As an integrated part of Allen & Overy, A. Pedzich sp. k.‘s US and European antitrust group, the Warsaw-based team is well placed to advise on multi-jurisdictional competition mandates. As a consequence of its reputation for litigious work, the group is regularly instructed by clients appearing before Polish Competition Authority, the European Commission, and domestic courts of all levels. ‘Unquestionable number one on the Polish market‘, Marta Sendrowicz, heads up the practice. Senior associate Olga Wiśniewska-Łukasiuk is singled out as a ‘very unique kind of lawyer‘.

According to one client, the team at Baker McKenzie Krzyzowski i Wspólnicy Sp.k. is ‘currently one of the strongest on the market‘. The group’s contentious expertise spans cartel investigations, private enforcement litigation and EU competition cases. On the advisory side, merger control and state aid are the two key areas of focus; in the former sphere, senior associate Michał Derdak‘s recent work for PKN Orlen stands out. ‘Absolute star‘ Marcin Trepka and ‘skilled‘ counsel Mikołaj Piaskowski jointly lead the department.

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang Posniak i Bejm sp.k. is described by a client as ‘really one of the best‘ in the competition field. On the contentious side, the team is regularly instructed to act throughout both internal and competition authority investigations, including dawn raids and antimonopoly proceedings. The group is also recognised for its merger control expertise, advising on this aspect as part of the most prominent M&A transactions across a wide range of industries. Practice head Małgorzata Urbańska also chairs the firm’s consumer product sector focus group in Central and Eastern Europe. At senior associate level, Izabela Biernat-Sadlak is recommended.

The highly specialised team at Dentons fields a roster of experts in core sectors and areas of competition law. Senior associate Maciej Marek focuses on selective distribution and franchising, while counsel Anna Gulińska is noted for her private antitrust enforcement work; in addition, the former has particular knowledge of the chemicals and TMT fields, while the latter’s industries of expertise are media and real estate. The group’s dedicated state aid practitioners are Michał Bernat and Aleksandra Siemieniec. Agnieszka Stefanowicz-Barańska heads up the practice.

Linklaters assists a roster of high-profile international corporations – including Nivea and PepsiCo – and their local subsidiaries with merger control, state aid, consumer protection, and foreign investment issues, as well as handling the gamut of competition-related contentious work. Practice head Małgorzata Szwaj is equally well versed in both Polish and EU competition law issues, and is consequently an advisor of choice when it comes to multi-jurisdictional mandates. Anna Laszczyk – who was recently promoted to managing associate – is singled out for her knowledge of the infrastructure, telecoms, media and pharmaceutical sectors.

WKB Wiercinski, Kwiecinski, Baehr‘s ‘go-to team‘ is instructed by notable local and international clients, including key players from the energy, luxury goods, financial services, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce and insurance sectors. The firm’s wide-ranging competencies cover issues ranging from cartels, leniency programs, distribution agreements and other vertical relations, to practices amounting to abuse of a dominant position and merger control filings. Alongside practice head Aleksander Stawicki, Bartosz Turno and Dorota Karczewska are the key names to note at the most senior level. The arrival of counsel Izabela Szewczyk-Krzyżanowska from the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection in June 2022 brough further in-house expertise into the group.

The practice at Clifford Chance is headed up by Iwona Terlecka, who is recognised as ‘one of the most prominent competition lawyers on the Polish market‘; under her guidance, the team acts in some of the highest profile cartel, abuse of dominance and antitrust damage cases. The firm has recently built up a significant bank of successes when representing clients in major investigations before the OCCP and European Commission. Away from litigious work, compliance advice and matters concerning state aid are the key strengths. In March 2022, the team welcomed associate Natalia Hartung from Modzelewska&Pasnik.

DLA Piper Giziński Kycia sp. is particularly noted for bringing together regulatory sector expertise and competition law experience within one department. Public procurement law is an area for which the group is especially well known; counsel Michał Orzechowski leads in this space. Unilateral and multilateral practices, merger control issues and cartel cases also make up part of the team's typical workload. Senior associate Agnieszka Staszek regularly handles proceedings before the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. 'Impressive' practice head Andrzej Balicki is much lauded for his extensive knowledge of the life sciences sector.

Greenberg Traurig Nowakowska-Zimoch Wysokinski Sp. k is seen by clients as a ‘creative team delivering amazing results‘. Merger control proceedings – including notifications to the European Commission and Phase I and II notifications to the Polish Competition Authority – are a key strength. In a recent highlight, the firm represented Agora in a precedent-setting case which saw the court overturn the OCCP’s decision. The group also regularly advises on the competition law aspects of significant M&A deals. ‘Titan of the field‘ Robert Gago helms the practice.

