In the Inside Track, General Counsels across CEE share the nuances of their roles, challenges, and strategies for success. As summer is a time to unwind, we asked: With summer here, what is your one favorite yearly activity to disconnect and switch off?

In recent years, public concern about the roles of organizations in environmental issues has significantly increased. Governments, public institutions, and non-profits now demand that companies adopt environmentally friendly practices. Consumers are seeking “green” products and investors prefer companies that prioritize environmental care. This trend has led companies to adopt greenwashing strategies in marketing to attract eco-conscious consumers.

Greenberg Traurig has advised Axpo Polska on a power purchase agreement with Akuo for the offtake of energy from a wind farm in Poland’s Silesia region.

Bajno, Dubij, Pasternak has opened its doors for business in Poland, with the core team comprising Partners Pawel Bajno, Tomasz Dubij, and Robert Pasternak as well as Attorney at Law Slawomir Lebioda.

Dentons has advised Metroprojekt on the tender for pre-design work for Line IV of the Warsaw subway including the Technical and Parking Station.

Wardynski & Partners has advised IVC Evidensia Poland on the acquisition of two veterinary clinics in Warsaw.

GIde and Ellex, working with Ashurst, have advised Rivage Investment, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, and Norway's Kommunal Landspensjonskasse on a EUR 300 million IPP financing for the construction of 1.3-gigawatt of solar PV, wind, storage, and hybrid parks in the Baltics and Poland, provided to Sunly. CMS and reportedly White & Case and Sorainen advised Sunly.

Dentons has advised the VSB Group on its sale of the project rights to the 190-megawatt Miejska Gorka wind farm, located in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, to Tauron Zielona Energia. Clyde & Co advised Tauron.

Marek Sawicki has joined LSW as Senior Partner.

Cytowski & Partners has advised Satim on a EUR 1.4 million financing round with Balnord VC. Kondracki Celej reportedly advised Balnord.

Jasinski has advised Oviedo Investment on the sale of a commercial property located in Gdansk to ULMA Construccion Polska.

Gide, working with McCarthy Tetrault, has advised KGHM International on the sale of mining assets located in the Sudbury Basin in central Ontario, Canada, to the Canadian mining company Magna Mining.

Revetas Capital General Counsel Joanna Przybyl reveals her strategies for mastering relationships with external counsel, from choosing the right firms to keeping budgets on track.

From staying loyal to specific lawyers irrespective of the brand they work under to focusing on fixed fees, Selvita General Counsel and Executive Management Board Member Dawid Radziszewski shares his best practices in terms of working with external counsel.

Bringing in external counsel can flip legal headaches into big wins, protecting your interests and pushing your goals forward. But how do you make sure your partnership with legal experts goes beyond just getting the job done? The magic happens when you master working with external counsel – mixing careful planning with lively communication to reach new heights of legal success.

I have always been passionate about learning languages, traveling, and getting to know people from different cultures. While studying in law school in my hometown Warsaw, Poland, I applied for the Erasmus Student Exchange scholarship. I went to Stockholm, Sweden, to study law for one year. This year turned into more than a decade, during which I earned an LL.M. in IP law and worked as in-house legal counsel and as Head of Legal for Swedish IT/SaaS companies with global operations. Now I am back in Warsaw, but I am still working internationally.

More and more legal departments are actively integrating methodologies from disciplines outside the traditional legal sphere, such as project management and even engineering. This evolution is reshaping how legal teams deliver value, emphasizing both strategic impact and operational efficiency. Precision Medicine Group Deputy General Counsel Krzysztof Mazurek, Alpekr Managing Director Petr Zatopek, and Audax Head of Legal Andras Nemeth took a look at the vital role of cross-disciplinary skills in modern legal at the CEE Legal Matters GC Summit, held in Warsaw on April 25-26, 2024.

In order for us to talk about the best practices in managing a legal team in a company, we must, first of all, realize that such a team is not only composed of good lawyers but represents a well-functioning hybrid. Why a hybrid? Because this team must provide both substantive assistance and act as an entity that perfectly understands and senses business needs.