About

What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years?

As of June 2019 I lead legal team for Philip Morris International (PMI), a leading international tobacco company, affiliates in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. We are present in different sectors of those countries’ economies, in particular manufacturing, sales and services, but also science and innovation. PMI is undergoing the biggest transformation in its history, with the vision to replace cigarettes with smoke-free products as fast as possible, and as part of PMI, me and my team have a chance to contribute to making this truly ambitious vision a reality. We supported commercial strategy in launching in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia of a new category of product, not known and not present before in these markets – our smoke-free product. Legal counsel Agnieszka Michalska, Aleksandra Wasilewska, Patrycja Poppe, Jurate Kuzborska and Neringa Grazinyte were key in making this incredible journey a successful reality.

I am trusted by the business to handle a wide range of legal and regulatory matters, providing expert legal advice, but I see my main contribution as being a person that helps business colleagues to understand and mitigate risks and consequently to shape our strategy into successful business plan. It is of the utmost importance for me to act with integrity, social responsibility and in compliance with law.

Another key member of my team is Magdalena Saternus-Batog, responsible for corporate governance and supporting PMI SCE located in Poland which provides specialised financial, human resources, information technology and procurement services for PMI companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

How important are “soft skills” or personal attributes outside of technical legal skill, and which “soft skills” do you feel are most important for an in-house lawyer to possess?

Soft skills are important in business in general, but they are particularly important for in-house counsels. They help to build positive relationship and trust with business colleagues.

For me, the most important soft skills for an in-house lawyer are the ability to listen, to communicate and relate to others. Also capabilities of creativity, empathy and emotional intelligence are of the utmost importance. In the era of AI and transforming market for legal services this capabilities will remain priceless.

What are the main qualities you look for in a potential new hire?

Simon Sinek once said: ‘If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears’. The main qualities I look for in a potential new hire are passions in law, in creating something new and in discovering the unknown.

What advice would you give to any peers or colleagues working in the Polish market for the first time?

Be strong and graceful, professional and determined, openly share your thoughts and opinions, and do not forget to keep distance to yourself and have fun – we love to laugh!

What can law firms in Poland, and the wider CEE region, do to win more business from you?

Be truly engaged, committed and open minded. There are many firms that can provide excellent legal advice, having the best experts in their area of law. The one that stand out are the one that truly cares.

FOCUS ON… PURPOSE

You need to have purpose, passion and trust. Purpose is now seen as significant factor in personal and business success. Does it determine our success as lawyers and more importantly do lawyers need it to be truly successful?

The legal profession was always determined by providing excellent legal advice, being expert in specific area of law and providing the highest service to clients. This is a foundation of the legal profession. However, nowadays the world is changing much faster and in more directions than in the past and technology, particularly AI, is transforming everything what we know and have experienced so far. AI may take a big part of lawyers’ job, being able to quicker and more efficiently deliver in specific areas, like contracts creation, legal translations, risk assessment. Still there is one thing that technology can’t do, and it’s simply being a human, someone who asks questions, who discovers the unknown, who can imagine something that does not exist so far, someone who has passion and vision.

I believe that to be a truly excellent lawyer you need to have purpose, passion and trust. Steve Jobs once said ‘the only way to do great work is to love what you do’. It is purpose and passion in everything you do that will make you stand out. You may ask, how is it relevant for in-house lawyer or outside counsels? Well, in the transforming world, it can make us better partners for our clients. Sharing the vision and purpose of the people you work with and the company you work for make you an authentic and trustworthy companion, opens the endless possibilities to contribute to the growth of it and gives you real joy from what you do. Acting with purpose influences your decision making process. Rational decisions that comes solely from the knowledge and professional experience you have always have an edge, but the ones that are influenced by yours believes and strong emotional bond with the grater purpose are real game changer.

So, following Simon Sinek I encourage you to “start with WHY”.