubański; Katarzyna Czapracka

Other key lawyers:

Iwo Małobęcki; Maciej Gac

Testimonials

‘A premier practice for any Polish competition matter.’

‘Katarzyna Czapracka is an extremely professional, commercial and experienced lawyer who I would be comfortable to entrust with any matter.’

‘The team is responsive and willing to help on every occasion, no matter how last minute the request is. They are experienced and thorough.’

‘Availability and understanding of our business in different markets.’

‘Jakub Gubański is great and really understands our business.’

‘Trustworthy, reliable and professional team who proved to be very helpful in resolving the client’s antitrust and competition law issues.’

‘Katarzyna Czapracka is very knowledgeable and very attentive to clients’ needs.’

‘Maciej Gac is a very helpful antitrust and competition law professional.’

Key clients

Liberty Global

Play Group

Legrand France

Polenergia

Synthos

Toyota Industries Corporation

Metric Capital

Invest Line E S.A

BEKaP Fundusz Inwestycyjny Zamknięty

IFS AB

Nets Holding (Nets Denmark)

Grupa Pracuj

RTL Group

Aroundtown

Aquiline Capital Partners Limited

CTP

Work highlights

  • Advised Synthos on competition law issues relating to the acquisition of Trinseo’s synthetic rubber business.
  • Advised Liberty Global on competition law issues relating to the sale of 100% of the share capital in Polish cable operator UPC Poland to Play.
  • Advised the Play Group on its agreement with InfraVia Capital Partners for the sale of 50% of the shares in Play Group’s subsidiary FiberForce.

Poland > Construction Tier 3

White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k.‘s construction team focuses predominantly on real estate, energy and infrastructure developments, especially in relation to road projects. It also supports clients in construction-related disputes, and its client roster includes both domestic and foreign companies. Key team members include financing expert Grzegorz Abram, head of the dispute resolution and arbitration team Michał Subocz, infrastructure dispute lawyer Jakub Wołkowicz, and co-heads of the real estate practice Maciej Zalewski and Jakub Kutzmann.

Testimonials

‘The team is really solid and well organised.’

Easy to communicate with.

‘Jakub Wolkowicz is amazing in his daily work and the outcome of the matter was impressive.’

Key clients

Acciona Construcción S.A.

INPEX Operations Australia Pty Ltd

Legrand S.A.

Mostostal Warszawa S.A.

Norddeutsche Landesbank – Girozentrale

Octopus Renewables

Polenergia S.A.

Predica Consulting Services sp. z o.o.

The Play Group

WeBuild S.p.A.

Jan De Nul N.V.

Sacyr S.A.

Grupo Unidos por el Canal, S.A.

Work highlights

  • Advising the consortium consisting of Sacyr, S.A., WeBuild S.p.A., and Jan De Nul N.V. in a dispute with the Panama Canal Authority in connection with the expansion of the Panama Canal at a cost of USD5.5bn.
  • Represented INPEX in an ICC arbitration arising out of the construction of its onshore LNG processing facility in Western Australia.

Poland > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 3

With Grzegorz Abram at its helm, White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k. offers clients ‘certainty that the recommended solution is the best possible one‘. The team’s expertise spans the entire distressed continuum, from advising on corporate and financial restructurings, to acting in bankruptcy proceedings, multi-jurisdictional insolvencies, and debtor and creditor-related disputes. The group is particularly noted for assisting distressed asset investors and private equity funds.

Practice head(s):

Grzegorz Abram

Other key lawyers:

Paweł Zagórski

Testimonials

‘Responsive, delivering on time, really dedicated.’

‘Robust experience. Business-oriented approach.’

‘The experience of Grzegorz Abram gives a client certainty that the recommended solution is the best possible one.’

‘We have a long-standing relationship with White & Case’s practice. They have an unrivaled global network and are able to draw on their vast international experience. Diversity and inclusion are inherent core values of White & Case. They integrate the latest legal technologies into their work. They are simply a pleasure to work with!’

‘They are incredibly and above-average involved in conducting our affairs, available whenever we need them, polite, inventive, they have above-average knowledge of this area of law, they are amazing support for us, definitely a leading team on the market.’

Key clients

Generali Real Estate

Komerční banka, a.s.,

mBank S.A.

PZU S.a.

Work highlights

  • Advised a syndicate of insurers on the restructuring of the zł1bn financial debt of Trakcja PRKiI and its subsidiaries.
  • Advised mBank S.A. on the restructuring of OT Logistics.
  • Advising PZU on the ongoing restructuring of Pojazdy Szynowe PESA Bydgoszcz.

Poland > Banking and finance Tier 4

At White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k., practice head Grzegorz Abram‘s varied workload – which spans syndicated loans, multi-layered lending, financing for the acquisition of listed and private companies, and general regulatory advice – is indicative of the group’s breadth of expertise. The firm is regularly called upon to assist international financial institutions with the establishment of branches and representative offices in Poland.

Practice head(s):

Grzegorz Abram

Other key lawyers:

Paweł Zagórski; Joanna Misztal-Dzitko; Roksana Kałużna-Bałazy

Testimonials

‘I think the best advantage is the people and their approach to client needs.’

