Piotr Kazimierz Urbanek, advocate (adwokat)

I am a member of the Warsaw Bar Association (registration no. WAW/Adw/8540).

I hold a Master's degree in law from the University of Warsaw and a Master's degree in finance and accounting from the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. I passed the Polish bar (advocate's) examination in 2019.

I run my own law firm in Warsaw, at Centrum Praskie Koneser. Before that, for eleven years I was a member of real estate and dispute resolution teams at major Warsaw law firms – most notably at Dentons Europe and Deloitte Legal, where I held the position of Senior Managing Associate.

That period gave me broad legal experience, along with insight into how the largest businesses operate and what they need.

After more than a decade of working with the biggest legal brands and taking part in the largest – often precedent-setting – projects, I decided to continue my practice under my own name.

The firm is built around assembling expert teams dedicated to a specific case, with expertise tailored to the particular set of issues at hand. Where our clients' matters require it, we work closely with leading academic authorities in their fields of law from Poland's top universities, and we take an interdisciplinary approach, including collaboration with experts in finance, accounting and management.

We look for solutions where the legal commentaries end their reasoning.

We believe that a law firm is not an ordinary business built to scale its owner's profits, but a special institution to which the client entrusts the issue that, at that moment, matters most to their life or their business.

That is why we are always wherever your interests are at stake – whether that is the courtroom, the negotiating table, a Teams call, a court registry or a courthouse corridor.

From the first conversation to the last document, your case is handled by a lawyer with well over a decade of professional experience.

We advise clients in Polish and English, and we also regularly work with French and Russian translators.

I do not come from a family of lawyers, and I have no connection with any other advocates who share my surname.

Areas of expertise

Every matter a client brings to an advocate is important, and it is the advocate's duty to help. The legal complexity of modern social and economic life, however, requires lawyers to specialise in selected fields of law and to inform clients transparently about their experience. Below we present the key areas of legal practice in which our work is market-leading. In other matters, we will nonetheless gladly direct you to the right adviser.

  • Civil and commercial litigation


    We conduct civil and commercial disputes, including complex matters involving multiple proceedings with intricate structures of claims and parties, requiring a strategic and innovative approach. We pursue and enforce our clients' claims in situations that also demand specialist knowledge of insolvency, restructuring and criminal law. We support clients facing the threat of litigation, including by countering applications for interim relief at the earliest possible stage. We also practise in the field of international civil procedure.

  • Commercial leasing and asset management


    We have many years' experience in drafting and negotiating commercial lease agreements, with a particular focus on institutional leasing of retail space. We prepare security documentation and pursue claims under lease agreements – including in insolvency and restructuring proceedings. We support clients in contracting construction works and external services. We conduct complex unfair competition disputes.

  • Succession and wealth management


    We advise private clients and entrepreneurs on succession planning and on structuring and protecting their assets. We support the establishment and operation of family foundations and holding structures, and the design of mechanisms for the intergenerational transfer of businesses and assets. We advise on cross-border transactions involving the allocation of wealth, coordinating work with advisers in other jurisdictions. We also handle inheritance disputes and proceedings to regularise the legal status of assets.

  • Real estate transactions


    We have taken part in over 100 due diligence reviews of commercial real estate (greenfield, brownfield and existing retail, logistics and office assets). We have drafted and negotiated transaction documentation on the logistics, retail, office and residential real estate markets – with transaction values typically in the tens of millions of euros. We support clients in setting up joint venture structures, in sale and leaseback transactions and under development management agreements.

  • Financing transactions


    We advise borrowers and investors on structuring external financing and negotiating documentation for senior facilities, mezzanine loans, bond issuances and private project finance. We review and negotiate security documentation, including subordination and guarantee agreements. We make sure the financing and security documentation genuinely serves the client's development objectives.

  • Administrative proceedings


    We represent clients in administrative and administrative court proceedings, including planning disputes and matters concerning the construction process, as well as in cases involving administrative fines imposed by inspection and supervisory authorities. We prepare defence strategies against claims raised by public entities and advise on regulatory issues connected with our clients' business.

Completed projects and selected client testimonials

Our clients' confidentiality and legal security are our highest priority. For that reason, we publish details of specific engagements only in exceptional cases. Please contact us directly to discuss how our experience can translate into success in your matter.

“Mr Urbanek consistently demonstrated strong legal and commercial judgment, sound analysis, and the ability to operate effectively in a demanding international environment. He is precise in his analysis, measured in his judgment, and reliable in his dealings.

I observed Mr Urbanek performing under the enormous pressure of a large, ambitious and fast-growing client, and he did so with calm, focus and effectiveness.

Having held senior positions across a range of companies over the years, I have worked with many advisers, and I can recommend Mr Urbanek without reservation. I am confident that he would be an asset to any client who engages him.”

— a leading executive and supervisory board member of Polish and European real estate development companies, on cooperation in a cross-border financing project and a complex commercial dispute

“Mr Piotr Urbanek is a lawyer distinguished by high professionalism, an excellent understanding of business issues and exceptional personal culture.

Throughout our cooperation he proved highly effective in handling the matters entrusted to him – both in legal advisory work and in negotiations. His commitment, excellent organisation and timeliness translated into results that went well beyond the originally defined business objectives.

Particular recognition is due to his ability to resolve contentious issues swiftly and pragmatically – both in business relationships and in court proceedings. Thanks to his composure, analytical approach and excellent command of procedure, Mr Urbanek successfully steered complicated cases to an outcome satisfactory to the client.”

— a management board member of one of the largest investors on the Polish commercial real estate market, on cooperation in the recovery of receivables arising from a transaction dispute

“Mr Urbanek was an excellent partner to work with. He combines strong commercial understanding with a thorough knowledge of Polish law.”

— a partner in the London office of an international network law firm, on cooperation in a cross-border commercial dispute

“Working with Mr Piotr Urbanek means, above all, a sense of security and the confidence that the firm is in complete control of the case it has taken on – from the very beginning to its conclusion.

Mr Urbanek is focused on finding solutions, and he can explain complex issues in language anyone can understand. Working with him – even on contentious and difficult matters – is a genuinely pleasant experience.”

— a management board member of companies owning retail properties, on comprehensive legal services