Areas of practice

I represent clients primarily within several specialisations, determined largely by my previous professional, academic and life experience. 

However, I treat each client’s case individually and make a separate analysis so that his or her interests always come first. Therefore, irrespective of the following areas of practice, I encourage you to contact me personally and tell me the status of your case.

I always perform my duties diligently. Together with the client, I agree on a litigation strategy, clarify doubts and present clear settlement rules. As a member of the profession of public trust, I am bound by the attorney-client privilege, which is an inviolable value for me.

CIVIL LAW

Civil law cases, in the broad sense of the term, concern everyone’s everyday life and constitute the majority of cases heard in Polish courts. As part of my past experience, among other things, I worked for nearly four years as an judge judge in a District Court, where I served experienced civil judges adjudicating in both first and second instance, thus taking part in the recognition of several thousand very different civil cases. This experience allowed me not only to gain a unique insight into the law, but also into the mindset of the courts and the specifics of evidence proceedings in the Polish reality.

‘Indeed, ‘law in books’ is very often different from ‘law in action’. Having learnt from the above experiences, I conduct my legal practice in such a way that I try to save my client from having to deal with the court in the first place, thus saving their time and money. To this end, I represent the principals in negotiations, negotiations and mediations in such a way that this is as little as possible burdensome for my clients.

If, however, the need arises to pursue one’s case through the courts, I represent clients in all civil matters before the courts, as well as before the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and international tribunals. The interests of the client are always my primary concern.

I handle my clients’ property and non-property cases arising from liabilities or torts, recovering debts for the client but also protecting the client’s rights and good name. I have extensive experience in disputes with banks and insurance companies, especially on the background of the so-called ‘franking’ cases, the sanction of free credit and cases for compensation, damages, pension and other benefits. I pay particular attention to cases in the field of property law (especially concerning real estate) and inheritance law – due to the specific and sensitive nature of these cases. I have been involved in disputes involving multi-million dollar assets in the background, as well as disputes involving absolutely priceless values.

According to the needs of the case and for the use of evidence, I cooperate with specialists from other sectors, including expert witnesses, helping me and my clients to win cases of a more complex nature.

CRIMINAL LAW

Criminal law cases are an integral part of my legal practice and academic activities.

As a advocate, I represent my clients before the court, as well as when potential criminal proceedings have not yet been initiated. It is worth being aware that the judicial stage of the criminal process is only a small part of it, and that effective advocacy work should start much earlier. In this respect, I make use of the unique knowledge I gained, among other things, as an assistant judge in the District Court, where for more than a year I served experienced criminal judges hearing criminal cases both in the first and second instance. At that time, I was involved in several hundred cases of varying gravity, such as murder, participation in an organised criminal group, rape or causing bodily harm, but also in cases involving driving while intoxicated, drug trafficking, causing a traffic accident, bullying, stalking, threats, fraud, forgery, fiscal offences and other economic and official crimes (so-called white collar crime). I constantly supplement the practice of law with research and didactic activity, among others at the Department of Penitentiary Law and Policy of the Academy of Justice – as an academic lecturer in the area of criminal law.

I assist my clients at the initial stage of criminal proceedings (before the police and special services, the Public Prosecutor’s Office), taking part in all procedural steps of the investigation and enquiry, such as, for example, notification of the commission of a crime, interrogation, cross-examination  or trial experiment. I represent them before all common courts, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and international tribunals. I also provide legal assistance after sentencing, i.e. at the stage of enforcement proceedings, where I seek the best interests of my client in the context of the sentence imposed and the obligations imposed. Where possible, I assist in criminal mediation between the accused and the victim.

An issue to which I have devoted my attention for many years is that of detention and pre-trial detention. As a defence counsel, I attend detention hearings before the courts and visit detainees in prisons; I also maintain contact with relatives of detainees. On the other hand, as an academic lecturer, I teach classes, among others, for future Prison Service officers who carry out this preventive measure in practice. In both cases, I consistently advocate for a change in the law and practice of the use and execution of pre-trial detention, which is not infrequently a so-called ‘extractive detention’.

If possible, I also support clients in criminal mediation between the accused and the victim. I also act as an attorney for the victim and, in a particular type of case, appear before the courts as an auxiliary prosecutor.

FAMILY LAW AND DIVORCES

Family and divorce cases, more than pure knowledge of the law, require an excellent familiarity with the realities of Polish courts, probation officers and expert court teams (OZSS). Undoubtedly, they also require knowledge of the jurisprudential practice of the district in which the case is pending, the characteristics of the region in which the parties concerned live and life experience and psychological knowledge. What differentiates me from other attorneys is certainly the atypical experience with the practice of applying, but also legislating, family law.

