Category: Hot Topic EN

The results of the 24th edition of the Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking have been announced. The results reaffirm our standing among the leading law firms in Poland and our position on the TOP OF THE TOP list — we ranked second overall and received no fewer than 15 distinctions.

We ranked first in the category of firms advising on landmark transactions, and received the Transaction of the Year award in recognition of our advisory services to Erste Group in connection with the acquisition of 49% of the shares in Santander Bank Polska S.A. and 50% of the shares in Santander Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. from Banco Santander S.A. for a total consideration of EUR 7 billion. This constitutes the largest transaction in the history of the Polish capital market and the largest cross-border M&A transaction in European banking over the past 21 years.

In individual practice categories, three further transactions on which we advised were recognised as among the most significant: the financing of the BC Wind offshore wind farm project (approximately EUR 2 billion) for Ocean Winds; the acquisition of the Mennica Legacy Tower complex for Mennica Polska, FIP 11 FIZAN and Multico Sp. z o.o.; and the acquisition of a portfolio of 36 properties in Poland (in excess of EUR 300 million) for Ares Management and Slate Asset Management.

We also received a distinction in the “Most Innovative Law Firms of 2025” category for the development of a cross-border sanctions compliance and trade compliance certification system (CSCE).

In the practice area rankings, we received a total of 10 recommendations. We were recognised as a leader in six categories: Privacy and Personal Data Protection, Pharmaceutical and Medical Law, Commercial and Corporate Law / Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Restructuring and Insolvency, and TMT. In four further categories, we were recognised as runner-up: Energy and Natural Resources, Real Estate, Intellectual Property Law, and Public Procurement Law.

Individual distinctions were awarded to eight of our lawyers. Six of them received the title of leader:

• Paweł Zdort – Private Equity
• Magdalena Pyzik-Waląg – Restructuring and Insolvency
• Marcin Maruta – TMT
• Piotr Fedorowicz – Real Estate
• Tomasz Kaczyński – Pharmaceutical and Medical Law
• Piotr Kalina – Privacy and Personal Data Protection

The following lawyers were included in the recommended lawyers list:

• Maria Szczepańska – Criminal Law for Business
• Bartłomiej Wachta – Public Procurement Law

We are truly grateful for every vote cast and for the positive recommendations received from the jury and the broader legal community. We congratulate all the laureates of this year’s ranking, and, in particular, the entire team at Rymarz Zdort Maruta.

We are pleased to announce that Piotr Kalina, an attorney-at-law and partner at Rymarz Zdort Maruta, has been appointed head of the Privacy & Data Protection practice. He will continue to serve as the partner in charge of the E-commerce & Digital Marketing practice.

Piotr’s new role reinforces the firm’s established position as a leader in the Polish personal data protection market – a position recognised for many years by Polish and international legal rankings. The firm has advised on the largest and most significant personal data protection projects in Poland, implemented GDPR compliance procedures in over 250 companies, conducted more than 100 compliance audits, and successfully represented clients in the most high-profile proceedings before the President of the Personal Data Protection Office, winning cases involving multi-million-zloty amounts. The firm’s practice also includes advising on European regulations and global privacy programmes.

“Piotr Kalina is the natural choice for this role. He combines in-depth expertise in data protection with a rare ability to understand our clients’ complex business models – from global digital platforms, through franchise networks, to pioneering AI-based solutions. His track record, backed by recommendations published in prestigious in rankings, is the best testament to the quality of his work. I am convinced that, under his leadership, our personal data protection practice will consolidate its leading position and respond even more effectively to the growing needs of clients in this area,” says Magdalena Pyzik-Waląg, a managing partner at Rymarz Zdort Maruta.

Piotr has fifteen years of experience in providing legal services to private and public entities. He specialises in data protection, e-commerce, consumer law and marketing issues, and also advises on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and new technology law. He has worked with international and domestic corporate groups, including entities operating in retail and manufacturing, franchise networks and online shops. He has advised on the development of business models for large platforms, loyalty schemes and groundbreaking solutions for autonomous retail chains based on AI, as well as state-of-the-art methods of distributing and selling goods and services. His expertise is recognised by leading legal rankings. He is a recommended lawyer in the personal data protection category in the “Rzeczpospolita” ranking and Legal 500 (2024). In 2025–2026, he was named a Legal 500 Next Generation Partner. He holds an ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System Lead Auditor certificate (DEKRA) and a prestigious CIPP/E certificate issued by the IAPP, confirming his specialist knowledge of European data protection law.

