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WKB Legal Alert | Special Law on support for Ukrainian citizens
Ukrainian citizens and certain categories of third-country nationals and stateless persons have been granted temporary protection under Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022. The Special Law adopted by Poland grants Ukrainian citizens a longer period of legal stay in Poland, simplifying procedures related to their employment, decentralizing the registration of Ukrainian citizens and assigning them a Polish national identification number (PESEL), as well as giving access to medical care and many financial benefits, including parental benefits.
international
WKB Legal Alert | Whistleblower Explained or Who Can Become a Whistleblower and What Protection Can Be Expected
On 18 November 2021, a draft law was published on the protection of persons who report breaches of law with the goal of implementing the Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law into the national law. The period for the implementation expires on 17 December 2021. Currently, the draft law has been sent to public consultation. Since the main mechanism preventing individuals from reporting such breaches is the fear of retaliation, the principal purpose of the Directive and the implementation law is to provide a proper level of protection to whistleblowers.
BULLETIN | The most important changes in labor law – an overview
We kindly encourage you to review the currently pending legislative proposals and recent changes in the area of employment law. In the latest WKB newsletter, you will be able to learn more about: remote work, whistleblowers protection, an amendment to the Social Security System Act and obtaining information on employees’ vaccinations.
international
WKB Legal Alert | Amendments to Polish Companies Law – updated draft bill
On 6 July 2021, the Government Legislation Centre published an updated draft of the bill to amend the Commercial Companies Code (“CCC”) and certain other acts, following its review by a meeting of its legal committee. Compared with the draft published half a year ago, the July 2021 draft does not introduce significant changes. The primary purpose of the bill is to introduce into Polish law novel legal regulations in respect of holdings and moreover a range of amendments strengthening the position of supervisory boards, by providing them the tools needed to more effectively exercise corporate supervision. We present the most important provisions of the draft amendments.
international
WKB Legal Alert | Changes in the functioning of the Central Register of Beneficial Owners
On 31 October 2021, with the last part of the amended provisions of the Act on Counteracting Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism entering into force, certain aspects of how the Central Register of Beneficial Owners (Centralny Rejestr Beneficjentów Rzeczywistych) functions have changed.
international
WKB Legal Alert | New edition of the best practice for GPW listed companies. Evolution or revolution?
The Best Practice for GPW Listed Companies is the code of corporate governance rules which all companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (Giełda Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie; the “Exchange”) Main Market are subject to since 2002 (as soft law). The current edition of the Best Practice, adopted in 2016, was replaced by the Exchange Supervisory Board in its Resolution No. 13/1834/2021 of 29 March 2021, by a new edition (i.e. the Best Practice for GPW Listed Companies 2021) which came into force on 1 July 2021.
WKB Legal Alert | Cyber – compliance in the shadow of pandemic. A cyberfraud case study
Running a business in the pandemic era, including switching to remote working, has opened multiple doors for cyberattacks. Cybercriminals become more skilful in using new technologies and social engineering to their advantage. A cyberattack may cause severe losses, including financial ones, for the company. To minimise potential losses, cybersecurity guidelines adopted by organisations should be given a closer examination.
WKB Legal Alert | New insurance obligations, rules for the participation of minors and penalty regulations – overview of the most important changes in respect of running medical experiments
As of 1 January 2021, changes in the regulations regarding medical experiments, introduced in amendments to the Medical Profession Act, will come into force. The amendments in question will not affect any medical experiments with respect to which a bioethics committee has already issued or will issue an opinion before 1 January 2021. Therefore, the changes discussed in more detail further will not apply to any proceedings for the submission of an opinion on a proposed medical experiment which is initiated and not completed before the above date.
international
WKB Legal Alert | “WOMEN ON BOARDS” – Directive on equality among top positions in public companies
Nearly ten years after the presentation of the draft by the European Commission, on November 23, 2022, the European Parliament ratified Directive 2022/2381 of the European Parliament and of the Council, focusing on enhancing the gender balance within the leadership of publicly listed companies and associated measures.
