Against the backdrop of the many significant and at times highly controversial changes being made to Polish law at the moment, the country is close to enacting its first ever serious whistleblower protection laws. What will this protection look like, and what does its passage mean for Poland?

Bird & Bird lawyers Izabela Kowalczuk in Poland and Laszlo Nanyista in Hungary have been promoted to partner as part of the firm's global promotion round.

The real estate market is booming in Poland and other CEE countries, as it has been for the last several years. New investments are being made to develop commercial centers, office buildings, residential properties, and logistic centers.

In The Corner Office we ask Managing Partners across Central and Eastern Europe about their unique roles and responsibilities. The question this time around: Who was your mentor, and what was the most important lesson you learned from him or her?

On October 2, 2018, the European Parliament approved the amendments to the Audiovisual Media Services Directive 2010/13/EU (AVMS Directive) and the Council’s approval is expected imminently. Twenty days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, it shall enter into force, and the Member States will need to transpose it into their national legislation within 21 months, probably in mid 2020.

One year has passed since the Act on Counteracting the Unfair Use of Contractual Advantage in the Trade of Agricultural and Food Products entered into force. The act aimed to protect small farmers and grocery suppliers from the abuse of power by large supermarkets and chain stores. During the past year, the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection (OCCP):

Among the most acute challenges that Poland is facing at the moment are the well-publicized changes to the country’s court system, says Karolina Stawowska, Partner at Wolf Theiss.

Former DLA Piper Poland Country Managing Partner Krzysztof Wiater, who left that firm in July of this year, has opened a new law firm in Warsaw: NGL Legal.

Former PWC Transfer Pricing Senior Manager Bartlomiej Wajda has joined CMS's Tax group in Poland as Counsel, and to head the firm's Transfer Pricing practice.

Adam Kowalczyk, the former Head of Litigation at PwC Legal in Warsaw, has joined Bird & Bird as Partner, bringing with him former PWC Legal Senior Associate Grzegorz Jan Kostrzewa and Associate Katarzyna Czech.

The widespread perception remains that the real estate market in CEE is undervalued and continues to offer exciting opportunities for investors. It would seem this is with good reason and early signs suggest that this year we may approach record levels of activity in the sector.

Former PWC Legal lawyer Piotr Kleszczynski has become the General Counsel of Xella Polska.

DLA Piper has appointed Krzysztof Kycia, Head of Litigation and Arbitration, and Jacek Gizinski, Head of Real Estate, as Co-Managing Partners of the firm's Warsaw office. They replace Krzysztof Wiater, who has held the position for the past 11 years, and who has left the firm.

More than two years ago a new system for examining trademark applications was introduced in Poland. The purpose of the so-called “opposition system” was to adapt Polish regulations to EU and international regulations and the jurisprudence of the EU Court of Justice.

Pawel Stykowski has joined Wierzbowski Eversheds Sutherland as the new head of the firm's Regulatory Risk and Compliance team.

Lukasz Dabrowski and Paulina Radziejewska, former partners at Bartosiak and Partners, have established the Dabrowski Radziejewska real estate boutique.

Former Weil, Gotshal & Manges Senior Associate Michal Bobrzynski has joined Greenberg Traurig as Local Partner in the firm's Warsaw Office.

Merger control is one of the Polish Office for Competition and Consumer Protection's (OCCP's) main areas of activity, as it deals with 170 to 220 filings annually.