A&O Shearman‘s team has many accolades to its name, and is praised by one client as, ‘without a doubt, Poland’s number one competition and antitrust practice’. The offering encompasses advice across the entire gamut of Polish and EU antitrust law on both the contentious and advisory side. As it sits within the firm’s US and European antitrust group, it is also well situated to support clients on matters with cross-border elements. Practice head Marta Sendrowicz ‘is single-handedly the best Polish antitrust lawyer’, and she is ably supported by senior associate Olga Wiśniewska-Łukasiuk, who is active in merger and antitrust proceedings before the Polish Competition Authority and the European Commission.

Baker McKenzie Krzyzowski i Wspólnicy Sp.k. boasts ‘one of the strongest teams on the market’, and its offering is broad ranging, encompassing both contentious and advisory work; this includes guidance throughout cartel investigations and dawn raids, antitrust compliance work, merger clearance, and consumer protection mandates. Private enforcement litigation is another core area of expertise for the team. Marcin Trepka, ‘the number one choice for complex cartel and private enforcement matters’, and counsel Mikołaj Piaskowski, ‘the perfect choice for difficult competition problems’, co-head the practice. Senior associate Michał Derdak, who has expertise in competition and consumer protection law, is another key member of the team.

The competition group at CMS sits within the firm’s global offering, and it handles the entire spectrum of potential mandates, from representation in antitrust compliance and litigation proceedings, and internal and competition authority investigations, to advice on merger control, consumer protection, state aid, and public procurement mandates. In addition to leading the competition practice in Poland, Małgorzata Urbańska heads up the firm’s consumer product sector focus group for Central and Eastern Europe. Senior associate Izabela Biernat-Sadlak is another notable name and specialises in antitrust, merger control, and unfair competition matters.

Antitrust investigations and related litigation, state aid mandates, and merger clearances are the core areas of strength for the competition group at Dentons, and it is praised by one client for providing ‘hands-on, practical support for complicated investigations’. Agnieszka Stefanowicz-Barańska leads the group and is experienced at representing clients before Polish and EU competition authorities. She is supported by counsel Anna Gulińska, who has expertise in merger control mandates, Maciej Marek, who was promoted to counsel in April 2023, and focuses on matters concerning the new technologies sector.

Greenberg Traurig Nowakowska-Zimoch Wysokinski Sp. k is seen as ‘a market leader in Poland with a great international network’. The competition and antitrust department has significant experience supporting clients with merger control proceedings. On the antitrust side, the practice advises clients on anti-competitive agreements and abuses of dominance, as well as market sharing cases. Where necessary, it also has the capabilities to represent clients before the European Commission. With regards to sector expertise, the group is active in the insurance, banking, TMT, e-commerce, real estate and fuel industries. Practice head Robert Gago ‘has extensive experience and offers strategic and practical advice’.

The team at Linklaters offers its impressive client base advice across the entire gamut of competition matters, including merger control, sate aid, consumer protection and foreign investment matters. It is also active in contentious mandates and competition law enforcement matters, with cross-border work also falling within the group’s strong capabilities. Małgorzata Szwaj sits at the helm of the practice, and both her and managing associate Wojciech Podlasin are described as ‘fantastic to work with’. Szwaj has expertise in handling cartel and abuse of dominance cases, while Podlasin is skilled in the IT, energy, financial services, real estate, and chemicals sectors.

Praised by one client as the ‘strongest team in Poland’, the competition and consumer law group at WKB Lawyers assists clients with a wide variety of mandates, including cartels matters, leniency programmes, and distribution agreements, as well as abuse of dominant position cases, merger control proceedings, and consumer protection issues. It also undertakes private enforcement cases, and its clients are often active in the energy, luxury goods, financial services, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, insurance, sport and construction sectors. Aleksander Stawicki leads the practice, and he is ably supported by Bartosz Turno, who has expertise in representing clients undergoing investigation before the Polish Competition Authority, and Dorota Karczewska, who is a go-to for clients in the financial services and FMCG industries.

The antitrust team at Clifford Chance possesses ‘strong knowledge of the local regulatory framework’, and is active in supporting clients with merger control matters, abuse of dominance cases, cartel issues, and antitrust investigations. It is also seen in the state aid and foreign direct investment space. The team benefits from collaboration with the firm’s notable corporate, energy, real estate and banking departments, as well as its international network of offices, and is thus able to provide clients with a holistic offering. Counsel Iwona Terlecka sits at the helm of the practice as a specialist in both Polish and EU competition law.

Regulatory and competition law expertise are united in one department at DLA Piper Giziński Kycia sp.k., with public procurement law expert Michał Orzechowski leading the competition practice, while Andrzej Balicki heads up the regulatory side; the latter is praised by one client as ‘a leading specialist in the market for structuring complex regulatory distribution systems‘. Senior associate Agnieszka Staszek is also notable for her expertise in representing clients before the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. The practice is well equipped to handle multi-jurisdictional antitrust projects and merger control proceedings.

