B2RLaw further strengthens Real Estate Practice to create all-star team

B2RLaw has appointed Andrzej Zając as Counsel to its Real Estate Practice.

Andrzej is a next generation leader with a strong reputation as a go-to lawyer in the Polish and CEE real estate market. He provides comprehensive advisory services on transactions in the real estate space, both on buy and sell-side. He has led some of the largest real estate transactions on the Polish market including various cross-border transactions, with a particular focus on warehouse portfolios. Clients include the largest Polish developers and investors as well as a number of foreign and international investors. Andrzej previously practiced at international law firms Greenberg Traurig and CMS. Andrzej is a goal driven lawyer that combines in-depth legal knowledge with a commercial approach which is highly appreciated by clients.

Andrzej Zając’s hire follows the senior appointment of highly-regarded real estate transaction expert Krzysztof Marzyński in January 2021, and real estate finance specialist Filip Badziak in September 2020.

Senior Partner Rafał Zięba advises, “We are very pleased to welcome Andrzej to B2R. I had the pleasure of working with Andrzej five years ago, and am excited to have him back in our team. As B2R we have harboured the ambition of creating the leading next-generation team to cater for every need of the Polish real estate and construction market, and Andrzej’s appointment is integral to those ambitions. As a team, we have a wealth of experience in advising on all aspects of real estate and construction, whether that be transactions involving agricultural land, residential (including niche markets such as student housing or PRS), offices, logistics, retail, or various infrastructure and construction projects such as factories, transport infrastructure, energy plants, etc.. Our team is also shaped to advise on smaller matters such as leases and general asset management, through to the largest real estate and construction deals involving the Polish/CEE market. In fact, the team has advised on a combined EUR 30 billion of transactions and projects, positioning us as one of the most distinguished real estate and construction practices in Poland and the wider CEE”.

B2R’s senior Real Estate and Construction team comprises a total of 23 lawyers, consisting the following, as well as 16 other lawyers:

• Rafał Zięba (Senior Partner) – Rafał is regarded as a leading Polish authority with respect to real estate having successfully advised on hundreds of transactions. In his career, Rafał has advised on what remains the largest ever commercial real estate transaction involving Poland, and separately, on what was at the time, the largest single property transaction. Rafał has a particular focus on advising on transactions in the residential, office, retail and logistics areas. Value of transactions and projects advised on: EUR 7.5 billion.

• Paweł Gunia (Partner) – Paweł is a leading construction lawyer. He advises, among others, construction companies, energy companies (e.g. fuel exploration and production companies, coal-fired and renewable energy power plants, CHP plants, biofuel manufacturers), manufacturing and food production plants, including heavy industry (e.g. chemical, pharmaceutical plants, steel mills, cement plants), transport, aviation and waste management companies (including companies dealing with waste storage or energy recovery). Paweł is currently advising on six factory new builds with a combined value of EUR 2 billion. Value of transactions and projects advised on: EUR 6 billion.

• Krzysztof Marzyński (Of Counsel) – Krzysztof is a leading real estate and construction lawyer with over 16 years of experience in advising both international and domestic real estate market players on various real estate and construction law related matters. Krzysztof has advised on transactions relating to the whole range of real estate asset class including offices, logistics, retail and hospitality as well as, of late, on alternative or niche market areas such as PBSA, PRS, co-living, timberland and farmland. Krzysztof has participated in and led on the largest investments concerning the Polish timberland and farmland markets. Value of transactions and projects advised on: EUR 4 billion.

• Filip Badziak (Counsel) – Filip is one of Poland’s leading real estate and project finance lawyers, and represents banks, funds, specialist real estate or infrastructure lenders, borrowers and investors in single and multi-asset financings of real estate and infrastructure. He has advised on all types of real estate and infrastructure finance transactions (acquisition, construction, refinance) with respect to the whole suite of asset classes including projects concerning office buildings, hotels and resorts, sports facilities, shopping centres, mixed-use developments, industrial and research complexes, warehouses, multifamily residential projects, energy and transport projects. Value of transactions and projects advised on: EUR 2 billion.

• Agnieszka Wojciechowska (Counsel) – Agnieszka is a well-regarded real estate expert that advises on the whole gamut of real estate, in particular with respect to real estate transactions concerning all types of real estate assets, whether this be residential, commercial (offices, retail and logistics), plus other assets such as hospitality and student accommodation. She advises developers, real estate and private equity funds. Value of transactions and projects advised on: EUR 2.5 billion.

• Andrzej Zajac (Counsel) – Andrzej provides comprehensive advisory services on transactions in the real estate space, both on buy and sell-side. He has led some of the largest real estate transactions on the Polish market including cross-border transactions, with a particular focus on warehouse portfolios. Clients include the largest Polish developers and investors as well as a number foreign and international investors. Value of transactions and projects advised on: EUR 6.5 billion.

• Aleksandra Karteczka – Gurgul (Senior Associate) – Aleksandra is an up and coming lawyer that leads and participates in Polish and international real estate transactions in the acquisition and sale of land for both residential and commercial purposes. She has a particular focus on residential and office transactions, but has also advised on transactions in other asset classes. Value of transactions and projects advised on: EUR 1 billion.