Piotr Biernatowski

Practice Areas

Piotr is an attorney with over a dozen years of experience in dispute resolution, transactions and commercial law. Having handled disputes with a total value of almost one billion euros, he has acquired unique experience, particularly in corporate and commercial disputes. He has represented the interests of shareholders, investors and boards of directors. Piotr develops and successfully implements litigation strategies, including those with white collar crime elements.

During his career, he has been involved in numerous M&As (representing i.a. VC and private equity funds). In addition to handling the legal issues, on many occasions he managed entire transactions, including overseeing and coordinating financial and business aspects. Piotr has significant experience in post-transaction advisory, including transition management in acquired businesses. Piotr is experienced in advising on financial market regulations, including trading and issuance of financial instruments.

Career

Prior to joining GP Partners he ran his own law firm, which merged with GP Partners in 2019. Before that, he worked for many years at a Polish law firm specializing in corporate and commercial disputes.

Publications

Selected publications:

Piotr is co-author (together with Maciej Gawroński) of the best-selling book 'The Little Book on Drafting Pleadings: How to Communicate and Argue in Writing'. This was the best-selling book of Wolters Kluwer Polska in 2022, published in English in 2023.

Article on state-owned companies managers' civil and criminal liability (for Rzeczpospolita).

Article on ex-managers' liability and the right to information (for Rzeczpospolita);

Article on simple joint-stock company: For whom simple joint-stock company is?

Article and legislative proposal on the possibility of using forms with electronic signatures in contracts for the sale of shares in limited liability companies. (i.a. on pulsbiznesu.pl / wirtualnemedia.pl);

Article on remote shareholder meetings: How to conduct meetings in companies after the pandemic (for Rzeczpospolita);

Article on the shareholders rights after bil amendment: Changing rules on establishing shareholders rights presents new challenges (for Rzeczpospolita);

"US stance surprises, EU regulation mania may be an advantage. The cryptocurrency market through the eyes of lawyers’ (for Onet and Business Insider);

Expert interview - MiCA is the regulation of the cryptocurrency world that will start to apply to digital assets across the EU as early as 2024 (for Strefa Inwestorów);

Tech M&A market article for Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guides (for Chambers & Partners).

Work Highlights

Representing shareholders and boards of directors in corporate disputes in companies, including public companies, with an aggregate value of hundreds of millions of euros.

Representing a private investor in a dispute over the provision of payment services and crypto assets worth approximately USD 400 million.

Representing a major Polish political party in a dispute with the largest social media platform concerning the protection of constitutional freedoms and guarantees related to the democratic rule of law, including the freedom of functioning of political parties and to communicate with voters.

Representing investors in equity investments in infrastructure projects with technology components worth tens of millions of euros.

Acquisitions of public companies in sectors including mining, manufacturing and real estate.

Designing, re-designing and auditing of corporate governance, including in international capital groups and state-owned companies.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Poland, Cross-border litigation and M&A

Languages Spoken

Polish, English, Spanish

Education