PL

B2RLaw (legacy Zieba & Partners) advised Gamma Communications plc on the Polish aspects of the acquisition of Exactive Holdings Limited

B2RLaw (legacy Zieba & Partners) has advised Gamma Communications plc on the Polish aspects of the 100% acquisition of Exactive Holdings Limited, which owns Polish company Exactive Poland sp. z o.o. Exactive specialises in Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and offers a multi-tenant Microsoft Teams PSTN routing platform.

B2R’s team conducted due diligence of the Polish company, Exactive Poland, with a particular focus on IT and employment issues and Poland-specific aspects of securing the acquisition. ZP’s team was led by Partner Aleksandra Polak, with support from Partners Marcin Huczkowski (Media & Technology) and Anna Cichońska (Employment), and Associate Aleksandra Kuliczkowska. The whole acquisition process was led by the UK law firm BDB Pitmans.

Gamma is a leading technology-based provider of communications services to business markets in the UK and the Netherlands. Post-acquisition, the Group will be able to provide a complete range of services for Microsoft Teams. Following the acquisition of Telsis in November 2019, this is another key stage in Gamma’s strategy to become the leading provider of Unified Communications as a Service (“UCaaS”) in Europe.

Aleksandra Polak comments, “we are delighted to have taken part in another technology transaction, which proves our team’s capability in managing and executing technology related deals. The unique combination of our M&A and Media & Technology teams’ knowledge of the technology market allows our clients to complete deals smoothly, secure their interests and integrate companies post-transaction”.

B2R Law (legacy Zieba & Partners) ventures further into venture capital with the hire of Szymon Syp as Partner

B2R Law (legacy Zieba & Partners) has appointed Dr Szymon Syp as a Partner.

Dr Szymon Syp LL.M. (Maurer School of Law, Indiana University) is an Advocate (Warsaw Bar Association), who has over 10 years of professional experience and specializes in corporate law, M&A transactions (with a particular focus on VC deals) and capital markets law. He has advised on M&A transactions in the private and public market, including domestic and cross-border deals (for family businesses, PE/VC funds, listed companies, start-ups as well as conglomerates), the issuance of securities and complex restructuring processes of undertakings. Szymon is the author of a doctoral dissertation concerning convertible bonds and is in the process of writing another regarding the economics of competition law. He has co-authored commentaries to MAR, Postal Law, the Law on Bonds and Capital Markets Law (in preparation), and has authored over 30 scientific articles and given speeches at more than 40 conferences. In 2016 he was ranked as a “Rising star – lawyers leaders of tomorrow” organized by the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna and Wolters Kluwer Polska, and listed as one of the 25 hot names in Polish law by „Gentleman” magazine (2016). He is recommended by Legal 500 (2019) within commercial, corporate and M&A (Poland).

Senior Partner Rafal Zieba comments, “We are very pleased to welcome Szymon to team B2R. Poland is yet to produce a global brand in the same way that some of our neighbours have (e.g. Czech – Skoda) and we believe that this is to come. We are certain that this will emanate from Poland’s exciting tech industry. However, for this to happen Polish tech companies need access to capital and B2RLaw is now the go-to law firm in Poland in respect to venture capital transactions connecting that capital (in particular from abroad) to the Polish tech companies. Szymon also vastly strengthens our M&A and Capital Markets offering.”

Adam Piwakowski, Partner, adds, “We see that more and more international venture capital money is coming into Poland and the wider CEE region, combined with the fact that US VC funds are moving to Europe and targeting European companies. For the past year, team B2R has taken the pioneering approach of developing relations and encouraging international venture capital money into the Polish market and connecting it to Polish VCs and their portfolio companies. This has led us to work with venture capital funds from all over the globe, whether this be from India, Turkey, Japan, or of course, the UK and US. With Szymon joining us, we intend to take this a step further.”

“I am very pleased and excited to have joined B2RLaw who have a similar plan and mindset in respect to venture capital and the Polish tech industry. Our goal is to provide a 360 degree service to the blossoming Polish tech industry and to be the premium law firm for tech transactions, helping Polish companies and Polish VCs not only in Poland, but on the global stage working closely with our unique international contacts and relations. The value of venture capital transactions in Poland shot up from just under PLN 156 million in 2018 to PLN 1.266 billion in 2019 and we predict this figure to grow dramatically over the years. I am confident B2RLaw will be at the heart of this growth,” remarks Szymon.

B2RLaw (legacy Zieba & Partners) appoints two specialists with a focus on the retail, FMCG and food & drink industries

In December 2019, B2R Law (legacy Zieba & Partners) appointed Andrzej Krawczyk and Przemyslaw Barchan, both as Counsel, to considerably strengthen B2RLaw’s offering to the retail, FMCG, and food & drink industries.