Specialised boutique Hansberry Tomkiel is differentiated by the combined years of experience which practitioners bring to the team from previous high-ranking positions in competition authorities; Małgorzata Krasnodębska-Tomkiel, for example, served as the chair of the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection between 2008 and 2014. Krasnodębska-Tomkiel jointly heads up the practice with her counterpart Dorothy Hansberry-Bieguńska – the duo are singled out as 'absolute leaders in competition law in Poland'. Cases concerning cartels, illegal horizontal and vertical agreements, and abuses of dominance all fall within the group’s sphere of expertise.

The team at Hogan Lovells (Warszawa) LLP 'consists of great specialists in their field'; dawn raids and compliance issues, M&A-related matters, appeals against the decisions of the Polish Competition Authority, private enforcement cases, and cartel proceedings all make up part of the firm's broad practice. Counsel Piotr Skurzyński leads the team, and is instructed largely by leading names from the financial, telecoms, pharmaceutical, retail and FMCG sectors. Recently, the firm has increasingly been focusing on mandates relating to foreign direct investments.

Highly regarded boutique Modzelewska&Pasnik is lauded by clients as ‘one of the best experts in competition law in Poland‘. The firm’s competencies span the gamut of relevant work, from merger control, distribution issues and compliance matters, to investigations and litigation. Agnieszka Kowalczyk-Zagaj oversees the dedicated consumer law sub-group, focusing particularly on the financial services sector. Małgorzata Modzelewska de Raad and Piotr Paśnik jointly head up the practice; the latter is noted for his expertise in the regulated industries.

Leveraging its strength in both Polish and European Union competition law matters, as well as its cross-departmental capabilities, Rymarz Zdort Maruta handles the gamut of merger control, state aid, cartel and M&A-related mandates. Iwona Her – who has overseen the practice since its establishment – continues to lead the team, supported by experienced counsel Irmina Wątły. In January 2022, the group welcomed senior associate Tomasz Kordala, formerly of Dentons; he brings additional expertise in consumer protection laws and foreign direct investment screening mechanisms to the department.

Soltysinski Kawecki & Szlezak's practice head, Krzysztof Kanton, is recognised by clients as 'consistently one of the best lawyers specialising in competition and consumer law'. Under Kanton's guidance, the team regularly handles merger control matters, particularly focusing on phase II cases, as well as representing clients in abuse of dominance proceedings and appeals of Polish Competition Authority decisions. Private antitrust litigation is likewise an area in which the firm has seen notable successes. Marek Kolasiński is another key senior member of the group.

Antoni Bolecki brings over 20 years of experience acting in regulatory and administrative proceedings to his role as practice head at Wardynski & Partners; the firm is consequently particularly sought after by clients seeking representation in cases before the Polish Competition Authority. In terms of sector specialisms, financial, FMCG, energy, TMT, and rail are the key areas of focus. Marcin Kulesza, Sabina Famirska and Andrzej Madała complete the roster of recommended senior practitioners.

Former Vice President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, Bernadeta Kasztelan-Świetlik, helms the practice at GESSEL Attorneys at Law, and stands out as a ‘go-to advisor in Poland for all matters related to competition law‘. In the litigious sphere, the team regularly represents clients in abuse of dominance and collusion proceedings before courts of all levels. On the advisory side, compliance programmes and commercial agreements are the typical areas of focus. Recently, the firm has been particularly active in the renewable energy sector.

The Warsaw-based Gide Loyrette Nouel team operates as an integrated part of the firm's multi-jurisdictional network, and is consequently particularly well placed to handle competition law mandates with complex cross-border elements. As well as advising on the gamut of consumer protections issues, the group regularly assists with matters relating to commercial agreements, including distribution systems. Dariusz Tokarczuk heads up the practice, with Szymon Chwaliński also playing a key role.

Kieszkowska Rutkowska Kolasinski Kancelaria Prawna sp. j. is differentiated by its focus on matters at the intersection of competition law and life sciences; this 'unique specialisation' is much lauded by clients, and ensures that the firm is instructed by a sizeable roster of leading names from the healthcare sector. Distribution agreements between market players, merger control issues and abuse of dominance cases are the key areas of activity. Marcin Kolasiński leads the team of 'seasoned experts'.

Traple Konarski Podrecki & Partners is known for representing a diverse roster of clients before courts of all levels and major administrative bodies in Poland. Most commonly, the firm appears in proceedings before the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, and in litigation related to appeals against the body’s decisions, in cases involving the abuse of a dominant position, competition-restricting agreements, and practices infringing collective consumer interests. Paweł Podrecki and Tomasz Targosz are the key names to note.

White & Case LLP's ability to provide sector-specific competition law advice ensures that the firm is instructed by a significant roster of global and domestic industry leaders. The practice is predominantly focused on representing clients in Polish and EU antitrust investigations, assisting with merger control and state aid matters, and providing ongoing compliance advice. Katarzyna Czapracka - who splits her time between the Warsaw and Brussels offices - plays a key linking role between the two locations, while Jakub Gubański oversees work on the ground.