Once dominated by large international firms, Poland has seen a growth in homegrown law firms assisting foreign investors navigate the unique conditions of the fast-growing European economy.
“The legal market in Poland is both an interesting and challenging place to operate. Our population of lawyers has doubled over the last 10 years,” explained Baker and McKenzie Managing Partner Marek Rosinski.
A market leader in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and project financing with more than 20 years of experience in Poland, Baker and McKenzie made its mark here with the initial public offering of German aluminum wheel maker Uniwheels at the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2015, the largest in the country’s history.
“We’re considered to have one of the most advanced financial sectors in Europe and in the world. The word ‘undiscovered’ comes to mind when I think of Poland. It is truly innovative. It is a destination that has had significant growth,” Rosinski also said.
Baker and McKenzie partnered with Go Global in an initiative to support Polish companies wanting to increase their presence around the world.
Meanwhile, K&L Gates in Poland has doubled its staff over the last six years as local clients outnumber foreign ones. As of this year, domestic clients make up 60% of its client base.
“The office of K&L Gates in Warsaw is a hub for Central and Eastern Europe from a global perspective. We’re at a stage wherein Polish companies are growing fast,” said K&L Gates Administrative Partner Maciej Jamka.
Established in 1991, independent law firm SK&S Legal has seen increased networking among its peers in Central and Eastern Europe and in Asia amid the positive economic outlook in those regions.
“Asia is knocking on our door. We’ll see a flow of Asian investment to Poland within a year, due to the attractiveness of this market,” said SK&S Legal Managing Partner Rudolf Ostrihansky, who added that the firm has built strong ties with Japanese and Korean investors over the years.
Crido Legal, recognized in “The Legal 500 EMEA" ranking, is just as optimistic at the prospects of growth of the sector, given that small and medium-sized businesses continue to flourish and contribute to the country’s economic productivity.
“Many Polish entrepreneurs do not have much international experience in transactions. They’re looking for an advisor who can specialize in such transactions. It’s a good time for Polish entrepreneurs who are going global in Asia, Africa and the U.S.,” said Crido Legal Managing Partner Jakub Ziolek.
Meanwhile, one local law firm has chosen to specialize on specific industries to gain an edge over its rivals. Kochanski Zieba and Partners focuses on real estate, infrastructure and construction, defense and aviation, financial services, pharmaceuticals, as well as on healthcare and life sciences.
“The legal market in Poland is quite new. It hasn’t found its foundations just yet. We want to have a large foothold on the Polish market regionally. We want to be the first Polish firm to go outside of Poland in the next 2 to 3 years,” said Kochanski Zieba and Partners Head of International and Strategy Adam Piwakowski.