“Taking over the leadership of the personal data protection practice at Rymarz Zdort Maruta is a great honour and a source of pride for me. Over the past few years, I have been fortunate to work with an exceptional team and to be part of a law firm that is a true leader in this field on the Polish market. I see enormous opportunities ahead of us – advancing digitalisation and rapidly evolving regulations on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity mean that data protection is becoming an even more strategic area for our clients. I look forward to working on further ambitious projects together with my excellent team,” states Piotr Kalina, a partner, the head of the E-commerce & Digital Marketing practice and the new head of the Privacy & Data Protection practice at Rymarz Zdort Maruta.

Piotr – congratulations and best of luck!

This year’s edition of The Legal 500 EMEA ranking has confirmed Rymarz Zdort Maruta’s position as one of the leading law firms in the market. We have been recognised in 17 practice areas, and 23 of our lawyers have received individual recognitions, three of whom have been elevated to higher positions in the ranking.

In seven categories, we achieved the highest possible ranking – Tier 1 – including: corporate law and M&A, private equity, TMT, restructuring and insolvency, data protection, energy, and dispute resolution.

A further seven practices were ranked in Tier 2: banking and finance, competition law, white-collar crime, capital markets, life sciences, real estate and public procurement.

The firm also received recognition for its tax practice (Tier 3) and intellectual property practice (Tier 4), and was included in the “Firms to Watch” list in the construction category.

The following individuals were also recognised:

Managing partners Paweł Rymarz and Paweł Zdort were listed in The Legal 500 ‘Hall of Fame’ in the area of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and were each named a ‘Leading Individual’ in the private equity category. In addition, managing partner Magdalena Pyzik-Waląg was named a ‘Leading Partner’ in respect of restructuring and insolvency.

The following partners we recognised as ‘Leading Partners’: Marcin Maruta in the area of TMT, Jacek Zawadzki and Dr Jakub Zagrajek, CFA in respect of corporate law, Marek Durski in the area of energy, Iwona Her in the area of competition, Michał Czarnuch and Tomasz Kaczyński in the area of healthcare and life sciences, Krzysztof Sajchta and Łukasz Żak in the area of dispute resolution, and Bartłomiej Wachta in the area of public procurement.

The following partners were recognised as ‘Next Generation Partners’: Piotr Fedorowicz in respect of real estate, Piotr Kalina and Paweł Tobiczyk in respect of data protection, Filip Leśniak in respect of capital markets, Michał Pękała, LL.M. in respect of TMT, Marcin Pieklak in respect of healthcare and life sciences, Dr Jakub Rachwol in respect of banking and finance, and Maria Szczepańska in the area of white-collar crime.

Two lawyers were recognised as ‘Leading Associates’: Małgorzata Deruś in the area of private equity, and Jakub Kowal in the area of TMT.

In the ‘Other Key Lawyers’ category, the following lawyers were recognised: Marek Kanczew, Łukasz Lech, Krzysztof Rembierz, Adrian Augustyniak, Monika Gierałtowska-Karpowicz, Magdalena Bodzioch, Paulina Cieślak, Tomasz Kordala, Dr Paweł Mazur, Diana Sofu, Małgorzata Banaszkiewicz, Aleksander Jakubisiak, Paweł Kaźmierczyk, Maciej Kowalski, Aleksandra Modzelewska and Hubert Woźniak.

We would like to thank our clients for their trust and recommendations and wish to congratulate all of the distinguished lawyers and teams on their outstanding achievements.

In this year’s edition of the Chambers and Partners Europe ranking, 14 practices of Rymarz Zdort Maruta have been recognised, including two new practice areas, and a total of 23 recognitions were awarded to 19 lawyers.

Ranked practices:

• Capital Markets: Equity – Band 1
• Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability – Band 1
• Private Equity – Band 1
• TMT – Band 1
• Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) – Band 2
• Restructuring/Insolvency – Band 2
• Competition/Antitrust – Band 3
• Data Protection – Band 3
• Energy & Natural Resources – Band 3
• Life Sciences – Band 3
• Litigation: Elite – Band 3
• White-Collar Crime & Corporate Investigations – Band 3
• Banking & Finance – Band 4
• Real Estate – Band 4

Individual recognitions:

