PL

Power is in people

Material partner
SKJB Szybkowski Kuźma Jeleń Brzoza-Ostrowska is a Polish boutique legal practice that’s not only celebrating its 5th birthday this year but also its listing on the Legal 500 ranking.

***

It advises real estate investors, developers and financing institutions on M&As, development projects, commercialisation and property financing. So, we spoke to its partners, Agnieszka Kuźma, Anna Jeleń, Wojciech Szybkowski and Anna Brzoza-Ostrowska, about how rocky and rewarding the ride has been so far.

***

The SKJB law firm is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. The last five have certainly not been easy years for the market, particularly the last two. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face over this period?

This is true. Our law office has been operating now for over five years and we have been very active since the very first day. With the many years of experience we had gained at international law firms, our personal involvement and the relations we had built up with our clients turned out to be long term and resulted in them turning again to us at our company. It turns out that what counts are people and not the brands under which we offer our services. Of course, some clients have been wary about entrusting a new boutique law firm with their cases, but in most cases it was just a question of time for us them to turn to us. The start of the pandemic came after three years of stable legal business activity that we had been building up until that time. In its early stages there were significant concerns in the legal sector, but we soon adapted to the situation. It’s true that the number of transactions fell and the transaction team had more time on its hands, but the need for a different type of consultancy emerged. As a result, the pandemic actually turned out to be a time of growth and rising revenues for the company. This was mainly due to the fact that we serve the real estate sector and during the pandemic the demand for warehouse and logistics space soared, purely due to the boom in e-commerce. In the first year of the pandemic we advised our clients on projects that resulted in the development of around 330,000 sqm of logistics space. This was a particularly intensive period of work, mainly on BTS projects but also on expansion projects for existing facilities. There was no lack of work coming in from investors to advise them on development contracts or for advising developers on acquiring land for warehouses. International funds also number among our clients and, although they invested cautiously over the period, they nonetheless decided to buy quality assets. The governmental measures to soften the economic impact of the pandemic also generated a lot of work. But the portfolio of clients at our law firm, the size of our organisation, and the appropriate care spent on balancing costs against revenues allowed us to get through the pandemic successfully.

You’ve been building up your team of lawyers since your firm was established. What abilities and character traits are particularly valuable to you? And how do you keep your employees happy in such a competitive market?

‘Strength is in people’ is our motto and we are convinced that our team of lawyers has been largely responsible for the success of our law firm. However, it’s worth pointing out that legal assistants as well as administrative and financial staff are just as crucial to the running of a law firm. When it comes to lawyers, obviously it’s their knowledge that is crucial and legal counsel is the basic competence that we require. We particularly value those who show a great deal of enthusiasm in performing their duties. Such people have a passion for their work and identify with our law firm, thus creating a good team spirit. Such an outlook has played a huge role in building up the reputation of our firm. One very important trait is the desire to work with others and the ability to work as part of a team. The market is indeed very competitive and challenging for employers. We offer salaries at market rates, while we also contribute to employees’ private medical care and cover the costs of applying to the bar. We also pay out bonuses every year. Our firm tries to ensure that working hours do not exceed more than 40 per week, because we all need time for our own private affairs. We hold internal courses on legal topics. Once a year we talk to each individual about their work with us. We also give them feedback and set them further goals. Not so long ago we set up and introduced a development and advancement system, because for many people it is very important to have clear rules in this regard.

How have the services of the law firm developed over these last five years? What have been the most important successes of your team?

