Expertise:
- Corporate Legal Advice
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Industrial Construction & Building Projects
- IT
- Arbitration/Mediation (ADR)
- Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Polish companies and real estate
Languages:
Marek speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish and German.
General:
Marek Puwalski is the founding partner of Puwalscy & Partners LLP Attorneys-at-Law, a boutique law firm based in Cracow and of Counsel at Maruta Wachta LLP based in Warsaw.
Apart from day-to-day corporate legal advice, he specializes in M&As and big industrial constructions projects.
He focuses on arbitrations and mediations linked to his area of legal expertise.
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) in London, included on the list of arbitrators of Lewiatan Arbitration Court in Warsaw and list of arbitrators of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Cracow.
Member of the International Bar Association. Representative of Portuguese-Polish Chamber of Commerce in Cracow.
Marek holds a master of laws degree from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (with Distinction, 1st Rank Class of 2003, 2nd best Master Thesis), a master degree in international relations from Jagiellonian University, and Legum Magister – LL.M in International Business and Commercial Law from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon (1st Rank Class of 2008, Bank Millennium bcp scholarship). He has also participated in mediation workshops organized by the Harvard Negotiation Institute (Harvard Law School, Cambridge) – “Advanced Mediation Workshop: Mediating Complex Disputes” (2019).
Education and previous employment:
Marek holds a master of laws degree from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (with Distinction, 1st Rank Class of 2003, 2nd best Master Thesis), a master degree in international relations from Jagiellonian University, and Legum Magister – LL.M in International Business and Commercial Law from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon (1st Rank Class of 2008, Bank Millennium bcp scholarship).
Additionally he has completed English and European Law Continuing Education Studies at University of Cambridge (with Distinction, 1st Rank in Central and Eastern Europe, Class of 2003) and Harvard Business School M&A Executive Program (Mergers and Acquisitions: Strategy, Execution and Post-Merger Management, Harvard Business School 2018).
He also participated in mediation workshops organized by the Harvard Negotiation Institute (Harvard Law School, Cambridge) and called “Advanced Mediation Workshop: Mediating Complex Disputes” (2019).
During his legal apprenticeship Marek was employed at the leading Polish IP and IT law firm (Kuczek Maruta Legal Advisors – currently Maruta Wachta & Partners).
Additionally he completed Erasmus at Regensburg University 2001- 2002 and a professional internship at Dr. Petereit & Armbrüster Rechtsanwälte Law Firm in Mainz, Germany.
Awards and distinctions:
- Boutique Commercial Law Firm of the Year in Poland 2018 (Global Law Experts)
- Leading Commercial and Corporate Law Adviser of the Year – Poland (Acquisition International Magazine 2018)
- Boutique Commercial Law Firm of the Year in Poland 2017 (Global Law Experts)
- Magna cum laude graduate of LL.M. in International Business and Commercial Law from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon (2008)
- Magna cum laude graduate of Law at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (2003)
- “Primus in Primis” Best Law Student National Competition 2003 (Second Rank)
Selected experience:
M&A
- cross border acquisition of the biggest zinc mine in Montenegro by ZGH Bolesław S.A.
- cross border acquisition of a leading manufacturer of electrical steel products in Czech Republic by Stalprodukt S.A.
- numerous acquisitions in the process of pharmacy chain consolidation in Poland
- numerous mergers and acquistions in the healthcare sector (privately owned clinics and hospitals)
- numerous sales of Polish privately held companies by original owners (including IT and distribution sector)
Industrial construction and building projects
- construction of “Czajka” Waste Water Treatment Plant for the entire Warsaw city area (FIDIC YELLOW BOOK); net value: EUR 200,000,000.00 and PLN 1,151,793,155.00 PLN
- construction of the new Cell House at ZGH Bolesław S.A.; net value: around 300,000,000.00 PLN
- construction of numerous production plants and waste water treatment or sludge incineration facilities
Arbitration/Mediation
- active arbitrator seating as a party appointed and presiding arbitrator, in particular in arbitration proceedings before the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw (SAKIG) and before the Court of Arbitration at the Confederation of Lewiatan
- active mediator in commercial matters, entered on the list of permanent mediators of the Regional Court in Katowice, Regional Court in Cracow, Mediation Center at the Cracow Bar Association of Attorneys at Law, Mediation Center at the Lewiatan Confederation and of the International Mediation Centre
- chairman of the Dispute Adjudication Boards established under FIDIC contracts
- leading counsel in numerous arbitration proceedings with the seat of arbitration based in Warsaw, including before the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw, before the Court of Arbitration at the Confederation of Lewiatan and in ad hoc arbitration proceedings conducted under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules
- leading counsel in international commercial arbitrations proceedings conducted under arbitration rules such as: Swiss Rules of International Arbitration (Swiss Rules), UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules and ICC Arbitration Rules, including arbitration proceedings with the seat of arbitration based in Geneva and Vienna
- representation of the clients in mediations, including in particular in the scope of demanding of the contractual penalties under IT contracts and construction works contracts
- leading counsel in the post-arbitration proceedings before the Appellate Courts and the Supreme Court
IT
- drafting and negotiation of numerous SaaS and waterfall contracts, for example SAP implementation in PKN Orlen S.A.
- drafting and negotiation of numerous license contracts
- drafting and negotiation of numerous system maintenance contracts, for example regarding maintenance of IT systems of Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR)
- legal advice for leading international and Polish providers of software and complex IT solutions (e.g. HP, ESRI, IFS, Sygnity, GiS solution providers) and e-commerce platforms
Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Poland
- legal advice to foreign investors in numerous purchases of Polish companies, including joint ventures with Polish partners
- legal advice to foreign investors in numerous purchases of Polish real estates
- legal advice to foreign investors in greenfield project
Other:
Marek is a board member at ARKOP Limited – one of the leading Central European producers of feed additives and foliar fertilizers.
Author of a seminal book on privacy rights in a comparative perspective: “The Right of Public Persons to Privacy” (2003) and of publications on commercial law.
Lecturer of International Commercial Law at Cracow Chamber of Legal Advisors (2013-2015).
LinkedIn profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marek-puwalski-ll-m-9b517725/
E-mail:
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