Niezmiernie miło nam poinformować, że w tym roku otrzymaliśmy najwyższe wyróżnienie – Tier 1 – w aż trzech kategoriach: ochrona danych osobowych i prywatności, własność intelektualna oraz TMT.
Większość pozostałych praktyk awansowało na wyższe pozycje w stosunku do lat ubiegłych.
Marta Koremba, Piotr Dynowski i Tomasz Zalewski znaleźli się w gronie "leading individuals", a Izabela Kowalczuk-Pakuła w gronie "next generation partners".
Indywidualne rekomendacje otrzymali również: Paweł Bajno, Mateusz Dubek, Rafał Dziedzic, Adam Kowalczyk, Paulina Grotkowska, Paweł Lipski, Bartłomiej Niewczas, Karolina Stawicka, Sławomir Szepietowski.
Poniżej przedstawiamy szczegółowe informacje o rekomendowanych zespołach i indywidualnych wyróżnieniach wraz z opiniami ankietowanych klientów.
Data privacy and data protection TIER 1
Clients 'can always rely' on Bird & Bird Szepietowski i wspólnicy sp. k.'s team, which works closely with the firm's offices in London and Dusseldorf on pan-European GDPR issues, also serves as data protection officer and provides representative services. Promoted to partner in 2019, Izabela Kowalczuk-Pakuła leads the team, and is a privacy specialist, with additional expertise in adtech services, cloud computing, AI, insurance and fintech products, as well as designing data protection-compliant recruitment systems.
Next Generation Partners
‘The team has a great knowledge of the data privacy and protection area. They also have good understanding of business which makes them capable of offering a business oriented solutions.‘
‘Izabela Kowalczuk-Pakuła is a great open-minded professional.‘
‘Fantastic expertise in data protection coupled with a practical approach means their advice is always readily digestible and of excellent quality.‘
Intellectual property TIER 1
Bird & Bird Szepietowski i wspólnicy sp. k. fields a full-service IP practice, which handles patent litigation and prosecution issues, brand management work, copyright protection matters, unfair competition cases and commercial IP advice. The group is jointly led by Marta Koremba, who assists with brand management matters, and life sciences and retail work; media, entertainment, sport, technology and communications IP expert Piotr Dynowski; and new technology, internet and advertising specialist Paweł Lipski who joined from Eversheds Sutherland Wierzbowski in 2019. Senior associate Mateusz Dubek is also recommended as an expert in contentious trade mark and design protection issues, with further experience in unfair competition claims.
Leading individuals
‘The firm must be very proud to have such a strong IP practice. They are a great set of experts and professionals. I can always rely on them. They are very practical and pragmatic.‘
‘In addition to having very good specialised skills, they have also have strong transferable skills, as well as business acumen.‘
‘Marta Koremba is a great expert and an enthusiastic leader. I’m very lucky to have her on board as an external adviser. I can always rely on her and I know that even in very difficult situations she always thinks about solutions and business needs and she is very supportive.‘
‘Mateusz Dubek is an excellent expert – devoted and always focused on business needs.‘
TMT TIER 1
In 2019, Bird & Bird Szepietowski i wspólnicy sp. k. benefited from the arrival of IT and technology experts Tomasz Zalewski and Paweł Lipski from Eversheds Sutherland Wierzbowski, who now jointly lead the team alongside regulatory expert Piotr Dynowski. The practice, which handles regulatory, corporate, advertising, IP and competition law work, has developed particular expertise in the fintech sector. It also has strong coverage of issues related to gambling, cloud computing, IT projects and blockchain technology, as well as more traditional media and telecoms work.