Hansberry Tomkiel ‘is a boutique law firm with a focus on antitrust and competition law‘, and with some of its members' previous experiences working in competition authorities, it is well placed to support clients with a wide range of mandates. The group is especially adept at litigating competition cases, and its offering includes representation in cases involving cartels, illegal horizontal and vertical agreements, and abuse of dominant positions. Małgorzata Krasnodębska-Tomkiel, who ‘has unique experience and knowledge’, and the ‘dedicated’ Dorothy Hansberry-Bieguńska jointly lead the practice.

The team at Hogan Lovells (Warszawa) LLP frequently represents clients in antitrust proceedings before the Polish Competition Authority and the European Commission, as well as in appeals and private enforcement cases. Its offering also extends to advisory services, including on merger filings and control processes. Assisting clients during dawn raids and investigations is another key area of work for the group. Counsel Piotr Skurzyński sits at the helm of the group.

Boutique firm Modzelewska&Pasnik is active across the entire spectrum of competition law mandates, from antitrust matters, merger clearances, and compliance and inspection work, to related litigation, to state aid, product safety and consumer protection issues. Recommended by one client as ‘a trusted professional with deep knowledge of antitrust law’, Małgorzata Modzelewska de Raad co-leads the team alongside Piotr Paśnik, while Agnieszka Kowalczyk-Zagaj heads up the dedicated consumer law department.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has expertise in handling both domestic and cross-border competition and antitrust mandates. This offering includes support with merger control proceedings, M&A-related mandates, and cartel and abuse of dominance cases. It is also well equipped to handle consumer protection, state aid and foreign direct investment work. Iwona Her chairs the group, and she is supported by counsel Irmina Wątły and senior associate Tomasz Kordala, who has expertise in dawn raids, and distribution and commercial agreements.

Soltysinski Kawecki & Szlezak is ‘highly qualified and experienced in competition and antitrust matters’, and boasts significant expertise in representing domestic and foreign clients before the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection. Regarding merger controls, the group is experienced in Phase II cases, and it is also regularly supports clients through allegations of agreements restricting competition and abuses of dominance. Krzysztof Kanton leads the team, and is ably supported by Marek Kolasiński.

Wardynski & Partners frequently represents clients before the Polish Competition Authority, and its offering also encompasses representation in merger control proceedings and cartel cases. Competition and consumer law expert Antoni Bolecki leads the team, and he also has substantial experience representing clients in related judicial and administrative proceedings. Weronika Nalbert and Agnieszka Jelska are other key members of the team; the former has expertise in merger control cases, and the latter is broadly experienced in consumer and unfair competition law.

Affre & Wspólnicy Sp. k. boasts particular expertise in representing clients from the retail, automotive, and pharmaceutical sectors in investigations before the Polish Competition Authority. It is also notable for its expert handling of cartel and abuse of dominance cases, in addition to merger control proceedings. Managing partner Joanna Affre and senior associate Jakub Sadurski jointly lead the team.

Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka‘s wide-ranging client roster consists of companies from various industries, such as the FMCG, retail, energy, media and advertising, pharmaceuticals, and logistic sectors. The 'diverse' team is well versed in representing these clients in proceedings before the Polish Competition Authority, in addition to assisting them with the implementation of compliance programmes. Jarosław Łukawski chairs the group and ‘binds the competition department together and gives it dynamism and momentum’.

GESSEL Attorneys at Law‘s offering includes support with the concentration of business enterprises and related antitrust matters, as well as advice on competition and consumer protection law, regulatory matters, and unfair exploration of contracting advantage cases. It also represents clients in contentious mandates. Bernadeta Kasztelan-Świetlik leads the team, which is praised for its ‘excellent knowledge and cooperation’.

Gide Loyrette Nouel‘s competition practice works closely with the firm’s M&A and corporate teams when handling transactions, and it is also active in advising on consumer protection law matters and mandates around distribution systems. Practice head Dariusz Tokarczuk advises clients on concentration control and state aid-related issues. Szymon Chwaliński is another key member of the team, and brings valuable in-house experience at the Polish Competition Authority to the group.

Kieszkowska Rutkowska Kolasinski Kancelaria Prawna sp. j. is described by one client as ‘the most qualified and experienced legal office supporting the pharmaceutical and life science sectors in competition law’. The team also has experience representing clients before the Polish Competition Authority, the European Commission, and domestic and European courts. Marcin Kolasiński heads up the practice, and he is praised by one client as a ‘renowned expert in competition law‘.

Traple Konarski Podrecki & Partners‘ competition offering encompasses advice on a range of mandates, from distribution networks, pricing policies, mergers, and new business models, to antitrust risk mitigation and the development of internal procedures surrounding unannounced inspections. Co-managing partner Paweł Podrecki in Warsaw and Tomasz Targosz in Krakow jointly lead the team.

The competition and antitrust group at White & Case LLP provides advice to clients from a range of sectors, including the TMT, IT, financial, and oil and gas industries. Its offering includes representation in both Polish and EU antitrust investigations, as well as assistance with merger control, state aid, and compliance matters. Jakub Gubański leads the team.