WKB Legal Alert | “CLINICAL TRIALS IN POLAND”
international
ESG and Impact Investing 2024 – the latest issue of Getting The Deal Through
The next edition of the acclaimed publication Getting The Deal Through: ESG and Impact Investing 2024 is now available. It is co-authored by experts from WKB's ESG team: Anna Wyrzykowska, Marta Czarnecka and Sebastian Łyś.
international
WKB Legal Alert | It will be easier to reorganise polish companies, including the relocation of their registered office abroad – cross-border transformations and divisions of companies in the EU
On 16 August 2008, the Polish Parliament adopted an Act amending the Commercial Companies Code. The amendment provides, inter alia, for the introduction into Polish law of provisions on cross-border transformations and cross-border divisions of companies within the Member States of the European Union.
international
WKB lawyers advised GreenVolt Power
WKB advised GreenVolt Power which has successfully signed preliminary agreements for the sale of shares in companies developing renewable energy projects to Energa Wytwarzanie S.A. The transaction includes the hybrid project Sompolno (wind farm and photovoltaic farms) and Opalenica (photovoltaic farms), with a total capacity of 58.6 MW.
international
Merger Control 2024 – the latest issue of Getting The Deal Through
The next edition of the acclaimed publication Getting The Deal Through. Merger Control 2024, co-authored by experts from WKB's competition law team: Aleksander Stawicki, Bartosz Turno PhD and Wojciech Kulczyk is now available on the market.
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WKB Legal Alert | Aspects of Ukrainian legislation through the prism of foreign companies that plan to participate in the rebuilding of Ukraine
Legislators in Ukraine are continuing to work on improving legislation. With a specific focus on urban planning with the understanding of the need to rebuild Ukraine in future.
international
WKB lawyers supported AFCON Renewable Energy and EuroEnergy in the process of preparation and negotiation of the EPC contract of the Boguszyn I and Boguszyn II solar farm
WKB lawyers supported AFCON Renewable Energy and EuroEnergy in the process of preparation and negotiation of the EPC contract of the Boguszyn I and Boguszyn II solar farm with a total capacity of 20MW to be built in Wielkopolskie province.
international
WKB lawyers co-authored Chambers Corporate M&A 2020 Guide
Jakub Jędrzejak, Marta Midloch, Ben Davey and Katarzyna Kozak have co-authored the chapter on the Corporate M&A market in Poland in the latest publication Chambers Practice Guides 2020.
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WKB lawyers co-authored the chapter in The Corporate Governance Review 2020
Andrzej Wierciński, Anna Wojciechowska and Anna Wyrzykowska have co-authored the chapter on Polish regulations regarding corporate governance in ”The Corporate Governance Review 2020”, which features an overview of the rules in 26 selected jurisdictions worldwide.
international
WKB top-ranked in Media Law International 2020
WKB Wierciński, Kwieciński, Baehr law firm has again been ranked by Media Law International – the most important  international ranking published as a specialist guide to the world’s leading media law firms.  This year WKB has received a Tier 1 recommendation, placing our firm among the top four law firms in this area in Poland.
Possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the M&A market
The SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic which causes the COVID-19 illness is negatively impacting the global economy, including the Polish market. We invite you to read the analysis of Jakub Jędrzejak, managing the area of mergers and acquisitions, on the possible consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the M&A market
‘New guidelines on insurance distribution’ available on the market
This publication is a thorough practical guidebook on the rules and regulations of the insurance distribution act that comes into force in October this year. The authors attempt to identify the key dilemmas concerning the new regulations, and to provide effective solutions that take operation of the insurance sector into account.
Electromobility in the development of cities – a monograph
The authors of one of the articles in the chapter on the legal conditions of electromobility are experts from WKB energy practice – Dr hab. Jakub Pokrzywniak and Maciej Szambelańczyk.
Aleksander Stawicki, Bartosz Turno, PhD and Wojciech Kulczyk co-author the latest issue of Getting The Deal Through. Merger Control 2020
A new issue of Getting The Deal Through. Merger Control 2020 is now out. The authors of a chapter on Polish jurisdiction are WKB competition law experts, who have been regular contributors to this publication since 2012.
international
WKB lawyers outline corporate governance rules in Poland
Andrzej Wierciński, Anna Wojciechowska and Anna Wyrzykowska have co-authored the chapter on Polish regulations regarding corporate governance in ”The Corporate Governance Review 2019”. The publication is available for download.