Leading individuals
‘The team is very responsive and dives into the circumstances of cases‘
‘Pawel Lipski has a great understanding of what details are actually needed in written statements and also in oral hearings. He has a great overview over the different relevant legal provisions. He also engages his associates in the client work where appropriate‘
Finance and financial regulation TIER 3
Bird & Bird Szepietowski i wspólnicy sp. k. stands out for its ability to provide banking regulatory advice to a variety of banks, insurance companies, lending companies, investment funds and brokerage houses. The group has drawn on the wider firm's expertise in technology to carve out a niche in fintech, and regularly advices on new services and products in the area, in addition to assisting more traditional financial institutions with IT outsourcing implementation. The group also has substantial experience representing financial institutions in proceedings initiated by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority. Managing partner of the Warsaw office Sławomir Szepietowski leads the department and regularly handles financing transactions, as well as coordinating the team's regulatory work. The team was joined by of counsel Aleksandra Widziewicz and senior associate Olga Koszewska from G-Rock and act BSWW respectively.
‘The team has a unique practical knowledge concerning practice in payment services area.‘
‘They try to understand the client’s expectations and business assumptions and do their best to work out most suitable solutions.‘
‘All their lawyers are very business-oriented, looking for solutions most suitable for the client’s needs.‘
Dispute resolution TIER 3
Bird & Bird Szepietowski i wspólnicy sp. k.'s dispute resolution team is instructed by the Polish state in a number of bilateral investment arbitrations. Other areas of expertise include representing corporates operating in Poland before the regulators, as well as handling the spectrum of corporate and commercial litigation. Adam Kowalczyk, who joined in September 2018 after serving as department head at PwC Legal Pawlowski Zelaznicki Sp. K and specialises in contentious commercial and regulatory issues, jointly leads the team with arbitration expert Bartłomiej Niewczas.
Public procurement TIER 3
The public procurement group at Bird & Bird Szepietowski i wspólnicy sp. k. was established in 2019 by the arrival of Tomasz Zalewski and Julita Hoffmann from Eversheds Sutherland Wierzbowski and Magdalena Zabłocka-Foulkes from Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka. Zalewski, who heads up the department, is an expert in government contracting, with experience advising contractors and contracting parties on infrastructure and IT projects. Hoffmann is noted for handling disputes before the National Appeal Chamber, as well as supporting beneficiaries of EU grants in financial adjustments arising from the violation of procurement procedures. Zabłocka-Foulkes is an expert in PPP transactions.
‘Personable and friendly advice.’
‘Individual and responsive service.’
‘The team has given me comprehensive answers and they have explored every topic of their job. I have felt content every time I used their support.’
Commercial, corporate and M&A TIER 4
Bird & Bird Szepietowski i wspólnicy sp. k.'s team expanded significantly in 2019, making a number of hires at associate level, as well as taking on Paweł Bajno, who jointly heads the practice alongside Rafał Dziedzic, from Norton Rose Fulbright. The group has an exceptional reputation for instructions in the TMT sector, although it also acts for numerous clients in the energy, healthcare and fashion industries. The group has ample experience in M&A and joint venture transactions, for which it is able to draw on firm-wide IT, TMT and intellectual property expertise. Other areas where the firm stands out are private equity, venture capital and research and development projects.
‘The team was good, especially the partners, and well on par with other firms I have worked with.‘
‘Rafał Dziedzic is an outstanding lawyer when it comes to availability to the client and skills in M&A.‘
Employment TIER 4
Bird & Bird Szepietowski i wspólnicy sp. k. focuses its employment expertise on clients in the technology sector, advising on HR compliance projects and handling sensitive negotiations and mediations with employees and social partners including trade unions, works councils and European works councils. Karolina Stawicka heads up the team.
‘Together, they form a complementary team able to solve any legal problem relating to employment.‘
‘I was impressed with Karolina Stawicka’s knowledge, her ability to establish good client relationships, as well as her ability to explain difficult legal concepts in an accessible way.‘
‘Paulina Grotkowska-Harrington is a masterful negotiator.‘
Szczegółowe wyniki rankingu The Legal 500 2020 EMEA dostępne są na stronie >>>