• Paweł Rymarz – Capital Markets: Equity – Eminent Practitioners, Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability – Eminent Practitioners
• Paweł Zdort – Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability – Band 1, Private Equity – Band 1, Capital Markets: Equity – Band 2
• Marcin Maruta – TMT – Band 1
• Marek Durski – Energy & Natural Resources – Band 1
• Michał Czarnuch – Life Sciences – Band 2
• Tomasz Kaczyński – Life Sciences – Band 2
• Anna Partyka-Opiela – Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) – Band 2
• Magdalena Pyzik-Waląg – Restructuring/Insolvency – Band 3
• Łukasz Gasiński – Financial Services Regulation – Band 3
• Iwona Her – Competition/Antitrust – Band 3
• Jacek Zawadzki – Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability – Band 3, Private Equity – Band 4
• Filip Leśniak – Capital Markets: Equity – Band 4
• Jakub Rachwol – Banking & Finance – Band 4
• Bartłomiej Wachta – Public Procurement – Band 4
• Łukasz Żak – Litigation: Elite – Band 4
• Piotr Fedorowicz – Real Estate – Band 5
• Krzysztof Sajchta – Litigation: Elite – Band 6
• Maria Szczepańska – White-Collar Crime & Corporate Investigations – Up and Coming
• Jakub Zagrajek – Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability – Up and Coming

We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to all of the lawyers recognised in the ranking and to the entire Rymarz Zdort Maruta team. These accolades are a testament to their daily commitment and the highest standards of service they provide to clients.

We extend special congratulations to lawyers making their debut in the ranking: Anna Partyka-Opiela, Maria Szczepańska and Jakub Zagrajek, as well as to those who have been elevated in this year’s list: Marek Durski, Krzysztof Sajchta, Piotr Fedorowicz,Filip Leśniak, Jakub Rachwol and Jacek Zawadzki.

We would like to extend special thanks to our clients – it is your trust and cooperation that form the foundation of our growth and continued success.

We are pleased to announce that Rymarz Zdort Maruta partners Jacek Zawadzki and Piotr Fedorowicz have been named among the Top 10 M&A Lawyers in CEE according to the latest MergerLinks ranking.

Jacek Zawadzki, a partner in the M&A department, ranked 2nd and was recognised for advising on the acquisition of 49% of Santander Bank Polska by Erste Group – the largest M&A transaction on the Polish market in terms of value and the largest cross-border acquisition in the banking sector in Europe in over two decades. In 2025, Jacek also advised Innova Capital, Vectra Group, Symfonia, Volta Polska and Bank Handlowy w Warszawie, among others.

Piotr Fedorowicz, a partner and the head of the real estate practice, ranked 9th and was recognised for, among other things, advising Ares Management and Slate Asset Management on the purchase of a portfolio of 36 properties in Poland worth over €300 million – one of the largest transactions on the real estate market in 2025. Piotr also supported, among others, Mennica Polska, Griffin Capital Partners, ELI and Echo Investment.

We would like to warmly congratulate Jacek and Piotr on being deservedly recognised, as well as thank MergerLinks for recognising our esteemed colleagues in their ranking. This is not only an individual success, but also a significant distinction for the Polish legal market in the context of the entire CEE region.

 We would also like to thank our clients and business partners – it is thanks to our cooperation with you that we are able to carry out such ambitious and groundbreaking projects.

Five recognised practices are not only a source of pride for us, but also confirmation that we consistently deliver value to our clients, which is also reflected in global rankings.

Recognised practices:

• Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability (Band 1),
• Capital Markets: Equity (Band 1),
• Litigation: Elite (Band 3),
• International & Cross-Border Capabilities (Band 3), and
• Banking & Finance (Band 4).

Additionally, nine of our lawyers were recognised in individual categories:

Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability

• Paweł Rymarz (Eminent Practitioners),
• Paweł Zdort (Band 1),
• Jacek Zawadzki (Band 3),
• Jakub Zagrajek (Up and Coming), and
• Anna Zorya (Foreign Expert for Ukraine).

Capital Markets: Equity

• Paweł Rymarz (Eminent Practitioners),
• Paweł Zdort (Band 2), and
• Filip Leśniak (Band 4).

Banking & Finance

• Jakub Rachwol (Band 4).

Litigation: Elite

• Łukasz Żak (Band 4), and
• Krzysztof Sajchta (Band 6).

We would like to thank Chambers and Partners and our clients for recognising our work and for the trust they have placed in us over the years, which continues to motivate us to strive for more. We would also like to congratulate all of the lawyers featured in this year’s ranking.

