At GESSEL Attorneys at Law, founding partner Beata Gessel-Kalinowska vel Kalisz and Joanna Kisielińska-Garncarek, who was promoted to the partnership at the beginning of 2023, jointly lead the arbitration practice, while Piotr Schramm heads up the litigation department. Commercial disputes, post-M&A disputes, and corporate-related cases all fall within the capabilities of the teams, and the arbitration department also has a keen interest in environmental mandates. Anna Ziewalicz is singled out by clients as ‘a diligent and creative lawyer’. 

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Lawyers from GESSEL’s dispute resolution practice find effective, often unconventional solutions to our legal problems. They know our business very well, so when a difficult legal problem arises, they suggest a carefully-chosen solution tailored to our business needs. Moreover, they are not afraid to think outside the box, approaching problems from new angles and developing novel solutions.'

  • ‘Piotr Schramm's understanding of our industry enables him to provide well-suited, often unconventional solutions to every challenge we encounter. His support is invaluable in crisis situations, in which he approaches every problem in a calm, balanced manner, working immediately to present us with its solution.'

  • 'Anna Ziewalicz is an important member of our team at GESSEL, preparing complex litigation strategy in our cases and overseeing its consistent implementation by the team. She is a diligent and creative lawyer, exhibiting above-average legal expertise and commitment to all the cases she handles.'
  • ‘GESSEL seem to be an innovative firm in the Polish market. Beata Gessel-Kalinowska vel Kalisz is a leading arbitration lawyer and has built her firm up. She has encouraged dispute resolution lawyers in the firm to take on work they are passionate about.'

  • 'The litigation department of GESSEL, including Piotr Schramm and Anna Ziewalicz, always rises to the challenge. They provide us with solutions both in the event of legal problems requiring the development of a long-term, consistent strategy, and in situations requiring quick, decisive action, including those involving a foreign element.'

  • ‘For more than five years, GESSEL has been providing legal counsel to our firm in a protracted corporate dispute involving one of its shareholders. Our team at GESSEL was able to recognise our long-term business needs and goals and build a complex litigation strategy that enabled us to achieve them. Moreover, the team was able to consistently implement this strategy, while incorporating both legal and business considerations, including minimising the impact of the dispute on the company’s operations.'

  • 'We are very satisfied with the legal service from GESSEL. We were in constant and direct contact with the two lead counsels handling the case, we were kept informed about the status of the case and received advance information about planned activities. If we had any questions or concerns we received a prompt response. We felt that the case was being handled in a professional and thorough manner.'

  • ‘This is a very responsive firm. The team works around the clock and responds quickly to all inquiries. I worked with them on an international case with various time zones and yet they were always able to exchange drafts and take phone calls despite those time differences. They are very hard working!’

Key clients

  • Client Earth Foundation
  • Lekarze Nadziei Association
  • BNP Paribas Bank Polska S.A.
  • Łukasiewicz – Industrial Chemistry Institute
  • PBKM sp. z o.o.
  • Sygnity S.A.

Work highlights

  • Represented Client Earth Foundation who were acting on behalf of five Polish citizens in a dispute against the State Treasury.
  • Represented the Warsaw branch of an association in a corporate dispute with its headquarters, as a result of which the client faced the termination of its business.

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Beata Gessel-Kalinowska vel Kalisz, Piotr Schramm, Joanna Kisielińska-Garncarek

Other key lawyers

Maria Dudzińska, Maja Frontczak, Paweł Kwiatkowski, Anna Ziewalicz