We come from the real estate sector and that has been and still is the main specialisation of our business. For our clients in this sector we provide comprehensive solutions that go beyond property law. This is why our practice also covers retail law, construction disputes as well as administrative and court administrative proceedings. We have gradually developed our expertise, adding such complementary practices as M&A, labour law and advice for insurers offering title insurance and W&I insurance. Over the last five years of our operations, we have had the opportunity to advise on the development of large greenfield projects, the construction and commercialisation of logistics centres, as well as the sales of retail centres and office buildings. As is the case with all transactional lawyers, what pleases us most are the large volumes of square metres of new useable space handed over by our clients. However, we regard our team’s biggest success to be the solid relations that we have been able to form with our clients. We are proud of every project we have completed, but are even prouder when our clients come back to us and we receive recommendations from people we have had the pleasure to work with. Among the more measurable successes that also make us fill us with pride are our high standings in the Legal 500 and Chambers Europe rankings. Despite the considerably smaller scale of our operations, we have had the possibility due to our specialisation not only to be involved in the same projects as our colleagues from the large branded legal firms, but also to compete with them in the rankings.

How would you assess – with your many years of experience – the state of the legal services market for real estate in Poland? What abilities and services are in particular in demand from the sector?

The legal services market for real estate is extraordinarily dynamic and is growing together with the rest of the sector. In particular, over the last few years we have seen a lot of personnel changes in when it comes to building up a new team or strengthening an existing one to meet the increasing needs from our clients. Our clients are looking for support in their own competitive markets, which also throws up challenges all the time. Now that the pandemic is over, we face new challenges brought on by the tragic events in Ukraine. The abilities that our clients expect go beyond basic knowledge of the law, which is anyway interdisciplinary to an exceptional extent for the real estate sector. These abilities enable us to shape the process in order to predict it and stay one step ahead of the client, while being able to apply market standards so as to avoid reinventing the wheel. We want to help our clients in their businesses. We always look for solutions as well as safe and effective ways of achieving our goals, whether this is for development projects or sales transactions. This is what we try to guarantee at SKJB and we are pleased when our clients notice it and come back to us with more work.

What are your plans over the coming months? Are you going to enter new economic sectors or geographical regions, or maybe you are going to build up your team further?

We’ve already planned out how we want SKJB to develop over a period of many years. We are going to continue with our growth based on our relationships with clients, which are based on trust. Our clients are what is most important to us. What we do, we do for them and together with them. We believe that clients appreciate lawyers who have practical experience, are fully involved, are focused on results and are easily reachable. This is our key to success. We follow the real estate market and the changes that are happening to it. This is what the services we offer are based on. We have been witnessing a huge growth in the importance of the e-commerce sector and logistics. We advise clients in these sectors, including leading investors, developers and tenants. We are going through huge geopolitical changes, which are directly resulting in investors pulling out of markets to the east of our borders or limiting their activities there, as well as disruptions to supply chains. Paradoxically, Poland could benefit from these tectonic changes in international politics and the international economy. We are a member of Nato and the EU. We are a stable European country with good economic growth prospects and vast human capital. Locating industrial plants in Poland could pay off. As a law firm we are uniquely experienced in creating production capacity together with our clients, including each of its most important aspects: structuring and locating an investment, buying the land, the construction project, and applying for permits. We want to support both old and new clients in these fields. The commercial real estate market is also going through a period of radical change. The repositioning of large shopping centres and the development of retail parks and chains has been creating new opportunities for investors, developers and retail chains. We are going to support our clients in the retail sector with their investments and transactions. Another important trend we have been seeing in Poland is the consolidation of the private healthcare and wellness sector. We are now actively taking part in this area with our clients.

Latest news

Warehouse & industrial

Poland Second hall for Łódź Górna

schedule 27 September 2023
Opr./edited by ANZ

Hillwood Polska has started the expansion of the Łódź Górna logistics park with the addition of a second hall of almost 42,000 sqm. it is expected to be completed in Q1 2024.

Material partner

Poland Grounded in experience

schedule 25 September 2023

Justyna Cymerman, the head of the urban planning department of land transaction consultancy Greenfields, and Michał Różycki, its director of the land department – living sector, tell us about the company’s greatest achievements, the state of the market, and what needs to happen next to tackle the housing shortage

Warehouse & industrial

POLAND Panattoni sells 3 Polish parks for €100m

schedule 27 September 2023
Opr./edited by NN

Warehouse developer Panattoni has finalised the EUR 100 mln sale of three fully-leased industrial parks across Poland with a combined area of 135,000 sqm to an undisclosed investor.

