CMS once again ranked as number one M&A law firm in Poland and CEE

In 2018 CMS again advised on more M&A deals than any other firm in Poland, taking the top spot in a recently published Mergermarket ranking. Clients chose the Warsaw transaction team for M&A transactions on the Polish market twice as many times as the second-ranked law firm in this years’ Mergermarket listing.

In 2018, CMS transaction lawyers supported clients in a total of 18 deals.

“Our lawyers’ involvement in the largest number of deals closed in recent years is the best proof of our teams’ very high skills and strong market position. The experience we gained in nearly 20 new deals will be extremely valuable to our clients in subsequent acquisitions,” says Marek Sawicki, Partner leading the CMS transaction team in Poland.

CMS was also the most frequently chosen M&A advisor across CEE. The region’s teams were involved in a total of 35 transactions, which attests to the firm’s strong standing in the region.

Last year in Poland, CMS lawyers advised on the sale of Polish cableway operator PKL S.A. by Mid Europa Partners, the acquisition of Emperia Holding S.A., owner of the Stokrotka grocery chain, by Maxima Grupe, combined with the company’s subsequent delisting, the acquisition of Concordia Insurance group companies by Generali. CMS has also worked for private equity funds such as Abris Capital Partners, V4C, Coast2Coast, and Advent International.

CMS is also the unchallenged leader in terms of the number of deals handled in 2018 in Germany and in German-speaking countries generally (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). These countries are simultaneously the home markets for a large group of investors making acquisitions in Poland as well as significant target markets for Polish businesses seeking to expand their operations abroad.

The CMS transaction team in Poland currently consists of 30 lawyers and is regarded as one of Poland’s leading practices by international ranking agencies Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 (second position in the listings). Marek Sawicki, Partner leading the Warsaw team, is graded by Chambers & Partners in the highest Band 1 in individual rankings in the Private Equity category. CMS is also recognised as one of Poland’s best law firms in PE (Band 2) and the best law firm in CEE in the Corporate/M&A category (Band 1).