Skip to main content

Łukasz Pawlak focuses his practice on mergers, acquisitions and restructurings in the financial institutions sector, regulatory issues and capital markets transactions.

Concentrations

  • Mergers, acquisitions and restructurings in the financial institutions sector including related regulatory matters
  • Banking & finance including related regulatory matters
  • Capital markets

Capabilities

Experience

 

  • Represented HDI International AG and Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company in connection with the acquisition of the remaining shares in Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń Europa S.A. from Getin Holding S.A. and Getin Noble Bank S.A.
  • Represented Allianz S.E. in connection with the EUR 2.5 billion acquisition of the Polish life and non-life insurance operations, as well as pension and asset management business, from Aviva and acquire a 51% stake in Aviva’s life and non-life bancassurance joint ventures with Santander.
  • Represented OANDA Global Corporation in connection with the acquisition of Dom Maklerski TMS Brokers S.A. 
  • Represented Deutsche Bank AG in connection with the sale and demerger of Deutsche Bank Polska S.A.’s local Private & Commercial Banking business to Santander Bank Polska S.A. (formerly Bank Zachodni WBK).
  • Represented BNP Paribas Group in connection with the acquisition of the core banking business of Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A. by Bank BGŻ BNP Paribas S.A. and the related equity investment of PLN 430 million (approx. EUR 100 million) by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development through the acquisition of a circa 4.5% stake in BGŻ BNP Paribas from Raiffeisen Bank International AG and BNP Paribas SA.
  • Represented Société Générale in connection with the sale of Euro Bank, its retail banking subsidiary in Poland, to Bank Millennium. 
  • Represented Alior Bank in the acquisition of Bank BPH’s core business from affiliates of GE Capital and other shareholders through the demerger of Bank BPH.
  • Represented Alior Bank in the proposed acquisition of Raiffeisen Bank Polska.
  • Represented BNP Paribas in connection with the merger of Bank Gospodarki Żywnościowej with BNP Paribas Bank Polska.
  • Represented BNP Paribas in connection with the transformation of Sygma Banque Polish Branch into a domestic bank, its acquisition by Bank BGŻ BNP Paribas and merger into Bank BGŻ BNP Paribas.
  • Represented AnaCap in connection with the acquisition of FM Bank PBP (currently Nest Bank).
  • Represented BNP Paribas in connection with the acquisition of 90% of shares in Bank Gospodarki Żywnościowej S.A. from Rabobank. The value of the transaction was PLN 4 billion.
  • DZ Bank AG in connection with the establishment of its branch in Poland, including transferring the banking activities of DZ Bank Polska to the branch.
  • DZ Bank AG in connection with the rundown of its activities in Poland.
  • Represented PKO BP Bank in the acquisition of Nordea Bank Poland, Nordea Life and Nordea Finance. The value of the transaction was approx. PLN 3.5 billion.
  • Represented Deutsche Bank AG Group in a transaction involving the intragroup transfer of the shares in Deutsche Bank PBC and the merger of Deutsche Bank PBC with Deutsche Bank Polska.
  • Represented Polski Bank Przedsiębiorczości S.A and FM Bank S.A. in the merger of both banks within the Abris Capital Group.
  • Represented Raiffeisen Bank International AG in the acquisition of a 70% share in Polbank EFG.°
  • Represented BNP Paribas in connection with the proposed acquisition of Bank Zachodni WBK S.A.°
  • Represented AIG in the merger of its Polish consumer finance business into Santander’s Polish bank.°
  • Advised BNP Paribas on the acquisition of the Polish banking and financial assets of Fortis Group, including a controlling stake in Fortis Bank Polska S.A. and Dominet Bank S.A.°
  • Advised UniCredit on the acquisition of Bank BPH S.A., its spin off and merger with Bank Pekao S.A., followed by the sale of BPH to GE Money Bank.°
  • Advised on mergers and acquisitions of publicly traded companies from the banking sector (the acquisition of Bank Handlowy w Warszawie S.A. and its merger with Citibank Polska, the merger of Bank BPH S.A. with Powszechny Bank Kredytowy S.A., the merger of Bank Zachodni S.A. with Wielkopolski Bank Kredytowy S.A., and the integration of Bank BPH S.A. into Bank Pekao S.A.).°
  • Represented Alior Bank in connection with a public program for the issuance of bonds for the amount of PLN 800 million.
  • Advised on regulatory issues and represented Bank Pocztowy in connection with the first issue of the Bank’s bonds, part of the public bond issuance program for individual investors with an aggregated value amounting to PLN 1 billion.
  • Advised a Polish Bank in connection with the structuring of a potential banking joint venture with a postal services company.
  • Advised Orange Polska in connection with the structuring of a mobile banking joint venture with mBank.
  • Represented BNP Paribas SA acting as the Seller in the offering, through an accelerated bookbuilding process (ABB), of BNP Paribas Bank Polska S.A. shares. The value of the transaction was PLN 886 million.
  • Represented BNP Paribas SA acting as the Seller in the PLN 470 million offering, through an accelerated bookbuilding process, of BNP Paribas Bank Polska S.A. shares.
  • Represented PZU S.A. in its PLN 8 billion IPO on the WSE.°
  • Represented the Polish State Treasury in the PLN 5.4 billion IPO of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa S.A. on the WSE.°
  • Represented PZU S.A. in reaching a settlement between its shareholders, the Polish State Treasury and Eureko, concerning the control of the company.°
  • Advised UniCredit and Bank Austria Creditanstalt AG on the dual listing of their shares on the WSE.°
  • Advised IVAX Corporation (IVAX) in connection with the exchange offer for Polfa Kutno S.A. shares and listing the IVAX shares on the WSE and their introduction to public trading. Also advised IVAX on acquiring a 25% stake in Polfa Kutno S.A. from Recordati, as well as on the Polish aspects of IVAX’s takeover by Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd and their merger.°
  • Advised on various acquisitions of publicly traded companies,including Animex S.A., Poligrafia S.A. and ZPW Grajewo S.A.°
  • Advised on the delistings of Dom Plast S.A., Agros Holding S.A., and Polfa Kutno S.A. from the WSE, as well as on the first ever delisting of a company in conjunction with its simultaneous transformation into a limited liability company (Animex S.A.).°
  • Advised Pernod Ricard and IVAX on squeeze out procedures in their Polish affiliates.°

°The above representations were handled by Mr. Pawlak prior to his joining GREENBERG TRAURIG Nowakowska-Zimoch Wysokiński sp.k.

Recognition & Leadership

  • IFLR1000: Highly Regarded in Banking (2018-2023), Capital Markets: Debt (2018-2023) and M&A (2018-2023), “Rising Star” in Banking (2017), Capital Markets: Debt (2017) and M&A (2017)
  • EMEA Legal 500: Recommended in Commercial, Corporate and M&A (2008, 2019-2024), Banking and Finance (2021-2024) and Capital Markets (2022-2024)
  • Chambers Europe: Band 3 in Banking and Finance: Regulatory (2015-2021), “Up and Coming” in Capital Markets: Equity (2013-2014), “Up and Coming” in Banking and Finance (2014)
  • Chambers Global: “Up and Coming” in Capital Markets: Equity (2014)
  • Member, Warsaw Bar of Attorneys-at-Law

Credentials

Education
  • Attorney-at-Law, 2006
  • Master of Law, Adam Mickiewicz University
Admissions
  • Poland
~ Certain partners in GREENBERG TRAURIG Nowakowska-Zimoch Wysokiński sp.k. are also shareholders in Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
Languages
  • Polish, Native
  • English, Fluent