Clifford Chance > Warsaw, Poland > Firm Profile

Clifford Chance > The Legal 500 Rankings

Poland > Banking and finance Tier 1

Clifford Chance‘s 27-strong team is instructed by a notable roster of clients, including many of the country’s leading banks and financial institutions. The group is helmed by Grzegorz Namiotkiewicz and Andrzej Stosio; the former’s expertise spans banking and securities law, while the latter focuses particularly on capital markets issues, from both a transactional and regulatory perspective. Miłosz Gołąb is another key senior contact, and is highly regarded for his experience advising on the financing and refinancing of various investment projects.

Poland > Capital markets Tier 1

At Clifford Chance, the DCM offering is overseen by Grzegorz Namiotkiewicz, who also acts as co-chair of the firm’s banking and finance department, and is consequently able to leverage his dual expertise to the benefit of both roles. Namiotkiewicz’s team has a proven track record assisting with all types of bonds and securities offerings, on both the domestic and foreign market. On the ECM side, counsel Jarosław Lorenc takes the lead, heading up a group which regularly handles IPOs for clients from the gamut of industry sectors, as well as advising on acquisitions of publicly listed companies through public tenders and indirect takeovers.

Poland > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

At Clifford Chance, industry experts take the lead on M&A mandates with a nexus to their specialist areas – Marcin Bartnicki acts as the first point of contact for numerous global market players in the technology, e-commerce and gaming sectors; Wojciech Polz focuses on work with a private equity element; and Paweł Puacz oversees transactions in the energy and renewables field. The team also fields a strong bench at counsel level, including Krzysztof Hajdamowicz, who has a proven track record in the TMT space, and English law-qualified Nick Fletcher. Agnieszka Janicka oversees the entire corporate department.

Poland > Construction Tier 1

Clifford Chance‘s construction team of ‘exceptional people‘ is recognised for its strengths in handling complex projects and high-value construction disputes for lenders, developers and contractors. The group assists with regeneration and development-related projects, while the disputes undertaken by the practice often involve infrastructure mandates concerning the construction of roads, railways, industrial buildings, and energy generation units. Construction, real estate and infrastructure expert Daniel Kopania heads the practice and has expertise in drafting construction contracts. Other key members of the team include Bartosz Krużewski and Michał Drwal, who have significant experience in litigation and arbitration matters, public procurement expert Piotr Bogdanowicz, and Robert Moj, who specialises in disputes in the infrastructure and energy sectors.

Poland > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Clifford Chance‘s ‘magnificent work‘ spans arbitration, commercial litigation before the state courts, public procurement cases, class actions, and corporate investigations. As well as breadth, the group is also valued for its in-depth experience of litigation in specific areas; practice head Bartosz Krużewski is a ‘real asset‘ to clients from the real estate and construction sectors, while counsel Marcin Ciemiński excels in mandates relating to white-collar and corporate crime. Shareholder and post-M&A disputes have also been an active source of instruction recently, with counsel Michał Drwal particularly standing out.

Poland > Investment funds Tier 1

As well as a stellar track record advising on issues arising during launch, registration and marketing, Clifford Chance is also valued by clients for providing ongoing assistance with all operational and investment matters relating to a fund's day-to day operations. The team comprises both highly regarded banking and finance experts - including Andrzej Stosio, whose expertise is equally balanced between transactional and regulatory mandates, and counsel Anna Biała - and corporate and M&A specialists - including Wojciech Polz. Leading domestic financial institutions, ranging from state-owned banks to sovereign wealth funds, regularly instruct the group.

Poland > Private equity Tier 1

Drawing on the experience of Clifford Chance‘s highly regarded banking and finance, capital markets and M&A departments, the private equity offering is able to provide significant transactional expertise in all of the key sectors which are of interest to private equity houses. At partner level, corporate experts Agnieszka Janicka,  Marcin Bartnicki and Wojciech Polz are the names to note. The group also fields a deep counsel bench, which was strengthened further in May 2022 by the promotion of Karol Kulhawik.

Poland > Public procurement Tier 1

Clifford Chance supports contracting authorities and contractors throughout the entire lifecycle of high-end public procurement projects, especially those involving EU law, in addition to domestic mandates. With the assistance of the firm’s litigation and dispute resolution department, the team also represents clients in contentious matters before the National Appeal Chamber, as well as district and arbitration courts. Counsel Piotr Bogdanowicz, who is a member of the Management Board of the Public Procurement Law Association, and is particularly adept in state aid matters, helms the practice. Associate Adrian Król is also an active team member.

