Former Counsel Rafal Siemieniec has been appointed as an Associate Partner with MFW Fialek.

New regulations allowing employers to carry out preventive and ad hoc sobriety checks on employees will come into effect on February 21, 2023. Employers will be allowed to start the checks two weeks after they publish relevant regulations in the workplace.

Recently local authorities have been hit by rising electricity costs. No-one’s surprised nowadays when electricity purchase prices rise by several hundred percent or when tenders are repeatedly cancelled. As a result, local authorities often decide to take radical steps - temporary closures of public facilities, limited street lighting or turning off the illumination of buildings have become standard in some towns and cities. There’s no doubt that a major part of the electricity purchased by local government goes on street lighting systems, which are often inefficient in terms of energy consumption. In many cases, it might be a good idea to have a look at using public-private partnerships as a way to upgrade street lighting systems and cut electricity requirements. It is also worth taking note that developing this model for implementing public tasks in the street lighting sector is explicitly included in the strategic document Polish Energy Policy until 2040 issued by the Ministry of Climate and Environment and setting the framework for the energy transition in Poland.

Kochanski & Partners Partner and Head of Media Sector Agnieszka Chrzanowska has been appointed the Publications Officer on the Media Law Committee of the International Bar Association.

Greenberg Traurig has advised the AT Capital Group on its acquisition of land in Warsaw from Golub Gethouse.

Roedl & Partner, working with Bird & Bird, has advised Sunfarming on expanding its partnership with Hansainvest through a EUR 50 million mezzanine financing for 231 Polish photovoltaic projects. Dentons, working with Baker Tilly, advised Hansainvest on providing the financing.

Former SSW Pragmatic Solutions Partner Igor Muszynski has joined Wolf Theiss as a Partner and Head of the Energy & Natural Resources team in Warsaw.

Linklaters has advised Patron Capital – acting in partnership with 7R – on the sale of an approximately 30,000 square-meter logistics asset located in Goleniow to an undisclosed institutional investor, for EUR 22 million. 

A busy legislative start to 2023 is in store for Poland, with significant changes made to the consumer protection and electronic communication frameworks, as well as amendments to the Legal Advisors' code of ethics being introduced, according to Traple, Konarski, Podrecki & Partners Senior Partner Xawery Konarski.

CMS has advised the Lewandpol Group on a project to build a hybrid solar and wind farm in Poland. Norton Rose Fulbright advised ING Bank Slaski, PKO Bank Polski, and mBank on a PLN 766 million senior secured financing for the project. Gessel reportedly advised a Polish Development Fund investment fund on providing a PLN 100 million subordinated loan.

DWF has advised the consortium of Rubau Polska and Poltores on the tender procedures for the design and construction of two sections of the S-19 and S-10 expressways.

Greenberg Traurig has advised the Trigea Real Estate Fund on its acquisition of City Logistics Wroclaw II from Panattoni. Szybkowski Kuzma Jelen Brzoza-Ostrowska advised Panattoni. Baker McKenzie reportedly advised Trigea on tax matters.

Linklaters has advised the Somerston Group on the sale of Newbridge Poland to the Greenman Group. White & Case advised Greenman.

Medical device manufacturers, importers, and distributors are advised to prepare for an important change in European and Polish laws on advertising for medical devices. Manufacturers do not always properly supervise their distributors in creating or revising promotional materials. This lack of oversight can lead to unexpected regulatory problems, especially under recent legal amendments. Preventive measures can help companies to avoid these problems.

The ascendant popularity of ESG across business sectors has also empowered the rise of its evil twin: greenwashing. To look at the interplay between the two and their implications for the pharma industry in CEE, we sat down with CMS Partners Gabriela Staber and Tomas Matejovsky. 

Considering the current state of affairs in CEE, market dynamics have shifted in terms of where investors are looking for safe investment opportunities, with some sectors seeing steadier capital flows and others struggling. Our experts chart the current hotspots and consider whether the markets are set to shift again.

I wish us wider representation in senior positions in the legal profession, equal treatment, access to promotion, full and effective participation, and equal opportunities for leadership. And I wish for none of us to experience diminished opportunities or unfavorable career limitations because of gender.

Gessel has advised SunRoof on its most recent EUR 13.5 million investment round with the participation of World Fund, Nordic Alpha Partners, and Legal & General Capital.