Profile
Pawel Szaja focuses his practice on capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, utilizing experience gained from working in New York, London, Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt. He is qualified to practice law in New York, England & Wales, and Ireland (on the roll).
Pawel advises major issuers, funds and underwriters on equity and debt capital markets transactions, liability management, corporate governance matters, as well as mergers and acquisitions across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. His work encompasses SEC-registered and Rule 144A / Regulation S equity offerings (including IPOs, privatizations, rights issues, follow-on offerings and block trades), debt offerings (including medium term notes programs, stand-alone offerings, project bonds, convertible / exchangeable offerings), M&A and SPAC/de-SPAC transactions.
According to Chambers Global 2023, “Pawel is switched-on and ahead of the game; he is really proactive in solving issues as they arise.” The Legal 500 UK 2023 says he is an “[e]xceptional partner with excellent sector knowledge, skills and commercial acumen - would recommend to act on behalf of lenders without hesitation within the sector and region,” and that he “is extremely engaging, and available to assist with any matters – whether on a live transaction or to bounce ideas off. He is a clear subject matter expert, who provides extremely valuable advice.” The same publication says he “has a unique ability to see a transaction from a macro and micro level, which is invaluable. This approach means that he is able to foresee issues that may arise, whilst also managing day-to-day issues. He also has an ability to provide tailored structuring advice for different transactions structures.”
Concentrations
- Equity capital markets
- Debt capital markets
- Cross-border mergers and acquisitions
- Private equity
- Corporate and project finance
Capabilities
Experience
- The Hellenic Financial Stability Fund, as selling shareholder, on the sale of €1.1 billion of shares in National Bank of Greece (NBG).°
- ADNOC L&S and ADNOC on ADNOC L&S’ $769 million IPO and listing on the ADX. This was the second-largest IPO in the MENA region this year and the largest demand globally for an IPO in 2023.°
- Ferretti S.p.A., listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, on the admission to listing and trading of its ordinary shares on the Euronext Milan, the Italian main market and concurrent secondary institutional offering of Ferretti shares.°
- Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Borealis AG, and Borouge plc on the $3 billion IPO and listing on the ADX of Borouge.°
- Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, EFG and ENBD, as underwriters, on the $1 billion IPO and listing on DFM of Salik, the exclusive toll gate operator in Dubai.°
- Fertiglobe on its $795 million IPO and listing on the ADX.°
- ADNOC and ADNOC Drilling Company PJSC on the $1.1 billion IPO and listing on the ADX of ADNOC Drilling.°
- IPOs of ADNOC Distribution in the UAE, Emaar Misr in Egypt, Enefit Green in Estonia, Yandex in the United States / Russia, TDC in Denmark, Chipita(proposed) in Greece, Integrated Diagnostics Holdings plc in the UK / Egypt, ABN AMRO and Basic Fit in the Netherlands, Nova Ljubjanska Banka in Slovenia, Enel in Spain, Citadele banka (proposed) in Latvia, Waberer’s in Hungary, and others.°
- Numerous block trades and rights issues in the EMEA region.°
- ADNOC on its $1.64 billion combined offering of existing shares in ADNOC Distribution and issuance of exchangeable bonds listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange.°
- Enel Finance International N.V. (EFI), the Dutch-registered finance company controlled by Enel S.p.A., on its multi-tranche sustainability-linked bond in the amount of $3.5 billion.°
- Initial purchasers on the $814 million bond offering by ACWA Power Management and Investments One Limited.°
- The underwriters on the project bond offering by Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline LLC.°
- The underwriters on the project bond offering by Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Company.°
- Numerous other debt offerings, including MTN programs for The Royal Bank of Scotland, ING, stand-alone investment grade and high yield offerings for Polkomtel, Ciech, Odigeo, Kerry Group, ENGIE, Digicel, Mylan, Arcelor Mittal, and others.°
- Elemental Holdings on a private investment by Silk Road Fund.°
- Elemental Holdings on a $290 million private investment by IFC, EBRD and PFR (Polish Development Fund).°
- Santander Bank Polska on the sale of its minority stakes in Aviva Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń na Życie, Aviva Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń Ogólnych and Aviva Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne Aviva Santander for approximately €2.5 billion.°
- Major private equity funds in connection with planned SPAC IPOs in the UAE.°
- MCI Capital SA, as a shareholder and PIPE investor, on the business combination (de-SPAC) of GT Gettaxi Limited with Rosecliff Acquisition Corp I.°
- Axios Sustainable Growth Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC listed on NYSE, on with its planned de-SPACs.°
- Merger of Videocon d2h and Dish TV (Asia Pacific’s largest direct-to-home V company); the acquisition by a U.S. listed company Wright Medical Group N.V. of IMASCAP, a French company; a planned public-to-private transaction for a company based in Central and Eastern Europe; the sale by EFG of a stake in Credit Libanais; the consortium of investment funds in connection with the acquisition of Eversholt Rail Group in the UK.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Szaja prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig Limited.
- Secondment ADNOC Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, 2020-2021
- Secondment, Credit Suisse in London, 2014
- Supervisory Board Member (independent, non-executive), Elemental Holding Group, 2023-Present
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, Capital Markets Law, 2024-2025
- Listed, IFLR1000, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, 2022 and 2024
- “Notable Practitioner,” Capital Markets: Debt, 2024
- “Notable Practitioner,” Capital Markets: Equity, 2024
- “Rising Stars,” Capital Markets, 2022
- Listed, The Lawyer, “Hot 100,” 2020
- Listed, Chambers Global, United Arab Emirates – Capital Markets: Equity, 2023-2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 EMEA, 2024
- “Recommended Lawyer,” Capital Markets, 2024
- “Recommended Lawyer,” Commercial, Corporate and M&A, 2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 UK, 2021-2023
- "Leading Partner,” Debt Capital Markets, 2024
- “Next Generation Partner,” Equity Capital Markets: Mid-Large Cap, 2024
- “Next Generation Partner,” Debt Capital Markets, 2023
- “Next Generation Partner,” Equity Capital Markets, 2023
- Team Member, Legal Week and American Lawyer Transatlantic Legal Awards, “Equity Capital Markets Deal Team of the Year,” 2019
- Team Member, Dealer’s Choice CEE Legal Awards, “Deal of the Year,” 2019
- Team Member, Dealer’s Choice CEE Legal Awards, “Deal of the Year,” 2018
- Team Member, IFLR Awards,” Equity Deal of the Year,” 2018
- Team Member, IJ Global Awards, “MENA Project Bond of the Year,” 2017
- Team Member, PFI Awards, “MENA Bond Deal of the Year,” 2017
- Team Member, Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Awards, “Structured Finance Deal of the Year,” 2017
- Member, New York Bar, 2009-Present
- Member, The Law Society of England, 2013-Present
- Member, International Bar Association
Credentials
- LL.M., Law, Columbia Law School
- LL.M., Finance, Institute for Law and Finance (Goethe University Frankfurt), 2006
- J.D., University of Warsaw
- New York
- England and Wales
- Ireland (on the roll)
- Dubai Legal Consultant
- Polish, Native
- English, Fluent
- German, Fluent