Associate

Maria Staroń-Szymańska

Languages

Polish
English

Social media

Maria Staroń-Szymańska is an Associate in the Dispute Resolution practice at CMS Warsaw. She advises clients on white-collar crime, business criminal law and compliance matters, including criminal and internal investigations, whistleblowing, anti-bribery and corruption, AML, sanctions and cybercrime-related risks.

Maria supports clients in complex and sensitive matters involving interactions with prosecutors and other law enforcement authorities, internal fact-finding, evidence review and strategic assessment of criminal-law exposure. She also assists companies in designing and reviewing compliance policies, whistleblowing procedures and anti-corruption frameworks.

Maria regularly works on complex, cross-functional matters that require close cooperation with specialists from other practice areas, including employment, corporate and regulatory law. Her experience includes advising on issues arising at the intersection of compliance, criminal law and sector-specific regulations, e.g. healthcare and life sciences.

In addition to her white-collar crime and compliance practice, Maria advises clients on corporate and commercial disputes, including shareholder conflicts, challenges to corporate resolutions, management liability matters and complex contractual disputes.

Before joining CMS, Maria gained substantive experience in law enforcement and judiciary, including at the National Prosecutor’s Office and criminal court. This background enables her to analyse legal issues from both the business and enforcement perspectives, and to provide practical support in matters involving corporate liability, management liability, fraud, bribery, cybercrime and other business crime risks.

Maria also contributes to client-facing compliance initiatives and thought-leadership projects, including anti-corruption updates, business ethics and compliance trainings, and materials concerning whistleblowing and internal investigations.

Relevant experience

A company active in the recovery of raw materials in relation to a complex internal fact-finding investigation concerning the use and disposal of a business-critical software application, including employee interviews and preparation of an executive summary analysing potential criminal and civil liability, possible legal qualifications and available legal remedies.
An international manufacturer of measuring equipment in relation to court proceedings concerning a complex bid-rigging scheme and potential corporate criminal liability under Polish law.
A major retail company in relation to criminal proceedings concerning theft of stock and alleged misappropriation by an ex-manager, with matter values exceeding PLN 2.5m.
A foreign company on a cross-border fraud and asset recovery matter involving funds diverted through a phishing and business email compromise scheme. Represented the client before Polish prosecuting authorities, coordinated recovery efforts and successfully assisted in obtaining the release of frozen funds in the course of criminal proceedings.
An industrial company on a complex criminal investigation relating to a large-scale investment project. The matter involved preparation of strategic submission to the prosecution authorities and advice on the company’s position and procedural strategy in the proceedings. The work involved analyzing an extensive body of documents and leveraging innovative AI-assisted review methods to reconstruct the factual matrix.
A financial institution on a sensitive internal investigation arising from an anonymous whistleblower report submitted to the company’s supervisory body and the media. The matter involved allegations concerning workplace misconduct and governance issues at senior management level and required a detailed assessment of the interaction between whistleblowing, employment and anti-corruption frameworks.
A private company in a high-value corporate dispute concerning the validity of corporate resolutions and powers of attorney. The work involved developing a litigation strategy, coordinating experts, analysing issues related to capacity and applicable law, managing extensive corporate documentation and representing the client throughout court proceedings before a Polish commercial court.
A Polish subsidiary of an international manufacturing group on whistleblowing and compliance matters arising from an anonymous report alleging irregular conduct by employees and third-party contractors. The engagement included assessment of the allegations, advice on internal reporting obligations, identification of legal risks and recommendations regarding the handling of a sensitive internal compliance investigation.
An international commodities trading group in a complex dispute concerning multimillion-value transportation and logistics claims following a corporate carve-out transaction. The work involved analysing liability under Polish transport law, preparing a defence against pre-litigation claims, analysis of SPA indemnity and third-party claim mechanisms.
On a high-profile healthcare sector transaction involving the assessment of criminal, regulatory and compliance risks connected with allegations of improper reimbursement of publicly funded healthcare services. The mandate included reviewing ongoing prosecutorial investigations, analysing potential liability of corporate entities and key individuals, assessing risks related to public-sector contracts, conducting enhanced compliance due diligence, and preparing strategic recommendations for the investor regarding transaction protections.

Publications

2023 - Stealthing, Prok.i Pr., nr 5, s. 73-83, M. Staroń

Memberships & Roles

Warsaw Bar Association.

Education

2026 - Advocate trainee, Warsaw Bar Association / District Bar Council in Warsaw.
2023 - Postgraduate studies in Fiscal Criminal Law and Business Criminal Law, Jagiellonian University.
2022 - Postgraduate studies in Investigative Psychology, SWPS University.
2020 - Doctoral seminar in Criminal Law, Kozminski University.
2019 — Master’s degree in Law, Kozminski University.

Practice Areas

Antitrust, Competition and Trade Compliance Private Enforcement Dispute Resolution

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