Poland > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 1

At Clifford Chance, the client roster spans Polish and international lenders, bondholders and trustees, insurance providers, listed companies, and servicers of distressed assets. The team is equally proficient in both out-of-court and contentious mandates, with Bartosz Krużewski providing the dispute resolution expertise, while Miłosz Gołąb and Andrzej Stosio bring their extensive banking and finance knowledge to the group. Cross-border refinancings and restructurings are mainstays of the department. Krużewski and Gołąb jointly head up the practice.

Poland > White-collar crime Tier 1

Clifford Chance’s white-collar crime, regulatory, and compliance team is praised for having ‘excellent local and industry-specific knowledge’. Its offering is extensive and includes advising on compliance issues and anti-corruption measures, as well as conducting corporate investigations in Poland and across the CEE region, which is helped by the firm’s global reach. It also defends corporates and individuals in criminal proceedings and represents companies that have been victims of criminal behaviour. Marcin Ciemiński leads the practice and is adept at advising clients in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Senior associates Monika Diehl and Michał Magdziak are skilled in internal investigations. Paweł Pogorzelski left the firm.

Poland > Competition/antitrust Tier 2

The practice at Clifford Chance is headed up by Iwona Terlecka, who is recognised as ‘one of the most prominent competition lawyers on the Polish market‘; under her guidance, the team acts in some of the highest profile cartel, abuse of dominance and antitrust damage cases. The firm has recently built up a significant bank of successes when representing clients in major investigations before the OCCP and European Commission. Away from litigious work, compliance advice and matters concerning state aid are the key strengths. In March 2022, the team welcomed associate Natalia Hartung from Modzelewska&Pasnik.

Poland > Energy and natural resources Tier 2

The energy and natural resources group at Clifford Chance supports industry investors, contractors, financial institutions, and infrastructure funds across a wide range of mandates, including the development, construction, and contracting of projects. In addition, its ability to co-operate with the firm’s litigation and finance departments ensures it can provide assistance to clients throughout the entire lifecycle of energy projects. Promoted to partner in May 2022, Paweł Puacz heads the practice with expertise in advising clients from the conventional and renewable sectors. In further team news, senior associate Anna Pawłowska joined the firm in March 2022 from BSJP bnt Brockhuis Jurczak Prusak Sroka Nilsson Zamorska Sp.k.

Poland > Private client Tier 2

Clifford Chance’s private client team sits within the firm’s corporate and M&A department, advising high-net-worth individuals in the manufacturing, media, healthcare, retail and telecoms sectors on their private investments, tax issues, and employment mandates. Managing partner Agnieszka Janicka chairs the practice, with support from key names Bartosz Krużewski and Marcin Ciemiński.

Poland > Real estate Tier 2

The real estate department at Clifford Chance assists Polish and international clients with acquisitions, property developments, sale transactions, and financings. Daniel Kopania sits at the helm of the practice and handles matters in a variety of sectors, including retail, office, logistics, and residential, as well as mixed-use properties. Bartosz Kaniasty has expertise in advising a wide range of clients, from developers, tenants, and landlords, to financial institutions, buyers, and sellers.

Poland > Employment Tier 3

The employment practice at Clifford Chance is active in advising private equity funds on day-to-day labour-related issues, restructurings, terminations, and management incentive plans. The team also handles cases of bullying and discrimination, disputes with trade unions, and fatal accidents in the workplace. Counsel Tomasz Derda leads the team and is praised as ‘a sharp, practical, and solution-driven lawyer’. 

Poland > Healthcare and life sciences Tier 3

With disputes expert Marcin Ciemiński at its helm, the offering at Clifford Chance is well placed to represent key players from the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life sciences sectors in strategic cross-border litigation, including white-collar cases relating to technology, services and products. Paweł Pogorzelski and Justyna Błazejczyk-Kuwał left the firm in early 2023.

Poland > TMT Tier 4

Corporate lawyer Marcin Bartnicki leads the TMT sector focus group at Clifford Chance. The team benefits from the firm’s global network which enables it to advise clients on cross-border technology projects and M&A transactions. It is also adept at supporting established and emerging companies in the fintech arena with commercial, transactional, regulatory, and contentious matters.

Poland > Insurance