Office & mixed-use development

Poland Falck joins Skyliner tenants

schedule 27 September 2023
Opr./edited by JC

The global healthcare company, Falck, has joined the tenant portfolio of Warsaw's Skyliner. It will occupy nearly 1,500 sqm of space in the office building.

Eurobuild Awards

POLAND Final three days for Eurobuild Awards nominations!

schedule 27 September 2023
Eurobuild CEE

Saturday, September 30th is the deadline for nominating projects and companies for the Eurobuild Awards 2023! The registration of candidates for the jury also falls on this day.

Warehouse & industrial

Germany P3 picks up three in Germany

schedule 26 September 2023
Opr./edited by JC

Polish warehouse developer P3 has completed the acquisition of three logistics properties from UK warehouse developer Baytree in Barleben, Leipzig and Hannover.

Warehouse & industrial

Poland Full house in Pruszków

schedule 26 September 2023
Opr./edited by JC

Dimax International Poland is moving to a new distribution center – Panattoni Park Pruszków V. The tenant will occupy 3,400 sqm of warehouse and office space, thus occupying the last vacant module in the investment near Warsaw.

Eurobuild CEE

Poland The October issue of Eurobuild hits the shelves!

schedule 26 September 2023
Opr./edited by ANZ

Slightly earlier than usual (due to the upcoming Expo Real trade fair), the October edition of monthly magazine 'Eurobuild CEE' has now been published, which also includes a special bonus issue devoted entirely to warehousing. Both publications are available in hard copy and in digital format – in html and in flipbook form.

Office & mixed-use development

POLAND Wipro waved into Gdańsk

schedule 25 September 2023
Opr./edited by NN

Wipro IT Services Poland, part of Indian tech giant Wipro Limited, has leased 3,500 sqm in the Wave building in Gdańsk.

Retail & leisure

POLAND Popeyes pops into Złote Tarasy

schedule 25 September 2023
Opr./edited by NN

The first Popeyes restaurant in Warsaw has opened in Złote Tarasy. The Louisiana-based fast food chain is the seventh new tenant of the shopping centre this year.

Warehouse & industrial

Poland Food expansion at GLP near Poznań

schedule 25 September 2023
Opr./edited by ANZ

Mastermedia has expanded its space at GLP's warehouse park at Poznań Airport by an additional 11,800 sqm. The company is now the largest customer of GLP Poznań Airport Logistics Centre, where it will occupy a total of 28,800 sqm of space.

Residential

POLAND Olympian project takes shape in Katowice

schedule 25 September 2023
Opr./edited by NN

Atal has started the foundation work on 17-storey tower that will form part of its Olimpijska complex in Katowice city centre.

Warehouse & industrial

CZECH REPUBLIC Shape consolidates in Panattoni Pilsen West

schedule 25 September 2023
Opr./edited by NN

Automotive parts producer Shape Corp has leased 36,400 sqm in Panattoni Park Pilsen West II, where it will employ up to 700 people.

Warehouse & industrial

POLAND Petrochemical partners in Płock

schedule 25 September 2023
Opr./edited by NN

A consortium of Hyundai Engineering and Tecnicas Reunidas has leased 2,500 sqm of warehouse space in DL Invest Park Płock.

Warehouse & industrial

Poland ECE makes its start in logistics

schedule 22 September 2023
Opr./edited by ANZ

The ECE Group is making its debut on the Polish logistics market with the construction of a 78,000 sqm project near Kąty Wrocławskie in line with the requirements of BREEAM 'Excellent' certification.

Residential

Poland In the heart of the business district

schedule 22 September 2023
Opr./edited by ANZ

Archicom and Echo Investment are to begin the construction of the Modern Mokotów residential development in Warsaw's Służewiec district. The existing office development will be replaced by a 'destination' type residential quarter.

