Osborne Clarke has announced its entry into the CEE market by opening a new office in Poland and scooping up multi-professional services firm MDDP’s legal arm along with other lawyers.
The new Polish office is led by Co-Managing Partners Olgierd Swierzewski and Tomasz Olkiewicz and includes Partners Renata Dluska, Katarzyna Baranska, and Agata Demuth.
Specializing in corporate and tax matters, Tomasz Olkiewicz was previously the Managing Partner of MDDP Law. He had been with MDDP since 2004. Prior to that, he was a Senior Tax Manager with EY.
Specializing in M&A and technology transactions, Swierzewski was previously the CEO and Technology Transactions Partner at Kochanski & Partners. Since July 2021, he has also been serving as the Vice-President of the Management Board of Lotos Paliwa. Prior to Kochanski, he was the General Legal Counsel of Accor/Orbis, between May 2011 and March 2020, and the Associate General Counsel of Dell Polska, between 2008 and 2011. Earlier still, he was the Managing Partner of Lukowicz Swierzewski i Wispolnicy (the former DLA Piper Lukowicz) and a Manager with EY.
Dluska, who will serve as the Head of Workforce Solutions, had been with MDDP since 2004. Prior to that, she was a Partner with EY.
Baranska, who will serve as the Head of Decarbonisation, joins from Kochanski & Partners, where she was a Partner between February 2021 and December 2021. Before that, she was a Counsel with PwC Legal, between 2015 and 2021, and an Attorney-at-Law with White & Case, between 2008 and 2014.
Head of Real Estate Demuth joins from MDDP, where she was a Partner and Head of Real Estate since November 2020. Before that, she was a Partner with Schoenherr, between 2013 and 2020, and Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka, between 2002 and 2012. Earlier still, she was an Attorney-at-Law, Manager with EY Law, between 2000 and 2002, and a Lawyer with K.Ziemski i Partnerzy, between 1997 and 1999, and with Babiaczyk, Skrocki & Partners, between 1995 and 1996.
“Poland is an important and strategic move for us,” commented Osborne Clarke International CEO Omar Al-Nuaimi, “given it’s the fifth-largest EU economy and very well positioned for targeting international businesses in CEE. It’s also a market that’s increasingly under pressure given the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine and the broader geopolitical factors. Many of our clients have welcomed the fact that we will have a team in Poland to assist them as they navigate the changing business landscape.”
