CMS Poland bolsters capital markets team

CMS is expanding its range of services in Poland. Within the transactions practice, the Capital Markets Team is taking on new staff. Partner Michał Pawłowski joined on 1 September to lead the team. On 1 July, of counsel Rafał Woźniak joined the team, along with Magdalena Trzepizur, a lawyer specialising in capital markets law.

The new team will strengthen CMS’s position in the area of IPOs, bond issues, delisting and public to private transactions. The new lawyers bring CMS experience in the most important transactions involving listed companies on the Polish market, such as, for example (valued at more than EUR 4 billion) the takeover of Bank Zachodni WBK by Banco Santander, the leading Spanish financial group, as well as the merger of Bank Zachodni WBK and Kredyt Bank SA.

“The situation on the capital markets is currently very dynamic, but we see more interest from our customers in stock exchange projects, particularly with respect to offers of shares and bonds. Due to the market environment, more and more projects are being structured as dual-track processes, which requires the involvement of specialists from various fields, such as capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and banking,” says Michał Pawłowski, partner and head of the Capital Markets Team at CMS Poland. “We are confident that the combination of expertise and competence within the new transaction team will allow us to provide even higher quality services and take on the most demanding projects.”

The Capital Markets team will join the M&A practice in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe, creating a more experienced and versatile transaction team.

“Recently the activity of private equity funds on the capital markets has definitely increased. This is connected with debuts and sales of shares of selected portfolio companies, as well as with refreshing portfolios and planning new investments,” says Dariusz Greszta, co-managing partner at the Corporate Department at CMS Poland. “By joining forces with the new lawyers we will jointly realise capital markets projects and strengthen our position as one of the leading transaction teams in Central and Eastern Europe.”

Michał Pawłowski is an advocate, a Doctor of Law and an economist. For many years he has specialised in capital markets transactions, commercial law and securities law. He represents clients in public share offers (primary and secondary), bond issue programmes, delisting (P2P) as well as mergers and acquisitions. He is a graduate of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Law) and Poznań University of Economics (Economics). He now teaches at Koźmiński University in Warsaw. Prior to joining CMS, Michał gained experience at law firm DLA Piper, where he co-founded and coordinated the capital markets team (most recently as counsel in the Corporate Law Department). He has also worked at White & Case.

Of counsel Rafał Woźniak will advise on capital market transactions, commercial law, corporate matters and bond issues. Recently he advised on the initial public offerings of companies such as Poznańska Korporacja Budowlana Pekabex SA and Enter Air SA. Prior to joining CMS Poland Rafał worked for the Warsaw office of DLA Piper. He is a Doctor of Law and a graduate of law and political science from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

An expert in capital market law and company law, Magdalena Trzepizur will support CMS’s clients in primary and secondary public offerings, mergers and acquisitions as well as other transactions involving public companies. She has advised issuers of securities as well as brokerage houses and investment banks on IPO and SPO processes. More recently she has participated in the preparation of initial public offerings of shares for, among others, Poznańska Korporacja Budowlana Pekabex SA and Enter Air SA. Prior to joining CMS, Magdalena worked at the Warsaw office of DLA Piper. She graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Silesia in Katowice.

Together with the new lawyers, the Capital Markets team includes other experienced CMS lawyers: Dariusz Greszta, partner, Zuzanna Jurga, senior lawyer, Rafał Kluziak, lawyer and Dawid Koruba, lawyer.