Services

    Ongoing Legal Support for Companies in Poland (Retainer)

    Your external legal department in Poland — contracts, corporate governance, compliance and public procurement. English- and German-speaking attorneys.

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    Ongoing legal support (a retainer) gives your company continuous access to a dedicated legal team that knows your business, instead of paying for one-off advice each time a question arises. For companies operating in Poland — including Polish subsidiaries of foreign groups — it works as an external legal department covering commercial contracts, corporate governance, compliance and public procurement, with fees agreed individually in advance.

    Key facts

    Engagement model
    Ongoing monthly cooperation or per-matter engagement — always agreed individually
    Working languages
    Polish, English, German, Ukrainian, Russian
    One-stop service
    Legal + tax + accounting + HR under one roof
    Typical scope
    Commercial contracts, corporate governance, compliance, public procurement
    Public procurement
    Polish Procurement Law (PZP) applies above PLN 170,000 (from 1 Jan 2026); higher-value contracts fall under the EU regime
    Late-payment protection
    Statutory interest for commercial transactions (tied to the NBP reference rate, set every six months) + fixed recovery compensation of EUR 40 / 70 / 100
    Limitation period
    3 years for most business-to-business claims (Article 118 of the Civil Code)
    We act as the external legal department for companies of every size — from owner-managed businesses to Polish subsidiaries of international groups. Our day-to-day work covers drafting and negotiating commercial agreements under Polish law (supply, distribution, services, licensing, cooperation and NDAs), corporate governance (shareholders' meetings, resolutions, KRS filings and board matters), and regulatory compliance, including GDPR and consumer-protection rules enforced by the competition authority (UOKiK) for businesses with consumer-facing operations. Because we learn the specifics of your business, we respond faster and more commercially than a firm instructed only when a problem has already arisen. We also handle public procurement end to end — analysing tender documentation, preparing and submitting bids, lodging appeals before the National Appeals Chamber (KIO) and pursuing further review before the courts. Where a contract is breached or an invoice goes unpaid, we advise on enforcement under Polish law: businesses can claim statutory interest for commercial transactions plus fixed recovery compensation of EUR 40, 70 or 100 per overdue invoice (Article 10 of the Act on counteracting excessive delays in commercial transactions), with a three-year limitation period for most B2B claims (Article 118 of the Civil Code). Litigation and debt recovery are run through our dedicated business disputes and debt-recovery practice (see our Business Disputes service).

    When do you need this service?

    • You want predictable legal cover instead of paying for advice case by case
    • You are a foreign group setting up or running a Polish subsidiary and need a local legal department
    • You sign commercial contracts regularly and want them drafted or reviewed under Polish law
    • You are bidding for, or performing, public contracts and need support before the KIO
    • You face GDPR, consumer-protection or other regulatory questions (UOKiK exposure)
    • Your in-house team needs Polish-, English- and German-language legal backup on call

    How the process works

    1. 1
      Needs assessmentWe meet your team, map your business, contract flows and risk areas, and identify which matters are recurring and which are one-off.
    2. 2
      Scope and engagement modelWe propose a tailored scope and the right commercial model — ongoing monthly cooperation or a per-matter fee for defined projects — always agreed individually.
    3. 3
      OnboardingWe collect your key documents, set a single point of contact, agree response times and reporting, and integrate, where useful, our in-house tax, accounting and HR teams.
    4. 4
      Ongoing legal supportWe handle contracts, corporate housekeeping, compliance and day-to-day questions on a rolling basis, with defined turnaround times so you always know when to expect an answer.
    5. 5
      Review and scalingWe review the arrangement periodically and adjust the scope as your business grows, enters public tenders, expands into new markets or restructures.

    What you'll need

    • Up-to-date corporate documents (KRS extract, articles of association, group structure)
    • Your standard contract templates and key agreements currently in force
    • Internal policies and compliance documentation (GDPR, procurement, AML where relevant)
    • An overview of pending matters, disputes or regulatory issues
    • A nominated contact person and the preferred working language(s)

    What we cover

    • Drafting and negotiating commercial contracts and NDAs
    • Corporate governance, shareholder meetings and compliance
    • Public procurement: tenders, KIO appeals and court proceedings
    • M&A transactions, due diligence and joint ventures
    • Representation before administrative authorities
    • Market entry advisory for foreign companies entering Poland

    For foreign founders and investors

    We are the go-to legal department for foreign companies doing business in Poland, and we regularly support subsidiaries of German, Austrian and US groups as well as clients from the UK and Ukraine. You deal with one team that understands both Polish law and the expectations of a foreign parent company — we report in your language, work to your group's standards, and translate Polish legal requirements into clear commercial advice rather than jargon.

