Jacek Giziński

Ya-tzeck

Attorney-at-law

Co-Managing Partner, Poland

An excellent M&A lawyer with a commercial attitude. 
Client, The Legal 500 EMEA 2022
About

Jacek Giziński is the Co-Managing Partner of DLA Piper's Warsaw office.

He advises clients on all stages of real estate and renewable energy projects, including conducting due diligence reviews, creating transaction structures, negotiating share and asset deals, obtaining building permits and advising on construction processes and issues connected with the operation and commercialisation of real properties. Jacek also advises on transactions in the renewable energy sector. Among his long-standing clients are Poland's biggest wind farm operators, PGE Energia Odnawialna, OX2 Wind and EDP Renewables as well as international real estate investors such as Metro Properties, Savills IM, KGAL, Revetas Capital, Stena Realty, Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia, Goodman and Panattoni.

Jacek has authored many articles on real estate law and renewable energy issues in both Polish and foreign publications. In addition, he is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars dedicated to these areas of business.

Professional QualificationsAttorney-at-law (Radca prawny) registered with the Warsaw Bar Association of Attorneys-at-Law (Okręgowa Izba Radców Prawnych w Warszawie)

Highlights

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising METRO Properties on the sale and leaseback of five MAKRO Cash & Carry stores in Poland to FLE GmbH. METRO and MAKRO Cash & Carry will continue to manage all the assets on the basis of long-term lease agreements. The stores are located in Warsaw, Ząbki, Wrocław, Krakow and Lublin.
  • Advising Metro Properties on the divestment of some assets under its management, including:
    - the sale of a 45,000 sq. m. real property located in south-western Poland and a building of 12 000 sq. m., 
    - the sale of a 39,000 sq. m. real property located in western Poland and a building of 14,000 sq. m.
  • Advising KGAL on its purchase of an office building in Warsaw - Prosta Office Centre (POC), with a total area of 21,000 sq. m. of office and commercial space. 
  • Advising Revetas Capital on the purchase of a large CEE office and retail portfolio from a private equity fund. The transaction included eight A-class office buildings in Poland and one A-class office building in Slovakia, as well as development land in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia. 
  • Advising one of the biggest Asian pension funds on its first investment in the Polish retail sector - a quality shopping centre located in the transport hub of Katowice, one of Poland’s largest cities, offering 47,500 sq. m. of prime retail space to more than 200 tenants with a value in excess of EUR 300 million. 
  • Advising a German investment company, part of an investment fund, on the sale of a portfolio of 13 office buildings to a special purpose fund and reviewing the legal status of the real properties. Cooperation with DLA Piper in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and the UK.
  • Advising Revetas Capital on the purchase and refinancing of a portfolio of four office and retail properties located in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
  • Advising EDP Renewables Europe on the sale of 49% of its equity shareholding and shareholder loans in a portfolio of wind farm assets with an approximate capacity of 570 MW (of which 470 is already in operation) for a total consideration of approx. EUR 200 million to a subsidiary of China Three Gorges.
  • Advising EDP Renwables, OX2 Wind, PGE Energia Odnawialna, Canadian Solar, Green Genius, Wento and others on acquisitions of renewable energy projects across Poland. 
Languages
  • Polish
  • English
Education
  • Institute of Economics, Polish Academy of Science (PAN), Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
  • University of Warsaw, Magister (Mgr), Prawo

Awards

  • Ranked in Band 4 in Real Estate – Chambers Europe 2021 - 2022
  • Jacek Giziński advises domestic and international clients on a range of real estate matters including acquisitions of office real estate. A source highlights: "He is a well-skilled and well-rounded lawyer." He is the co-managing partner of the firm's Warsaw office. – Chambers Europe Real Estate 2022
  • Recommended in Real Estate, Construction, Energy and Natural Resources and Investment Funds – The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 – 2022
  • “Jacek Giziński is an excellent M&A lawyer with a commercial attitude.” – The legal 500 EMEA, Energy and Natural Resources 2022
  • “[Jacek] is committed to his work" and "goal-focused” – Chambers Europe, Real Estate 2021
  • “Jacek Gizinski, as the head of real estate team, not only takes the lead on everything himself, but is available at any time and familiar with every single aspect of the transaction in each jurisdiction” – Legal 500 EMEA, Real Estate 2020
  • Recommended for Construction, Energy and Natural Resources, Real Estate and Investment Funds – The Legal 500 EMEA 2020
  • Recommended for Construction, Energy and Natural Resources, Real Estate, Restructuring & Insolvency – The Legal 500 EMEA 2019
  • Recognized as Highly Regarded for Energy and Infrastructure, M&A and Project development - IFLR1000 2015-2020
  • "Experienced, commercial practice head" of a "strong team (…) extremely focused on defined targets and crucial business goals" – The Legal 500 EMEA 2018
     

Pro Bono

One of the main pillars of DLA Piper Poland’s strategic goals for the next 15 years is to dedicate time and expertise to pro bono activities.

Jacek has recently provided training on special economic zones to senior legal professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa countries at the University of Pretoria. He shared how special economic zones contributed to Poland’s economic growth after the socio-political transformation in 1989, and how learning from Polish experiences can help to boost the economic growth of developing countries in Africa.

Jacek has also provided leadership and support to lawyers involved in pro bono work, including the formation of a team called ‘DLAGranicy’ (meaning ‘For the Border’). Since its inception, this team has:

  • assisted an Afghan family of 12, who had escaped from Afghanistan and settled in Poland, providing them with legal and practical assistance including financing their flat and providing essential household items
  • provided legal aid for people escaping Ukraine and
  • participated in the organisation and coordination of help for refugees at all stages: from assistance at the Polish/Ukrainian border and in reception centres, to finding accommodation and helping to legalise their stay (including international protection), raising funds, and collecting clothes, food and medicine.

DLA Piper Poland, as a firm and under the leadership of Jacek Giziński and Krzysztof Kycia, recently donated PLN100,000 (approximately EUR20,000) to Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH). We chose this organisation because of their ability to provide aid effectively and without delay. PAH has been present in Ukraine since 2014.

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