About

One of the most important transactions I was recently finalising was the construction of one of the largest shopping centres in Gdansk. I worked in a multi-Poland team which was coordinating from a corporate site cooperation with Gdansk City Authorities – the Forum Gdańsk shopping centre – which is strategically located in the tri-city area of Gdansk, adjacent to Gdansk Główny railway station, the historic old town and key municipal buildings. It also includes a boutique hotel, the multi-functional Gdańsk Heritage Centre and the Watercraft Building – a museum that pays homage to the city’s rich maritime tradition. The whole investment was impressive, and from that time I gained extensive experience. I was also a team member in a multi-Poland team that was responsible for selling a few shopping centres, among others, Magnolia Park in Wroclaw.

On the other hand, right now in my role at Panattoni there are a number of important ongoing negotiations. Each warehouse building is different and the consequence is that I have to find solutions investors, general contractors and clients. Each contract with every general contractor is very important.

I worked in the real estate market for over 10 years and I cannot say which transaction was the most important. Each of the transactions in which I participated taught me a lot.

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

In my work, “soft skills” are a must. Strong oral skills are vital and without them, it is very hard to do my job. Most of the time I spend in my role is used to find solutions for legal and business problems, and most of them I can solve by conversation and negotiations. After that, there is the writing part of my job.

What’s more is that to create a team it is very important to have communication skills. We can say that “soft skills” are personal attributes that support situational awareness and enhances an individual’s ability to get a job done, but for me it is special emotional intelligence, which not everyone has. Without it I cannot imagine how to succeed in any modern organisation.

What is the most important for me in my job is negotiating a great contract for my company, and without high level of emotional intelligence, communication skills and interpersonal skills I cannot do that. In my point of view something very important for an in house lawyer is the willingness to change direction when something isn’t working, and the ability to negotiate. Because most lawyers are specialists in one trade they have problems with problem solving from many different areas, but the company always expects advise on almost everything. In house lawyers should be a kind of business advisor, not only legal.

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

A potential new hire should have a positive attitude, communication skills, and the willingness to change direction when something is not working. I observe in so many young people the way the can often be focused just on themselves, and whilst their legal knowledge is very good, they are not necessarily good team players. For me it is very important to have communication skills and empathy to cooperate with so many people across an organisation, especially as working as an in-house lawyer requires cooperation with almost every department in the company and working with hundreds of people.

Another important feature is a willingness to change direction when something is not working, looking for new solutions through creativity is what each in-house lawyer should have. Giving ideas for better business saves time and handles many conflicts. A potential new hire should be focused firstly on company’s success, then on their own. I think that every potential hire should also have the ability to manage time effectively, because in fact, managing a large number of projects forces the prioritisation of tasks.

I would advise that they do not exclude any opportunities to develop, especially when it comes to my trade – the real estate industry – where the Polish market is still growing. I think that in each trade there is an opportunity to achieve success. Polish markets are unique, and completely different from European markets, so I would advise you to familiarise yourself with the rules prevailing here. I also think that the market is expanding and the demand for legal services is growing all the time.

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

I think that Polish lawyers should be legal as well as business advisors. Most of them are really good lawyers in their specialisations, but nowadays we have we have times when a good lawyer is an interdisciplinary lawyer. A lawyer is a person who should not know only the law but should be able to identify potential business risks. I observe that most law firms focus on one or two areas, but in my opinion, they should have comprehensive offerings. They should be more universal and advising not only in law area but in finance, tax or business advising.

IN THE WORDS OF NOMINATORS:

Kamila Dutkowska-Wawrzak is the project management lawyer at Panattoni Development Company, the largest developer of industrial space in Europe. She has concentrated her practice on real estate for almost 10 years. She used to work for real estate funds and before joining Panattoni worked for Multi Poland, which was the Blackstone management platform. As a lawyer she was responsible not only for Poland but for Central Eastern Europe, [including] Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary. She advised on matters related to asset management on a day-to-day basis and was responsible for office buildings, shopping centres and for compliance and corporate matters. Her work at Panattoni focuses on negotiating general contracting agreements and all matters related to the construction process on a day-to-day basis.