‘We have a long-standing relationship with White & Case’s banking and finance practice. They have an unrivaled global network and are able to draw on their vast international experience.’

‘Diversity and inclusion are inherent core values of White & Case. They integrate the latest legal technologies into their work.’

‘They are simply a pleasure to work with!’

‘High personal culture, working time adapted to the client’s needs, high qualifications, commitment, the ability to find an amicable solution during negotiations.’

‘We require our lawyers to provide us with pragmatic solutions in a very tight timeframe. White & Case lawyers ensure that our needs are met, they are very reliable and business-oriented. We chose them because we can count on their availability 24/7, wide knowledge and ability to find sound solutions.’

‘Paweł Zagórski not only supervised the process, but was very client focused.’

‘Open minded team of dedicated professionals.’

Key clients

Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego

Bank Pekao S.A.

Barclays Bank PLC

BNP Paribas Bank Polska S.A.

Cavatina Holding S.A.

CTP Invest, spol. s r. o.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Grupa Cerrad

Grupa Pracuj

ING Bank Śląski S.A.

mBank S.A.

Mid Europa

Millenium Bank S.A.

PKO Bank Polski S.A.

Santander Bank Polska S.A.

Synthos S.A.

Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU S.A.

Work highlights

  • Advising Barclays Bank, as lender, on amendments to the credit and guarantee agreement and accession to the credit agreement by certain subsidiaries of Bausch Health Companies.
  • Advising a consortium of four banks on the €600m financing of the acquisition by the Maspex Group of CEDC.
  • Advising Synthos on the renegotiation of revolving loan agreements of up to €500m, the repayment of the existing term loan, the negotiations of an inter-creditor agreement, and security documentation.

Poland > Real estate Tier 4

White & Case M. Studniarek i Wspólnicy - Kancelaria Prawna sp.k.‘s real estate team counts domestic and international lenders, institutional investors, developers, and owners within its client roster. Its offering includes advice on the construction, development, financing, and portfolio management of a diverse range of assets. The group is jointly led by Maciej Zalewski and Jakub Kutzmann.

Practice head(s):

Maciej Zalewski; Jakub Kutzmann

Other key lawyers:

Katarzyna Czwartosz-Liber; Paulina Walczak

Testimonials

‘The WC team in Poland is very capable and experienced in real estate. It provides very quick feedback when trying to find the best solutions for its clients.’

‘Katarzyna Czwartosz-Liber is always very quick in turning around documents and provides very swift responses and feedback, as well as constructive thinking about issues. Furthermore, not only is she an excellent lawyer, but she is also business oriented, which is a huge advantage for clients.’

‘Paulina Walczak is very bright and responsive.’

Key clients

Aurelius European Opportunities Fund IV

Spravia sp. z o.o.

Catella

CTP Invest. Spol. s. r. o.

Echo Investment S.A.

Generali Real Estate

GLP Europe

Greenman Partners Limited

GS Engineering & Construction Poland sp. z o.o.

Hubergroup Polska sp. z o.o.

Impel S.A.

LaSalle Investment management. Inc.

Reico Investicni Spolecnost Ceske sporitelny, A.S.

Work highlights

  • Advising CTP Group on the acquisition of a real estate portfolio from 7R with the potential to develop 1.2m square metres of gross leasable area in logistics and industrial real estate.
  • Advising GLP on leasing a facility in the Łódź East logistics park.
  • Advising Aurelius European Opportunities Fund IV on the sale of a consumer battery manufacturing facility in Gniezno in a sale and leaseback deal to REICO ČS Long Lease.

White & Case is an international law firm that serves companies, governments and financial institutions. Our long history as a global firm means we are uniquely placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they are.

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The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Verdict

White & Case is ‘global, not just in terms of the work and clients, but also its people, and the opportunity trainees have to work in other offices across the globe’. The firm is ‘US headquartered, but with a great reputation in London and worldwide’ and offers a ‘wide range of practices’, ‘high-value, market-leading deals’ and ‘amazing financial remuneration’. A ‘guaranteed international secondment’ is also part of the enviable package. It follows that White & Case has amassed six Future Lawyers Winner trophies this year. The diversity of the workforce was a theme that many respondents touched upon: the firm is ‘incredibly diverse, and this diversity is reflected all the way up to partner level’. There is also an ‘open-door policy’ and a ‘genuinely nice culture’, where trainees feel ‘involved in the team and encouraged to contribute to business and client development from the outset’. What’s more, training is ‘rigorous and structured’, with a ‘very intensive front-loaded and ongoing regime’ in place. Another big plus point is the ‘free breakfast lunch and dinner, including free Deliveroo after 8 pm!’. One of the things trainees don’t like about White & Case is the ‘inconsistency of work/life balance’, and although this is ‘to be expected from a top law firm’, there’s no denying that ‘the expectation to be online around the clock at times’ can take its toll. ‘Repeated weekend work’ and ‘late nights with filings’ are examples of times when trainees have felt overstretched. Much more fulfilling were ‘presenting a case update to the department (London and abroad)', ‘taking the reins on drafting large sections of a shareholders agreement’, and ‘conducting a mock witness cross-examination'. To work for a ‘friendly, diverse, global giant’ where the ‘nature of all the work is cross border’ consider White & Case.