We would like to extend special congratulations to Jakub, who joined our team of representatives in the ranking this year – this is an important step confirming his consistency and development. We also congratulate Jacek, Filip, Jakub and Krzysztof on their promotions in this year’s guide. Their successes are not only individual achievements, but also proof of the strength and ambition of the entire Rymarz Zdort Maruta team.

Mergermarket has published its global and regional rankings of legal advisors in the field of mergers and acquisitions for 2025 – Global and Regional M&A Rankings 2025 – Legal Advisors. This annual report provides key information on the performance of legal advisors around the world.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta ranked second for Poland in terms of both the number of transactions and their value, advising on 24 transactions worth nearly USD 9.5 billion.

Last year we had the pleasure of supporting clients from many sectors, including banking, energy, real estate, technology, healthcare and insurance.

Our high ranking is the result of having advised, among others: Erste Group (on the largest transaction in terms of value on the Polish market and the largest cross-border M&A transaction in the European banking sector in 21 years), Mennica Polska, FIP 11 FIZAN and Multico (in connection with the acquisition of control over the Mennica Legacy Tower complex (currently Mennica Towers) and the conclusion of a dispute over its ownership that had lasted more than five years), Ares Management and Slate Asset Management (in relation to the purchase of a portfolio of 36 properties in Poland worth over EUR 300 million, the largest transaction in the history of the retail park segment in Poland), Bank Handlowy w Warszawie (with regard to the sale of its retail banking segment to VeloBank), Dalkia Polska, Vectra Group, GIA Investments, GKSD and Gruppo San Donato, W.KRUK, XXXLutz, Innova Capital, Pluralis B.V., Spire Capital, Symfonia, Synthos, NEO Hospital, and Fortum.

More information about our recent transactions can be found here.

We would like to thank our clients for their trust and for giving us the opportunity to participate in so many interesting projects. Maintaining a high position in the Mergermarket ranking confirms that we are one of the leading law firms in Poland in the area of M&A. This achievement would not have been possible without the commitment and expertise of our team, which provides support to clients on a daily basis in connection with the largest and most complex M&A transactions and projects.

We hope that 2026 will be as equally successful for us and that we will be able to continue to advise on ambitious projects and support our clients at the level of commitment and effectiveness they have come to expect from us.

We are delighted to announce that, in the latest edition of IFLR1000 2025, our firm has once again been recognised as one of the leading law firms in Poland – this time with exceptional results across six practice areas:

• M&A – Tier 1
• Capital Markets: Equity – Tier 1
• Project Finance – Tier 2
• Project Development – Tier 2
• Capital Markets: Debt – Tier 3
• Banking – Tier 3

What’s more – 15 of our lawyers have received individual recognition!

Among them are:

• two Market Leaders: Pawel Rymarz (M&A, Capital Markets: Equity, Private Equity, Restructuring and Insolvency) and Paweł Zdort (Private Equity, M&A);
• five Highly Regarded lawyers: Marek Durski (Energy and Infrastructure, Project Development, M&A), Dr hab. Łukasz Gasiński (Capital Markets: Equity, Private Equity, M&A), Iwona Her (M&A), and two Women Leaders: Zofia Frydrychowicz (Banking, Capital Markets: Debt, Real Estate Finance) and Anna Zorya (M&A);
• four Notable Practitioners: Michał Kulesza (Banking, Financial Services Regulatory), Dr Jakub Rachwol (Banking, Project Finance), Dr Jakub Zagrajek (Corporate and M&A, Capital Markets: Equity), and Jacek Zawadzki (Capital Markets: Equity, M&A); and
• four Rising stars: Filip Leśniak (Capital Markets: Equity), Łukasz Lech (Projects: Energy, M&A), Adrian Augustyniak (Projects: Energy, Financial and Corporate), and Marcin Gruszka (Project Finance, Banking & Finance) who represent the future of our firm.

Our gratitude!

This success is the result of collective effort and the trust we build every single day.

First and foremost, we thank our Clients – your trust, challenging projects and recommendations are the foundation of our growth and the motivation to continuously raise the bar. Thank you for entrusting us with your most important matters and allowing us to be part of your business success stories. Your confidence in our expertise drives us to deliver excellence in everything we do.

We also congratulate all of the recognised lawyers and teams.

Special congratulations go to the new faces in this year’s ranking: Michał Kulesza, Łukasz Lech, Jacek Zawadzki, Adrian Augustyniak and Marcin Gruszka. Your presence in IFLR1000 is proof that we are consistently building a strong team of next-generation experts who will shape the future of our practice.

