CGO Legal | Business in Poland
A legal partner for the everyday decisions of your Polish business
CGO Legal provides ongoing legal assistance in Poland for foreign-owned companies, Polish businesses and international groups. We help management handle contracts, corporate decisions, employment matters and regulatory obligations, with advice in English and Polish and coordination with your finance and HR teams.
Legal support works best before a decision becomes a dispute.
A contract, a board resolution or a change in the workforce can create issues that go beyond a single department. Our role is to identify the legal implications, explain the available options and help you put the agreed solution into practice. Ongoing advice gives your team context and continuity, rather than a new briefing for every question.
Why businesses need ongoing legal assistance in Poland
Companies operating in Poland need to keep commercial priorities aligned with local rules. Management may be negotiating with a supplier while HR handles an employment issue and finance prepares a payment to a related company. Separate decisions can have connected legal and tax consequences.
We monitor legal developments relevant to your business and help translate them into practical actions. The engagement can include legal opinions, memorandums and monthly legal and tax alerts, with the scope agreed around the company’s activities and needs. Our focus is on workable recommendations, not simply forwarding legislative updates.
Who we advise
Foreign-owned companies and subsidiaries
Polish companies whose shareholders or management are based abroad. We explain local requirements in English, prepare corporate documentation and help headquarters understand the implications of decisions taken in Poland.
Businesses without an in-house legal team
Companies that need regular access to lawyers without building a full legal department. Support can cover supplier and customer contracts, corporate housekeeping and questions from management, finance and HR.
Legal, finance and HR departments
Teams that already have internal expertise but need Polish-law support, additional capacity or assistance with a particular matter. We work alongside your existing advisers and agree responsibilities to avoid duplicated work.
Companies facing change
Businesses preparing a new investment, restructuring, changes to ownership, workforce adjustments or an exit. We connect day-to-day legal support with specialist work when the matter requires it.
Scope of our legal assistance in Poland
The scope is agreed for your business. Regular support may cover the areas below; litigation, transactions or specialist projects can be defined separately so that responsibilities and fees remain clear.
Corporate governance and company changes
Advice on the Polish Commercial Companies Code, board and shareholder resolutions, representation rules and company documentation. We also assist with company registration, company transformation and company liquidation.
Commercial contracts and business operations
Preparing, reviewing and negotiating contracts with customers, suppliers, financial institutions and other business partners. We assess responsibilities, payment terms, termination provisions and dispute mechanisms, including arrangements connected with grants and funding.
Employment and mobility
Employment documentation, interpretation of the Labour Code and Civil Code, contractor arrangements and support with employee records for labour-inspection purposes. Employment and mobility support can be coordinated with the company’s HR team.
Permits, intellectual property and investments
Assistance with business permits and licences, trademark registration and questions relating to patents and copyright and intellectual property. We also support legal due diligence of real estate and the legal aspects of property investments.
Disputes and recovery of receivables
Assessment of a dispute, correspondence with counterparties and representation within the agreed mandate. Our services include debt collection in Poland and international debt collection and trade disputes.
Tax coordination and group structures
Legal and tax support for holding structures, international transactions, transfer pricing and property investments. We coordinate tax advisory and VAT compliance with accounting support where needed, distinguishing advisory work from routine bookkeeping.
Ongoing legal support or project-based advice?
The right arrangement depends on how often legal questions arise and whether your needs are recurring or tied to a single event. Neither model automatically includes every possible legal matter.
| Consideration | Ongoing legal support | Project-based advice |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity | The adviser becomes familiar with your business and recurring questions. | The briefing is focused on the particular matter. |
| Typical use | Corporate housekeeping, recurring contracts and regular management or HR questions. | A transaction, dispute, restructuring or defined specialist question. |
| Scope | Agreed workstreams, contact arrangements and review points. | A defined deliverable, project stages or representation mandate. |
| Fees | A monthly arrangement or another agreed model, with exclusions identified. | A project fee or hourly model, with a cap where agreed. |
| Specialist projects | May be scoped separately rather than assumed to be part of the regular package. | Included only to the extent defined in the project scope. |
How we work
01 / Understand your business
We discuss the company’s structure, activities, existing documents and immediate concerns. This establishes which matters need attention first and which teams should be involved.
02 / Agree the scope and communication
We define the workstreams, fee model and responsibilities. We also agree how requests are submitted, who approves work and how urgent or additional matters are handled.
03 / Advise and implement
We prepare or review documents, explain the available options and assist with the steps needed to implement the selected approach. Where required, we coordinate with your accounting department, HR and other advisers.
04 / Review changes and priorities
As your business develops, we review the support it needs. Relevant legal updates and recurring issues inform the next priorities; transactions or disputes requiring additional work are scoped explicitly.
Tailored legal advice
CGO Legal Chajdas Gawlak Owczarek advises domestic and international entrepreneurs on their operations in Poland, including holding structures, restructuring and transformation. We take into account the business context as well as the legal question, from administrative approvals to contracts with banks and funding institutions.
Our support can follow a company from registration through growth, investment, sale or liquidation. We provide advice in English and Polish and cooperate with finance and HR to reduce communication gaps. The aim is a coordinated response, with specialist services brought into the engagement where the agreed scope requires them.
Fees and how we quote
We provide a free quote after understanding the type and volume of work. An engagement may use a monthly retainer, a fixed project fee or hourly billing, with a cap where agreed. The proposal sets out what is included, what falls outside the regular scope and how additional work is approved.
The main cost drivers include the company’s structure, contract volume, regulated activities, cross-border issues and the urgency or complexity of individual matters. Statutory and third-party charges are identified separately from our fees. A request for a quote is not a substitute for legal advice on the underlying matter.
Frequently asked questions
What does ongoing legal assistance in Poland cover?
It can cover corporate governance, commercial contracts, employment questions, regulatory issues and coordination with tax advisers. We agree the scope for the company rather than treating ongoing support as an unlimited package. Specialist projects and representation are included only where expressly agreed.
Can CGO Legal work with a foreign parent company?
Yes. We provide legal services in English and Polish and can coordinate with management and advisers outside Poland. The work can include explaining Polish requirements, preparing subsidiary documentation and supporting decisions involving the wider group.
Do we need to replace our accountant or in-house lawyer?
No. We can work alongside your existing accounting, HR and legal teams. Polish-law advice and specialist support can supplement their work, with responsibilities agreed at the start of the engagement.
Are litigation and major transactions included in a monthly arrangement?
Not automatically. The proposal should state whether these matters are included or require a separate scope and fee. This is especially important for litigation, acquisitions, restructuring and other projects whose workload is difficult to predict.
How do we start and what does it cost?
Describe your company, the support you need and any immediate deadlines. Client Relationship Manager Natalia Jakubowska-Zarzycka responds within 24 hours. We provide a free quote based on the agreed scope; no public price range can reliably reflect every company’s needs.
Looking for a legal partner for your business in Poland?
Tell us what your company does, where your legal questions arise and whether you need regular support or help with a specific project. Natalia Jakubowska-Zarzycka, our Client Relationship Manager, responds within 24 hours and coordinates your request for a free quote.
This page describes our services in general terms. The scope of assistance and the applicable fees are agreed individually.