Architecture and urban planning

CZECH REPUBLIC Dutch-Czech team wins Dejvice contest

schedule 21 September 2023
Nathan North
deputy editor

Dutch studio Benthem Crouwel Architects together with Czech architects OVA have won the competition to redesign a quarter of Vítězné náměstí (Victory Square) in Dejvice district (Prague 6).

Residential

CZECH REPUBLIC €700 mln green loan for Heimstaden

schedule 21 September 2023
Opr./edited by NN

Swedish residential specialist Heimstaden Bostad, through its subsidiaries Heimstaden Czech and Heimstaden Czech Pilsen, has received a sustainability-linked loan of EUR 700 mln from a consortium of banks for its Czech properties.

Architecture and urban planning

SLOVAKIA Alto launches Sky Park arch-comp

schedule 20 September 2023
Nathan North
deputy editor

Alto Real Estate, the owner of the Sky Park complex in Bratislava, has launched an architectural competition for its further development on an adjacent plot.

Warehouse & industrial

Poland Panattoni’s high-tech park in Gliwice

schedule 20 September 2023
Opr./edited by ANZ

Panattoni has developed a BTS facility for the Tenneco Group in Gliwice. The European Engineering Centre is to serve the company as a research and development centre for new technologies.

Latest in Material partner

schedule 06 July 2023

A solid relationship for years

Operational and financial systems supporting property managers are constantly expanding and changing to keep up with changing market needs. Good relationships between providers and users of these systems and a willingness to face challenges together remain invaluable.

schedule 13 April 2023

Land is the key to success but requires skills

Warsaw is one of the most affordable capitals in the European Union to live in. In order to maintain its competitiveness, it is crucial to expand the availability of plots

schedule 22 December 2022

Biuro Na Miarę - more comprehensive, across Poland

The company has been strengthening its position on the commercial real estate market as a specialist consultancy providing comprehensive tenant and landlord services.

schedule 02 August 2022

New ESG Report – Atrium

Atrium European Real Estate has published its 6th ESG report summarising the company's achievements in 2021. The report details the key initiatives involved in the implementation of the its ESG strategy. The company has set new and even more ambitious medium-term targets for 2030, which include a 40 pct reduction in the carbon footprint of its shopping centres by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. By 2050, Atrium wants to have become a carbon-neutral organisation.

schedule 15 June 2022

Power is in people

SKJB Szybkowski Kuźma Jeleń Brzoza-Ostrowska is a Polish boutique legal practice that’s not only celebrating its 5th birthday this year but also its listing on the Legal 500 ranking.

schedule 04 April 2022

Coworking in Atlas Tower

In the times of uncertainty due to the pandemic situation worldwide and restrictions connected with that, co-working spaces and offices are gaining more and more popularity amongst potential tenants. Flexibility of renting terms plus tax law support for new entrepreneurs are things highly needed for small and medium businesses and these come in handy when cooperating with Twój Startup foundation.

schedule 22 March 2022

Tricity attracts with its Scandinavian climate

It will soon be two years since the first COVID-19 cases appeared in Poland. What can be said about the current condition of the office market in our country?

schedule 01 February 2022

How to return to the office in good health?

Skanska has recently carried out its third survey on the return to the office in four countries – Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary. While previous studies have focused on the needs of employees and their expectations of offices in the new reality, this time Skanska has focused on the impact that the pandemic has had on the employees’ mental health and well-being.

schedule 08 November 2021

Sustainable attraction

"Our research shows that 65 pct of employees in the CEE region want to work in a certified sustainable office. We expect that tenants will opt to migrate to new buildings that suit their needs better", admits Paweł Warda of Skanska Commercial Development Europe

schedule 20 October 2021

MAPIC returns to Cannes

MAPIC 2021 will be held at the Palais des Festivals from Tuesday, the 30th of November, to Thursday, the 2nd December, 2021

schedule 31 August 2021

It's a comfortable life

Ziv Zviel, the CEO of Atlas Estates, tells ‘Eurobuild’ about the company’s plans for the residential sector, top investments and the future of the market

Edition 10 (282) October 2023

Latest comments

Categories