1994
Bartłomiej Jankowski and Rafał Stroiński meet for the first time at Univeristy, both studying law.
2001
Rafał Zięba forms SWZ Law Firm with two other partners in Krakow.
2001
Bartłomiej Jankowski and Rafał Stroiński work together at the Warsaw office of CMS Cameron McKenna where they both become partners and lead or co-lead the Litigation/White-Collar Crime and Corporate/Private Equity/Capital Markets practices respectively.
2008
Rafał Zięba separates from SWZ to form Zięba i Wspólnicy which eventually has 10 lawyers.
2009
Zieba i Wspólnicy merges with Kochanski i Partnerzy to form what becomes known as Kochanski Zieba & Partners (KZP) with two offices in Warsaw and Krakow, and 45 lawyers. Rafał Zięba becomes co-Managing Partner of KZP.
2010/2011
Bartłomiej Jankowski and Rafał Stroiński leave CMS Cameron McKenna and form a new independent Polish law firm with 7 lawyers in total. The new firm is called Jankowski, Stroiński i Partnerzy JS Legal. The two Partners, now in the capacity of their own law firm continue to be highly ranked for Litigation (including Business Criminal Litigation) and Private Equity practices and, with the passage of time, so does JS Legal.
2014
JS Legal launches its Krakow office. The firm dynamically develops a strong IP/IT practice, in addition to its leading transactional and litigation practices.
2015
Rafał Zięba and Adam Piwakowski (Partner) devise a new strategy for KZP which encompasses a complete rebrand, a new innovative approach to legal services in Poland, and a largerfocus on industry sectors and international work.
2016
KZP advises on two landmark transactions – the dual listing of Work Service on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and Redefine Properties’ acquisition of 18 commercial properties for EUR 1.2 billion (the largest ever real estate transaction on the Polish market). Both clients of Rafal Zieba and Adam Piwakowski, with both lawyers playing key roles.
2017
JS Legal launches its Katowice office. The firm enters the employment law practice area.
2018
KZP is officially recognised by Rzeczpospolita Newspaper as the fastest growing law firm in Poland, and the fifth in size overall, with in excess of 130 lawyers. In the time preceding, and since the launch of the new strategy in 2015, KZP is ranked twice by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Ranking (with B2R Law Partner Adam Piwakowski being personally commended); shortlisted as Law Firm of the Year, CEE on three occasions by The Lawyer European Awards; wins Poland Tax Firm of the Year at the International Tax Review’s European Tax Awards (KZP’s Tax practice was led by current B2R Law tax partner, Tomasz Zaleski) and is nominated/wins a number of other awards and rankings.
2019
Rafał Zięba and a number of partners and lawyers (including 8 practice heads) leave KZP to form Zieba & Partners, a firm consisting of just under 40 lawyers across two offices – Warsaw and Krakow. The firm hires two new partners with a strong focus on M&A, Private Equity and Venture Capital, as well as experts in Retail, Franchising and Trade & Distribution. Zieba & Partners advises onthe largest ever real estate lease transaction on the Polish market.
2020
JS Legal merges with Zieba & Partners to form a single larger law firm - B2R Law Jankowski, Stroinski, Zięba & Partners, which provides legal services in an initial 32 practice in Poland and the wider CEE region. B2R Law starts with nearly 70 lawyers and three combined offices – Warsaw, Krakow and Katowice.