Name of company
Linklaters
Department head or senior representative in Poland, real estate
Artur Kulawski, Head of Real Estate Practice, Managing Partner
Department head or senior representative profile
Artur Kulawski is the managing partner of the Warsaw office and head of the Warsaw real estate and construction practice with over 25 years’ experience in acting for investors and developers on major real estate transactions in Poland, CEE and beyond. He is one of the market's most highly reputed figures and enjoys a wealth of experience in real estate transactions, investment and project development. He has established legal structures that have become market standards.
Key current clients
We have been the go-to firm for many of the Polish real estate market’s most discerning clients, in particular (in alphabetical order): AEW Europe, Al Sraiya, CBRE Global Investors, Echo Investment S.A., Echo Polska Properties N.V., Gramercy Europe, Griffin Real Estate, HansaInvest, MEAG, NIAM, Oaktree, Panattoni, QSuper, Redefine, Skanska Property Poland, Triuva, UBM Development, UBS Real Estate, Union Investment and W. P. Carey.
Participation in property sales and acquisitions between October 2016 and September 2017
Advising: Echo Investment S.A. on the €273m disposal of Q22 skyscraper in Warsaw, on the €56m acquisition of Zakopianka shopping centre in Kraków from Tristan Capital Partners and on the sale of West Link office project in Wrocław; CBRE Global Investors’ Pan European Core Fund on the acquisition of a 450,000 sqm logistics portfolio owned by Hillwood Europe comprising several logistic parks in Poland and Germany and holding companies, both yielding and under development; Echo Polska Properties N.V. on the €141.6m acquisition of three shopping centers across Poland; Al Sraiya on the €56m acquisition of the Westin Hotel in Warsaw; Shaw Investment Limited on the €54m sale of Radisson Hotel in Warsaw and W. P. Carey on the €32m sale and leaseback of a very unique cold storage facility.
Participation in development projects between October 2016 and September 2017
Advising: Panattoni Europe on a number of high-profile development matters (including construction, leasing and financing advice); UBM Twarda Sp. z o.o., a Polish affiliate of UBM Development AG on the development and construction of a new hotel project in the Warsaw City Centre; UBM Hotel Granary Sp. z o.o., a Polish affiliate of UBM Development AG on the Granary Island Hotel Project in Gdańsk; Bank Zachodni WBK S.A. on the construction financing for Penta Group’s first office development in Poland, an “A” class building located in the centre of Warsaw; Bank Pekao S.A. on the construction financing of a multi-function redevelopment project in the centre of Warsaw.
Total value of the transactions on which your company adviced between October 2016 and September 2017 (IN EUR)
over EUR 3.5 bn
Please say why you should be considered for the award
The Linklaters Warsaw Real Estate team has had an unprecedented year. Combining the recent addition of Janusz Dzianachowski to our partnership, with our continued involvement in the market’s most ground-breaking transactions, the Real Estate team has once again cemented its position as a leading player in Poland. Real Estate is a core focus of Linklaters’ strategy in the CEE region and it shows. Clients appreciate our passion for the sector and uncompromising standards across all key legal aspects: transaction management, robust contracts and efficient, innovative financing. Our legal team is one of the most stable and dynamic on the market, servicing an elite roster of clients, yet never shying away from exploring new opportunities and relationships. Located in the heart of the most versatile real estate market in Europe, Linklaters Warsaw is poised to continue leading the way, driven by its dedication to uncompromising quality and efficiency.
