Key Findings

In 2024, Polish law firms and individual practitioners saw a total of 261 movements in the rankings, with 169 changes in the firm rankings and 92 in the individuals. Notably, Dispute Resolution was the most active practice area, accounting for 14% of all firm-related movements. This year also saw 9 firms promoted to Tier 1, while 31 lawyers entered the Leading Individuals category, and 2 new lawyers joined the Hall of Fame​.

Overall, 68% of the movements concerning practice areas were positive (Up or New), while only 32% were negative (Out or Down). For individual rankings, a remarkable 80% of all moves were positive, underlining strong performances by legal professionals across Poland​.

Firm Rankings Overview

The Dispute Resolution sector stood out with 23 moves, making it the most active practice area. Among these, 9 firms improved in the rankings, and 6 new firms were added, reflecting increased participation and competition in this area. Conversely, the practice areas of Tax, Investment Funds, Insurance, and Private Equity experienced minimal movement, with only 2 changes each, indicating a more stable environment in these fields​.

Several practice areas saw significant changes:

• Employment saw a notable increase in firms entering Tier 4, demonstrating the competitive nature of this always changing field of work.
  
  
• Construction introduced a “Firms to Watch” category, signaling emerging firms’ potential in this sector, while Data Privacy and Data Protection removed such a category, hinting at possibly greater market consolidation, among other reasons​.

Individual Rankings Overview

In the individual rankings, Real Estate led with 14 moves, followed by Dispute Resolution with 9 moves. This indicates the importance of these sectors in Poland’s legal market. In contrast, sectors like Energy & Natural Resources, Investment Funds, and Tax saw minimal or no changes, underscoring a stable pool of experts in these areas​​.

Other noteworthy developments included:

• New additions to the Hall of Fame in Commercial Corporate and M&A and Real Estate.
• The Rising Star category expanded across most practice areas, highlighting the continued emergence of new talent and the robust health of the legal market at the more junior end of the spectrum.
• In Intellectual Property (IP), two new individuals were added to the Next Generation Partner category, while one was removed​.

Top Performing Firms and Individuals

Several law firms and individual practitioners excelled in the 2024 rankings:

• Dentons, Baker McKenzie, and CMS were among the best-performing firms, particularly in sectors like Banking & Finance, Real Estate, and Dispute Resolution.
• DLA Piper and Clifford Chance also showed strong performances, with significant improvements across various practice areas​​.

On an individual level, lawyers from firms like Rymarz Zdort Maruta, Greenberg Traurig, and Wardynski & Partners received considerable recognition, with multiple professionals climbing to the Hall of Fame and Leading Individuals categories​.

Conclusion

The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 rankings for Poland illustrate a dynamic legal market with significant improvements in key practice areas such as Dispute Resolution and Real Estate. The positive trends in individual rankings reflect the high caliber of legal expertise available in Poland. As international firms continue to strengthen their positions in the Polish market, the competition remains intense, highlighting the importance of strategic focus and specialization for law firms aiming to excel in this environment.

The post Analysis of Poland’s Legal Market: Legal 500 EMEA 2024 Rankings appeared first on Tier One Rankings.

Executive Summary

This year, there were a total of 235 movements in the rankings, comprising 48 firm rankings and 187 individual rankings. Among these, 1 lawyer and 3 firms climbed to Band 1, while 70 new entries were made across different practice areas, with 15 new firms and 55 new individuals. Conversely, 36 firms and individuals were removed from the rankings​​.

Key Findings

• Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market and Dispute Resolution were the most active practice areas, each accounting for 14% of the overall moves.
• Life Sciences saw the most firms added, while Projects and Infrastructure experienced the least changes​​.
• Banking & Finance had the most changes among individual rankings, with significant movements including the addition of 4 new individuals to the Up and Coming category and 8 individuals moving up​​.

Firm Rankings Overview

• The practice areas with the highest number of moves were Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market and Dispute Resolution, each with 7 moves.
• Life Sciences saw the highest number of firms added to the ranking, particularly in Band 4.
• Projects and Infrastructure had no movements, indicating continued stability in this sector​​.

Individual Rankings Overview

• Banking & Finance experienced the highest number of changes, with 17 movements including new entries and upward shifts.
• Practice areas like Construction and TMT saw no changes, while Environment and Restructuring/Insolvency had minimal movements.
• Several practice areas adjusted their ranking categories, with new bands added in some areas and others removed​​.

Best Performing Firms and Individuals

• Dentons emerged as the best-performing firm with significant improvements across multiple practice areas.
• Wolf Theiss and Gide Loyrette Nouel were among the firms that climbed to Bands 1 and 2 in the Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market category.
• In the individual rankings, Janusz Tomczak and Inga Dulska were notable climbers, achieving higher band placements in their respective fields​​.

Practice and Individual Performance

Graphs in the report highlight the total number of improvements (upward movements and new entries) across firms and individuals. Notable firms such as Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, and SK&S showed strong performances in various practice areas​​.

Conclusion

The 2024 Chambers Europe rankings reflect a competitive and evolving legal market in Poland. For firms and practitioners, staying informed about these changes is crucial for strategic positioning and understanding the competitive landscape. As the legal market continues to evolve, these insights from Chambers Europe provide valuable guidance for both existing players and new entrants as they aim to make their mark in the coming year.

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