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.

In a globalized, post-pandemic world, managing international teams of lawyers seems like orchestrating a grand symphony. The players come from diverse national and educational backgrounds, each bringing unique instruments and experiences. As a General Counsel, you are the maestro, conducting this diverse orchestra of lawyers to perform a grand legal symphony composed by various national and international legislators and regulators.

Whistleblowing is currently a hot topic in Poland. After nearly three years of delay, Poland has finally implemented the EU Whistleblowing Directive 2019/1937.

Wonga Director of the Legal, Compliance, and HR Department Zuzanna Kopaczynska Grabiec discusses what systems needed to be set up to align with new Polish legislation on whistleblowing and how her team did so.

mBank Deputy General Counsel Pawel Szczepaniak talks about how the rise of ESG has shaped in-house legal role but also how his organization literally puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to ESG.

White & Case has advised the joint bookrunners on PKO Bank Polski's green issuance of EUR 750 million 3.875% senior non-preferred notes due 2027. A&O Shearman advised PKO Bank Polski.

Clyde & Co has advised Panattoni on financing for the Panattoni Park Bierun I investment project from Alior Bank. CMS advised the bank.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised mBank on the financing for the construction of a 52-megawatt solar PV portfolio sponsored by PVE Group. Rymarz Zdort Maruta advised the PVE Group. EFK Legal reportedly advised PVE Group shareholders.

A&O Shearman has advised Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego on the successful issuance of EUR 1.5 billion 3.875% notes due 2035, and EUR 750 billion 4.250% notes due 2044, with Banco Santander, BNP Paribas, ING, J.P. Morgan and Societe Generale as the joint lead managers. Linklaters advised the joint lead managers.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has advised Arcus Infrastructure Partners on its acquisition of FixMap. WKB Lawyers reportedly advised FixMap founder Piotr Muszynski as the seller.

Dentons has advised Yanmar Group on its acquisition of Tedom from the Jet Investment fund. DRV Legal advised Jet Investment Fund.

Schoenherr has advised Tuplex on its acquisition of a stake in Sico Polska from Aleksander Goldschnedier, Piotr Klamecki, Ewelina Malinska, and Celina Zduniak.

Hogan Lovells has announced it will close its Warsaw office in the coming months together with the offices in Johannesburg and Sydney.

Deloitte Legal has advised Grenevia on a PLN 850 million financing transaction via a loan agreement with a consortium of Bank Pekao, PKO Bank Polski, and BNP Paribas banks. Dentons advised the banks.