Family and divorce law – often treated ‘neglected’ by lawyers – has been a particular area of interest for me since my university days and gave rise to a research project on parental alienation and the position of the child in the process of parental separation, followed by a master’s thesis entitled ‘Administrative and legal status of the family and its members’. ‘The administrative-legal status of the family and its members’. Since 2019, I have been a permanent court mediator in family cases, among others. For more than three years, I worked as an assistant judge in the District Court in Sieradz in the Civil Division (with a divorce section), thus taking part in the recognition of several hundred cases for divorce and separation, but also for: parental authority, determination of the child’s place of residence, removal of the child, contact with children, alternate custody, alimony, division of joint property of spouses and cohabitants (so-called. settlement of cohabitation), guardianship and many other matters relating to the functioning of the family, including those settable under international conventions. In addition, from 2023 onwards, in cooperation with the Justice Institute, I was involved in the drafting of the so-called ‘Kamilek Act’, which aimed to raise standards for the protection of minors from violence.

With this wealth of experience, I advise, support and represent clients in a wide range of family, divorce and ‘peri-divorce’ matters. I also provide assistance during interviews and mediation, prepare for a visit to the opinion of the court specialist panel (OZSS), and support parents in establishing a parental agreement. Every family case is heavily charged, especially when there are minor children in the background. Therefore, in addition to legal support, I also provide psychological and therapeutic support in order to minimise the burdensome nature of the proceedings. Adequate preparation of the client for the trial is fundamental, without which it is difficult to achieve the desired success, even when the legal arguments seem at first glance to be in favour of the party I represent.

BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS AND SERVICES FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Constant changes in the law are not conducive to doing business. The obligations imposed by the legislator on entrepreneurs effectively discourage many creative people from trying their hand at business. I fully understand that being right or even having good legal arguments is often not enough, and obtaining a satisfactory court ruling is not yet indicative of achieving a satisfactory business result. After all, an unenforced judgment will remain just a piece of paper if it is not followed by other actions. I have gained experience in this area, among other things, as a permanent court mediator in commercial matters, a mediator at the Mediation Centre of the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, but also by participating in the recognition of many, also multi-million litigation cases, generating significant costs for entrepreneurs who win the case, but ultimately do not receive a single zloty.

Therefore, in accordance with the principle ‘time is money’, I accompany my clients both at the stage of preparing, conducting and closing a transaction so that, from the legal side, it puts the least burden on my principal and exposes him to unforeseen expenses. As part of the legal assistance provided to companies, I offer ongoing legal services, which include, among other things, the preparation of current documentation, services to the bodies of commercial law companies, legal advice on business reorganisation and optimisation, and the recovery of receivables.

I represent my clients in disputes arising from commercial contracts and corporate relationships. I represent them before courts and public administration bodies, as well as in mediation and arbitration. Being aware of the many imperfections of the Polish legal system, I always try to minimise the risk of a dispute and adequately safeguard the principal’s interests in advance, often honestly warning that ‘sometimes your best business is the one you didn’t do’.

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW AND SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC AND NGO SECTOR

Administrative law is one of the most important areas of law for me, because (as in criminal law) it is where the state (public institutions) and the citizen come into contact, whose interests often diverge. Administrative law also regulates the broadest spectrum of issues – from obtaining permits and authorisations, to construction investments, to the activities of state institutions and local government units.

As a lawyer providing legal assistance in the area of administrative law, I draw on the knowledge I gained not only during my law studies, but also during my concurrent administrative studies. I have prepared my diploma theses on both these faculties in the Department of Administrative Law (‘Administrative-legal status of the family and its members’ – law) and the Department of Administration Science – currently the Department of Public Administration System (‘Functioning of the City Council on the example of the city of Sieradz’ – administration). I developed my scientific interests in the functioning of public administration and NGOs in practice by co-founding, for several years, the Future of Generations Foundation, cooperating with many associations, foundations and state and local government institutions of various degrees. I have been infecting my students with my scientific interests related to the process of legislation, the creation and application of administrative law, in particular internal law, e.g. within the course ‘methodology of drafting internal law acts’.