Andrzej Krawczyk is widely considered one of the leading franchise, agency and distribution experts in the Polish market and is highly regarded by his international peers. Andrzej spent his first few years firstly at PWC, then as a corporate/M&A lawyer at Weil Gotshal Manges’ Polish office, focusing on corporate and M&A, and took part in a number of large privatisation transactions before moving in-house. At Weil he also advised on private equity and venture capital transactions. Over the last 20 years Andrzej has concentrated on franchising, advising both franchisors and franchisees and representing household names such as Algida, Burger King, Dr Irena Eris, LOTOS, Jean Louis David, Umbro, Next, Intersport, Costa Coffee, PKN Orlen and many more.

Andrzej spent his in-house years as a senior lawyer in the Elektrim Group, where he oversaw all legal matters concerning the internet and data transmission services company. Between 2001 and 2007, he headed the legal department of the Vivendi (telecommunications) Group in Poland. In this capacity, he was responsible for daily corporate and legal services in respect to the restructuring of the Elektrim Telekomunikacja capital group in Poland and in the US, including M&A transactions with a total value exceeding EUR 400 million, and actively participated in a dispute regarding 48% of shares in Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa Era, worth over EUR 2 billion (widely considered to be the most famous corporate dispute ever in the Polish market). Thereafter, Andrzej held the position of Franchise Director at Grene, where he developed a franchise chain of stores. After the merger between Grene with Kramp, he worked on introducing the franchise to Western and Central European markets.

Andrzej has been ever-present on the International Who’s Who of Franchise Lawyers list. He has written numerous publications and been a speaker at many events concerning the topic, including at the IBA/IFA Joint Conference. Andrzej is not only a leading authority on the subject of franchising in Poland, but also in Europe.

Przemyslaw Barchan specialises in the areas of commercial law (including franchise, and trade & distribution agreements) and intellectual property (particularly relating to IT and new digital technologies). He also has significant expertise in technology, media and telecommunications, including advising start-ups and companies undertaking research and development. He advises on commercial litigation with an emphasis on contractual liability, the protection of intellectual property rights and combating unfair competition. He has advised on numerous M&A and IPR transactions, including conducting due diligence proceedings. He has completed many IT projects (using both classic waterfall and agile methodologies), including implementation agreements, maintenance and development agreements, XaaS service provision agreements and cloud solution projects. Przemysław advises clients from the FMCG, retail, food & drink, ICT (IT/TMT), banking, insurance, fuel, energy, e-commerce, automotive, pharmaceutical and armaments industries.

Przemyslaw runs his dynamic and innovative private practice. Prior to cooperation with B2RLaw, Przemyslaw spent i.a. 2 years at Gessel Koziorowski, nearly 4 years at FKA Furtek Komosa Aleksandrowicz and over 2 years at Maruta Wachta.

B2RLaw (legacy Zieba & Partners) advises real estate developer Echo Investment on 20.000 m2 residential usable area project acquisition in Krakow

B2RLaw (legacy Zięba & Partners) has advised Echo Investment on the acquisition of a large property in the Bronowice district of Krakow, complicated by the fact that this involved acquiring numerous plots. B2R assisted at every stage of the transaction including post–closing activities and managed the real estate until its ultimate hand–over to Echo. In particular, B2R’s lawyers advised on legal, tax as well as intellectual property aspects of the transaction, negotiated the transaction documentation and supported in closing the transaction. Furthermore, B2R successfully represented Echo before administrative bodies in order to obtain a final building permit for the purposes of a huge residential investment on the acquired land.

The value of the entire investment amounts to PLN 200 million with the property covering a residential projected usable area of 20.000 m².

“I would like to emphasize and appreciate the professionalism and commitment of the B2RLaw team at each stage of this complex process, from negotiations, through finalization of the purchase, to support in the course of administrative proceedings” comments Karol Dzięcioł, Land Acquisition Director, MRICS at Echo Investment.

B2R’s team was overseen and coordinated by Rafał Zięba, Senior Partner, and involved Tomasz Zaleski (Partner, Tax), Paweł Gunia (Partner, Construction), Marcin Huczkowski (Partner, IP), Agnieszka Wojciechowska (Senior Associate), Natalia Leszko (Associate) and Aleksandra Karteczka (Associate).

B2RLaw (legacy JS Legal) advises PKO Bank Polski on landmark investment in Autenti

B2RLaw (legacy JS Legal) advised PKO BP (PKO VC – FIZAN) on a joint PLN 17 million follow-on financing round in Autenti Sp. z o.o., involving three banks – PKO BP, Alior Bank and BNP Paribas and two Venture Capital funds – Innovation Nest VC and Black Pearls VC.

Autenti is a Polish company established in 2014 that offers e-signature solutions enabling online signing of documents and designing internal document workflow. Since its market debut, Autenti has obtained over 250 business clients and sent documents to be e-signed by almost 95 thousand Poles.

Alior Bank was advised by Kondracki Celej and BNP Paribas by SPCG Studnicki Płeszka Ćwiąkalski Górski.

“This transaction is a unique project on the Polish Venture Capital scene, being the result of co-operation between three banks investing in an innovative company providing technology that facilitates signing documents via the Internet. We are extremely pleased to have advised on a transaction that may further the digitisation and execution of paperless contracts. This financing round is an opportunity for Autenti to become a European market leader in its field”, points out Rafał T. Stroiński, Senior Partner at B2RLaw.