This recognition inspires us to continue working even harder and reaching even higher. Thank you!

On the occasion of the Warsaw Security Forum 2025, Rymarz Zdort Maruta, in cooperation with our StrongerTogether partner firm Freshfields, hosted a high-profile panel discussion on 30 September 2025. The event focused on the security challenges faced by Central and Eastern Europe and the role business can play in shaping the future of the region.

The discussion was opened jointly by Paweł Rymarz (Rymarz Zdort Maruta) and dr Stephan Waldhausen (Freshfields). Natascha Doll, a Freshfields partner, moderated the panel. Our distinguished panellists included U.S. Ambassador (ret.) Mark Brzezinski; German Ambassador (ret.) Rolf Nikel; Jolanta Jaworska, Director Government and Regulatory Affairs at IBM; Arnab Das, Invesco’s Global Market Strategist; and Grzegorz Należyty, Vice President Eastern Europe and Managing Director at Siemens Energy. Together we explored how businesses can react when the geopolitical and economic environment in which they operate is shifting and difficult to predict.

Opening the discussion, Paweł Rymarz, a managing partner, reflected on the lessons of history:

“On June 4th, 1989, the communists suffered a decisive defeat, and communism came to an end in Poland. A domino effect soon followed, and our part of Europe became democratic while the Soviet Union itself collapsed. At the beginning of the 1990s, Francis Fukuyama famously proclaimed the “end of history”, suggesting that liberal democracy had triumphed and that the world would steadily progress for the better. And yet, here we are, thirty-five years later. Is our world truly a better place than it was in the early 1990s? I am afraid this is a rhetorical question. This sobering reality raises fundamental questions for all of us.”

The discussion eventually revealed a nuanced picture of the region during which justifiable concerns about uncertainties in CEE were intertwined with perspectives on resilience, prosperity and sustainable growth.

On the one hand, from an economic perspective, the CEE region is a growth engine within the European Union with strategic importance for supply chains, technology development and energy policy. This makes the region exciting for investors. As Jolanta Jaworska emphasised: “As a US IT company invested in Poland for 35 years, we feel a strong sense of resilience and optimism, believing that increased regional cooperation and technological innovation can foster stability and growth despite the challenging global political landscape.”

At the same time, the geopolitical realities cannot be overlooked. Rolf Nikel noted: “Europe’s security has never been challenged as much since the end of the Cold War. We live in a twilight zone between peace and war with Russia. In the new multipolar world, Europe and America must stick together to defend our common interests and values.”

The panellists also stressed that security extends beyond military threats and has long been about much more than just tanks on the battlefield. Access to the internet and the influence of public opinion through the spread of disinformation online can severely destabilise society and economic life. Companies need to recognise these challenges early on. Cybersecurity, energy security and the protection of critical infrastructure are becoming increasingly important aspects of corporate risk management.

Resilience and innovation were recurring themes, as Arnab Das underlined: “In order to keep up with the challenge of the following decades, Europe must have a very different debate than it is currently having. It requires lot of change and streamlining to be fit for the future.” The current situation brings with it great opportunities for innovations that will support business models in becoming resilient.

Poland’s pivotal role was also at the forefront. As a dynamic EU economy and a frontline NATO state bordering Ukraine, Poland faces both unique opportunities and heightened risks. Mark Brzezinski observed:

“Poland in 2025 is a country with local roots and global reach, and the future looks very bright. But the geostrategic context of the country is very fragile. More than many countries, Poland could as easily regress rather than progress if the regional developments are not well managed.”

Europe can learn a lot from Poland and Ukraine when it comes to adapting to a new geopolitical climate quickly and ensuring resilience. At the same time, Europe should be openly cooperating with Poland and Ukraine to ease the tensions that have been undermining the sense of security and stability not only in Poland, but also globally, especially in the European Union. Many states no longer view one another merely as distant neighbours or alliance members, both in terms of geopolitics and business, given that nearly every market reacts to geopolitical shifts.

The discussion underscored that businesses must not only prepare for risks, but also seize the opportunities presented by geopolitical change. The dual reality of risk and opportunity requires companies to think strategically, act with resilience and adapt swiftly. A powerful conclusion emerged: there is no free trade without freedom, and every business has a role to play in shaping the geopolitical environment.

This event formed part of Rymarz Zdort Maruta’s broader efforts to foster dialogue at the intersection of law, business and international affairs through local and cross-border initiatives aimed at helping companies strengthen resilience and adapt to a rapidly evolving environment.

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