piotr o

Piotr Olkowski

Counsel
Advocate
Piotr Olkowski has been the main driving force behind the task. His profound legal expertise, meticulous attention to detail and extensive experience have been crucial. Piotr’s proactive approach and ability to anticipate and mitigate risks have been instrumental in developing the legal strategy. His dedication to understanding our business needs and aligning legal solutions accordingly has been invaluable.
— Legal 500, Dispute resolution, 2025
Warsaw
About

Piotr Olkowski has more than 15 years of experience in advising on litigation, arbitration and procurement.

He represents clients from various sectors (energy, construction, medical, IT, real estate, sports and entertainment) in court disputes, arbitration proceedings, regulatory litigation, out-of-court adjudication proceedings and commercial negotiations.

Piotr advises on ways to avoid disputes and on matters requiring claims management. He has worked on a number of international construction and energy projects involving FIDIC, NEC and ABA99 contracts, as well as several projects with CAPEX above EUR 100 million.

He also advises Polish and international companies on different aspects of procurement regulations, assisting them in the course of tender procedures and representing them in procurement disputes.

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and InvestigationsInfrastructure, Construction and TransportBusiness and Commercial LitigationInternational Arbitration
Professional QualificationsAdvocate (Adwokat) registered with the Warsaw Bar Association of Advocates (Okręgowa Izba Adwokacka w Warszawie), 2013

EXPERIENCE

  • Representing a real estate company in arbitration proceedings before the Arbitration Court at the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw against a landlord, in which the client claimed the payment of a TIA (tenant improvement allowance) incurred by the tenant in connection with a long-term lease of office premises.
  • Representing an American manufacturer of helicopter parts in court proceedings concerning a helicopter accident in which the injured passengers were Polish citizens.
  • Representing a Cayman Islands company in an ICC arbitration concerning the unlawful denial of rights to a lucrative gas prospect in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
  • Representing a company providing radiotherapy services in a court dispute concerning the supply of radiopharmaceuticals.
  • Representing a Polish construction company in court proceedings concerning claims relating to the construction of facilities for the reduction of sulphur oxides in the Turów Power Plant, and representing the client in settlement negotiations.
  • Representing an e-commerce company in an M&A arbitration concerning the adjustment of a transaction price as a result of an extraordinary change in circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Representing a Dutch real estate investor in an ICC arbitration concerning the financial settlement of a contract for the management and development of a shopping centre.
  • Representing a leading global insurance company in a dispute over the design of the National Stadium in Warsaw.
  • Representing a leading global design, engineering and project management company in settlement negotiations with a contractor in a dispute over the design of a building.
  • Representing a Polish construction company in a dispute with a subcontractor concerning a contract for the modernisation of a railway line.
  • Representing one of the world's leading logistics providers in a dispute with a seller of real estate, in which the client raised warranty claims due to physical defects of the acquired real estate.
  • Advising a leading European company developing projects based on renewable energy technologies on complex issues relating to the construction of wind farm projects in Poland.
  • Representing a client in negotiations with its business partners; advising on delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustments to building permits, grid connections, and contractual claims; advising in administrative proceedings challenging building permits; assisting in pre-litigation negotiations with investors and subcontractors; and advising on claims management and takeover procedures.
  • Advising one of the world's largest private developers of industrial real estate in negotiations for the development of several key projects in Poland.
  • Representing several construction and design, engineering and project management companies in court and arbitration proceedings concerning claims for payment of additional remuneration, contractual penalties and claims for extension of the deadline for completion of contracts (disputes arising from contracts based on FIDIC, NEC and ABA99 model contracts).
Languages
  • Polish
  • English

Awards

  • Recommended in Construction – Legal 500 EMEA 2024
  • Recommended in Dispute Resolution – Legal 500 EMEA 2022-2024
  • "Piotr Olkowski has been the main driving force behind the task. His profound legal expertise, meticulous attention to detail and extensive experience have been crucial. Piotr’s proactive approach and ability to anticipate and mitigate risks have been instrumental in developing the legal strategy. His dedication to understanding our business needs and aligning legal solutions accordingly has been invaluable.” - Legal 500, Dispute resolution, 2025
  • “Lawyer with great knowledge and understanding of complex legal issues.” –Legal 500 EMEA, Dispute Resolution 2023
  • “Piotr Olkowski is known for his exceptional knowledge of infrastructure and construction contract issues.” – Legal 500 EMEA, Dispute Resolution 2022
  • Piotr is described as "a very competent person; he exhibits negotiating skills that have helped a lot to solve our problems” - Benchmark Litigation 2019, 2020
Education
  • University of Technology, Gdańsk Postgraduate studies in offshore wind energy, 2023
  • Queen Mary University of London, Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration, 2013 - 2014
  • University of Warsaw, Master of Laws, 2008

Seminars

  • Speaker at the European Economic Congress in Katowice, 2017 (European Start-up Days)
  • Speaker at the conference "Opportunities in the Polish Electro Mobility Market" in Warsaw, 2017
  • Speaker at the European Economic Congress in Katowice, 2016
  • Speaker at the Conference "Speed-uPPP Poland" in Warsaw, 2015

Prior Experience

  • May 2018 - present, Counsel, DLA Piper, Warsaw
  • May 2014 - April 2018, Senior Associate, DLA Piper, Warsaw
  • November 2010 - April 2014, Associate, DLA Piper, Warsaw
  • June 2008 - October 2010, Junior Associate, DLA Piper, Warsaw
  • 2007 - 2008, Trainee, M. Furtek i Wspólnicy Law Firm, Warsaw
  • 2006, Trainee, The Ombudsman Office in Warsaw, Commercial and Tax Law Department
  • 2005 - 2006, Volunteer at Academia Juris, Warsaw

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Warsaw Bar Association of Advocates (Izba Adwokacka w Warszawie), 2013
  • Member of the Arbitration Committee of the Court of Arbitration at the Lewiatan Confederation
  • Member of the Mobile City Association

My latest insights

Publication

The outbreak of war in Ukraine and the increase in the costs of construction investments...

27 March 2023 .1 minute read

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Phone

+48 22 540 74 58
(Work, Warsaw)

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