I offer a wide range of legal services in the field of administrative law and services for public entities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). My services include, among other things, obtaining favourable administrative acts, permits, concessions and other administrative acts that are crucial for conducting business. I represent clients in proceedings before public administration bodies, administrative courts and the Supreme Administrative Court, looking after their rights and interests at every stage of the proceedings. I prepare professional legal opinions, documentation, complaints and appeals against administrative decisions to support my clients in asserting their rights. I specialise in providing ongoing legal services to public entities and non-governmental organisations, offering an individual approach to each case.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND PROTECTION OF FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND RELIGION

Despite technological development and a relative increase in prosperity, it is still necessary to uphold fundamental human rights such as, inter alia, the right to life, personal freedom, privacy and property, the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment, equality before the law and the right to a fair trial, freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The constant changeability of the world all too often results in falling into relativism and redefinition of concepts related to human rights, to a capital part protected by the Polish Constitution. I have had the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in the above-mentioned field in the course of more than ten years of activity in the third sector – as an expert, analyst, project coordinator, but also as a volunteer of many non-governmental organisations. Therefore, I also treat the advocacy practice in the field of constitutional values and fundamental rights as a missionary activity.

My law firm is committed to protecting fundamental human rights and freedom of conscience and religion. I offer legal support in asserting claims before national and international human rights institutions. I represent clients in cases involving violations of their rights and assist in drafting complaints to the European Court of Human Rights. I provide legal assistance in cases related to the protection of religious freedom, conscience and the rights of religious minorities. I represent clients in disputes concerning religious discrimination, violations of the right to freedom of religion, as well as the right to life, liberty, property and privacy. I provide legal advice at every stage of a dispute, and in cooperation with non-governmental organisations and other human rights institutions I conduct trainings and workshops on human rights, constitutional law and fundamental rights.

INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN UNION LAW

International and EU law is not just the domain of foreign tribunals deciding high-profile media cases. The ability to navigate the meanders of international and EU law is increasingly useful in ordinary, everyday family, civil, administrative or criminal matters. Nowadays, it is not unusual to do business with a foreign contractor, marry a foreigner, take a child abroad or employ a foreigner. The international strand is also particularly important in the context of criminal liability.

As a lawyer, I practice in the area of private international law and EU law, being aware that they are immanently linked to the national legal order. I conduct cases based on the provisions of international conventions as well as on directives, regulations and other acts of EU law. I undertake cases related to, inter alia, the application of the European Arrest Warrant, extradition and the Hague Convention on Parental Abduction. I also support my principals in asserting their claims before the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union. I also represent foreign clients in their cases in the territory of the Republic of Poland.

MEDICAL AND VETERINARY LAW

Legal issues related to the standards of medical care provision are as important for the doctor as for the patient. Medical activity is an area that is strictly regulated by law and at the same time particularly vulnerable to claims by people for whom contact with the health service is often a critical moment in their lives. At the same time, legislation often seems to lag behind the development of medical knowledge, creating fields that are dangerous for both patient and medical staff.

As part of my law firm, I provide legal assistance to patients and their families, as well as to medical personnel. I represent victims of the activities of medical institutions due to medical error, so-called hospital infections and other medical errors in amicable, civil and criminal cases. I pursue claims in proceedings before insurance companies, the Patient Ombudsman and the Medical Events Compensation Fund.

In addition, I serve medical professionals in the conduct of their business and represent them in cases before public administration authorities, law enforcement authorities, common courts and disciplinary bodies of the professional self-government of doctors and other medical professions. I provide legal assistance to medical personnel and medical entities so as to relieve them as much as possible from the burdens of the law.

I also provide legal assistance in matters relating to animal protection and the practice of veterinary surgeons, as well as the welfare of farm animals and the animal trade. In cooperation with human and animal medicine specialists, I analyse the practice of companies and institutions from the point of view of their compliance with the applicable law.

MEDIA REPRESENTATION

It is not without reason that the media are referred to as the ‘fourth estate’. The reliable work of a lawyer should therefore not overlook the aspect of representation and defence of the client’s interests also against the activities of the media and public opinion. This is because judgments made by the ‘fourth power’ repeatedly do irreparable damage even when the case ends successfully with the judicial, executive or legislative authority.

In my professional practice, I assist clients in dealing with the media. I assist in presenting the principal’s point of view and refute allegations made by the public on topics related to the ongoing proceedings and the client’s situation. In cooperation with specialists in public relations and public affairs, I also assist in getting the matter to the attention of the media when the client’s interests require it.

At the same time, in accordance with the Code of Bar Ethics, when dealing with the media, an advocate should avoid assuming the role of a spokesperson for his or her client, but should be guided by the substantive need to respond to allegations against the client published in the media which, in the advocate’s opinion, present the case one-sidedly, selectively or tendentiously. Therefore, I am always guided by the principles of merit and moderation in my media defence.