Early developments, far reaching consequences

Steven Shone, Managing Partner of law firm CMS Cameron McKenna, the only property lawyer in Poland rated by 'European Legal 500' as ,highly recommended", has practised real estate and construction law in Poland since 1992. Apart from one year practising criminal law upon qualification, Steven Shone has been involved in real estate and construction for the best part of his life. His father owned a building company for which he often worked as a labourer. He has, he says, ,carried a few thousand bricks" in his time. It was the property crash in the UK that brought him over to Poland in 1992, with a plan to represent local authorities rather than private investors. But things turned out a little differently than planned. ,We saw the opportunities very much in terms of urban regeneration," he says. ,But of the hundreds of instructions we've had since then, only three have been according to the plan." Like his competitors, Shone has worked mainly for the private sector.