Pinsent Masons launches operations in Poland

The international law firm Pinsent Masons is opening an office in Warsaw and launching its operations with a team of over 40 people. The scale of the launch and the experience of the Warsaw team enable the firm to handle complex investment projects from the outset.

The new law firm has been established by lawyers with many years’ experience working with investors, property developers, private equity and venture capital funds, financial institutions, and corporate groups operating in the Polish market and across Central and Eastern Europe. Its main areas of practice include real estate, infrastructure, construction, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, and cross-border matters.

The Warsaw team is co-managed by Bartłomiej Kordeczka and Jakub Marcinkowski. The founding team also includes Maciej Jodkowski, Piotr Staniszewski, Bartosz Nojek and Błażej Zagórski. Previously, they were associated with leading law firms operating on the Polish market: Dentons, DLA Piper, CMS and Greenberg Traurig. Mark Harris, an international partner at Pinsent Masons, will be relocating to the Warsaw office.

“We bring to Pinsent Masons long-standing business relationships, extensive experience and a team of practitioners who have worked on projects of a wide range of scales – from local investment ventures to complex international transactions involving single assets, portfolios and corporate structures. We know how we work, and we guide clients together, acting as a single team without internal competition. Pinsent Masons, in turn, provides us with an international network, industry expertise and tools developed in other markets. This is important for clients who expect advice grounded in the realities of the local market, yet backed by the experience of a global organisation,” says Bartłomiej Kordeczka, co-managing partner of Pinsent Masons’ Warsaw office.

Poland: a key transaction market in CEE

The opening of the Warsaw office reflects Poland’s growing importance as an investment and transaction market in Europe. The significance of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe is also confirmed by Pinsent Masons’ client base – a significant proportion of the firm’s largest global clients are already present in Poland or the region.

“Warsaw is a natural hub for handling transactions and investment projects in the region, particularly where knowledge of the local market, its conditions, and the standards of international investors is crucial. We are committed to ensuring that the Warsaw office handles such projects efficiently and with a thorough understanding of our clients’ business objectives, working closely with Pinsent Masons’ teams in other markets,” says Jakub Marcinkowski, co-managing partner of the Warsaw office.

The Warsaw team provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, property sales and purchases in various structures, portfolio transactions, joint ventures, and the financing and refinancing of commercial properties, investment projects, and companies.

An integrated team and technology in client service

Pinsent Masons is developing a business model in Poland that is based on collaboration between lawyers from different jurisdictions, the transfer of client relationships and the provision of joint international services to clients. This is particularly important in cases requiring the rapid pooling of expertise and coordination of teams operating across several markets. The opening of the office also reflects changes in the advisory services market. Pinsent Masons is developing advanced technological tools, including artificial intelligence-based solutions.

“The legal services market is clearly changing under the influence of technology, but the quality of advice still depends on the lawyer’s experience. Digital tools make it possible to organise documents more effectively, prepare materials more quickly and manage information more efficiently. In the case of large transactions and complex investment projects, this has a tangible impact on the pace of work and the quality of service,” emphasises Bartłomiej Kordeczka.

Global support for the Polish market

Pinsent Masons aims to apply the firm’s experience gained from the world’s most demanding infrastructure and capital projects. The company’s teams have worked on projects including the Eurotunnel, Wembley Stadium, the infrastructure for the London Olympics, nuclear projects, offshore wind energy, and investments associated with the Belt and Road Initiative.

“Expanding our presence in Europe remains one of Pinsent Masons’ strategic goals.’ Poland is an important market for many of our clients, particularly those from Western Europe, as well as being a key investment destination in Central and Eastern Europe. We are launching our operations in Warsaw with a team that has a strong track record and credibility in the market, as well as experience in demanding projects,” says Andrew Masraf, senior partner at Pinsent Masons.

Pinsent Masons plans to further develop its Warsaw office. In the coming stages, it aims to strengthen its expertise in areas of importance to investors and businesses operating in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe.

The founding team of Pinsent Masons in Warsaw

Bartłomiej Kordeczka, co-managing partner of Pinsent Masons’ Warsaw office, previously co-led the real estate practice at Dentons and was a co-managing partner of the firm’s Warsaw office from 2023 to 2024. He has over 19 years of experience in managing complex investment projects in the commercial property market.

Jakub Marcinkowski, co-managing partner of Pinsent Masons’ Warsaw office, previously co-led the M&A practice at DLA Piper in Poland. He has over 20 years of experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, venture capital investments, and complex corporate restructurings.

Maciej Jodkowski previously worked as a partner in Greenberg Traurig’s Warsaw real estate department. He has over 20 years of experience advising developers, investors, and institutional clients. His areas of expertise include the acquisition and sale of commercial property, particularly office, warehouse, retail and mixed-use premises.

Piotr Staniszewski previously co-led the construction practice at Dentons. He advises on construction and development projects, including the negotiation of complex construction contracts, design contracts, planning issues, permits, disputes and investment transactions in the real estate sector.

Bartosz Nojek will be responsible for developing advisory services in the area of banking and finance. Previously, he co-led the banking and finance practice at Dentons. He has nearly 18 years of transactional experience, covering commercial property finance, corporate finance, structured finance, leveraged finance and project finance.

Błażej Zagórski was associated with CMS for many years as a key partner in the Corporate/M&A team and also headed the German Desk practice. For over 20 years, he has advised on cross-border projects, mergers and acquisitions, transactions for private equity and venture capital funds, projects for investment funds, restructurings and corporate governance matters.

Mark Harris, a partner at Pinsent Masons in the UK since 2001, is an international lawyer specialising in construction law, litigation and arbitration. He has over 35 years’ experience in complex construction and infrastructure projects across Europe, South-East Asia, Australia, the Gulf States and the United States. He will be part of the Warsaw team and is expected to strengthen Pinsent Masons’ capabilities in infrastructure, construction projects and construction disputes.