    Foreign-owned businesses in Poland have the same obligations as any Polish company — full accounting and corporate filings, beneficial-owner reporting, and, where they sell to consumers, exposure to consumer-clause review by the competition authority (UOKiK). Rather than coordinate separate legal, tax, accounting and HR providers, our clients get all of these under one roof, which keeps deadlines, contracts and filings aligned in a single place.

    Foreign clients work with us in Polish, English, German, Ukrainian and Russian. Our managing partner is admitted to the New York State Bar and serves as the New York State Bar Association's Chapter Chair for Poland, and the firm is trusted counsel (Vertrauensanwalt) to the Austrian Consulate General in Kraków. With more than 20 years of practice advising international clients, we also coordinate the related work foreign companies typically need — company formation, immigration and work permits for staff, and double-taxation questions.

    Who advises you

    The lawyers at the firm who advise on this area. Each links to a full profile.

    Szymon Gostyński
    Szymon Gostyński

    Attorney-at-Law / Managing Partner

    Polish and U.S. (New York State) Attorney-at-Law. Founder and managing partner. Specialises in international commercial law, cross-border disputes, and mergers & acquisitions. Attorney of Trust (Vertrauensanwalt) for the Austrian Consulate General in Kraków.

    • Speaks: Polish, English, German
    • International Commercial Law
    • Litigation and Arbitration
    • Company Law and Commercial Law
    Enquiry for Szymon
    Sylwia Myśliwska
    Sylwia Myśliwska

    Partner / Attorney

    Attorney and partner at the firm. Heads the compensation, public procurement, and reprivatisation departments. Extensive experience in commercial and business matters, as well as representing clients in court and administrative proceedings. Actively involved in international organisations and charitable work.

    • Speaks: Polish, English
    • Public Procurement Law
    • Compensation Claims
    • Labour Law
    Enquiry for Sylwia

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the difference between a retainer arrangement and one-off legal advice?
    A retainer gives your business continuous access to legal support across all its affairs — contracts, corporate matters, disputes, and compliance. Because we learn the specifics of your business, we respond faster and more accurately than in a one-off instruction. Fees are agreed individually with each client, rather than fixed in advance.
    Do you assist foreign companies operating in Poland?
    Yes. We help foreign companies enter the Polish market and operate in compliance with local regulations. We advise on regulatory requirements, prepare documentation, and work in Polish, English, German, Ukrainian, and Russian.
    Can you help with public procurement bids?
    Yes. We prepare tender submissions, review procurement documentation, lodge appeals before the KIO (National Appeals Chamber), and represent clients in court proceedings relating to public contracts.
    What types of commercial agreements do you most commonly draft?
    We draft and negotiate commercial, distribution, licensing, cooperation, and NDA agreements, as well as contracts with foreign counterparties, internal policies, and compliance documentation (including GDPR). Every agreement is tailored to the client's sector and specific circumstances.
    Do you advise on corporate governance — shareholders' meetings, resolutions?
    Yes. We manage shareholders' meetings and general assemblies, draft resolutions and meeting minutes, and maintain corporate documentation. We also advise on the liability exposure of board members and supervisory board directors.
    How is the cost of ongoing legal support calculated?
    There is no fixed price list — the fee always depends on the scope of cooperation and the expected volume of work, and is agreed individually with each client. Depending on your needs, cooperation can take the form of ongoing monthly support or a separately quoted fee for a defined project, such as a single contract, a tender or a transaction. We discuss the model and scope together at the outset, so both sides know what the engagement covers.
    What does ongoing legal support cover, and how quickly do you respond?
    The scope is defined individually for each client. It typically covers recurring legal work — contract drafting and review, corporate housekeeping, compliance questions and day-to-day advice — while larger one-off projects, such as litigation, an M&A transaction or a major tender, are usually scoped separately. Response times and priorities are agreed as part of onboarding, so they reflect how your business actually operates.
    Can you act as the legal department for our Polish subsidiary and report to our head office abroad?
    Yes. We routinely serve as the in-house legal function for Polish subsidiaries of foreign groups, working in English and German and reporting to the parent company in its own language and to its standards. We combine legal work with in-house tax, accounting and HR, so your Polish entity is managed in one place and your head office gets a single, coordinated point of contact.
    Can you help our company bid for public contracts in Poland?
    Yes. We support clients across the whole public-procurement process — analysing tender documents, preparing and submitting bids, lodging appeals before the National Appeals Chamber (KIO) and pursuing further review before the courts. The Polish Public Procurement Law applies to contracts above PLN 170,000 (from 1 January 2026), with higher-value contracts subject to the EU procurement regime; we advise on the rules that apply to your specific tender.

    Ready to discuss your case?

    Our lawyers are available to advise you in Polish, English, German, Ukrainian and Russian.

    Discuss your case