Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Team, Clients and Friends,

In keeping with our pleasant tradition, let’s take a moment to reflect on the past year and outline our plans for the coming months.

2025 was a year of consistent action with a strong focus on developing our long-term strategy, establishing a solid foundation and preparing for the future. However, it was also a year of making highly conscious choices.

That is why our motto was simple and unambiguous: ‘Your Choice, Your Reality’.

In a world full of noise and a relentless stream of news, where we are always chasing what is supposedly newer and better, it is easy to lose sight of what is most important. Namely, ourselves and our sense of direction.

This is why awareness, mindfulness and presence are so vital. So is the courage to reject colourful mirages and theatrical stylisations. Real change, the kind that fosters satisfaction and dignity, always begins with ourselves. So let’s choose reality. Even if it is difficult, it will be real. Instead of chasing momentary glitter, let’s have the courage to look at the eternal, constant stars.

In 2025, we did quite well at this.

ESG: our moral compass and driving force

At Kochański & Partners, we have never questioned whether businesses should take responsibility for the planet; rather, we have asked how we can do so more effectively. This is the lifeblood of everything we do. Throughout our organisation and far beyond.

This is why our corporate governance is based on a consistent system of internal policies and procedures. These policies and procedures reinforce an organisational culture based on ethics, respect and cooperation, setting standards for the responsible management of the entire organisation.

The Code of Ethical Conduct forms the foundation of this system and defines the values and principles that guide us in our daily work. The Sustainable Business Policy outlines our environmental, social responsibility and corporate governance goals, and the Supplier Code of Conduct, along with supplier audits, ensures that these standards are upheld throughout the value chain.

Our Diversity and Inclusive Culture Policy promotes an open and equal working environment, and our Anti-Corruption Policy prevents abuse and enhances transparency. Our Anti-Bullying and Anti-Discrimination Policy ensures a safe and supportive workplace, and our Anti-Money Laundering Policy protects our organisation against the risk of becoming involved in illegal activities.

The latter is supported by a whistleblowing procedure that guarantees employees a safe way to report irregularities. All these policies are complemented by our Client Contracting Policy, which promotes transparency in working relationships, as well as a number of documents that regulate our daily work. These include key cybersecurity policies that protect our data, systems, and infrastructure against digital threats. We do not treat these policies as set in stone, but constantly improve them in response to new challenges.

All of this is overseen by our ESG Committee, composed of the Chief Sustainability Officer, Chief Human Rights Officer, Anti-Bribery and Corruption Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Energy and Natural Resources Executive, and People & Culture Executive. The Committee links strategy to daily operations and acts as an internal compass, setting directions, monitoring the implementation of our goals, supervising initiatives, and ensuring that corporate governance is more than just a formality.

This is why our ESG initiatives are now an ecosystem of activities that change our immediate environment, rather than simply isolated projects.

We undergo independent audits

We have won another EcoVadis silver medal, submitted our Communication on Progress report and passed the Diversity IN Check (Diversity Charter) audit, which places us among the select group of employers that are the most advanced in terms of diversity and inclusivity in Poland.

We support the activities of UN agencies

We are an active member of the UN Global Compact and, at the start of the year, became the first Polish law firm to join the Women’s Empowerment Principles initiative.

We set market standards

We have also joined the United Nations’ United Legals for Good initiative, taking responsibility for the circular economy and extended producer responsibility (EPR).

We strive to set trends and inspire other organisations

We openly share our experiences, which are included in the report ‘Responsible Business in Poland. Good Practices’, which was prepared by the Responsible Business Forum (Forum Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu).

We care for vulnerable animals

We actively promote the adoption of dogs from local shelters and our team regularly takes them for walks to give them the affection they need. This is very important, especially today.

Circular economy in the office

We rigorously segregate waste, regularly provide information on energy and water consumption, organise periodic clothing collections to give clothes a new life, collect and responsibly dispose of electronic waste, and have run a circular library for years.

Wellbeing

We create space for projects originating from the minds of our colleagues. These include cycling meet-ups, a holiday yoga course, and an autumn table tennis tournament. These activities bring us together, have a positive impact on our wellbeing and often make us smile, too.

Sharing green goodness

Our Green Fridays have become a tradition, and thanks to the generosity of Kępiaste’s bountiful gardens and the loving care we give them, we also enjoy Veggie Tuesdays, Organic Wednesdays and Garden Thursdays in the summer. These days provide us with healthy, tasty produce such as tomatoes, lettuce, beetroot, cucumbers, garlic and courgettes.

Cybersecurity training

In the online world, as in the real world, the security of our Clients and our cyber hygiene are absolute priorities. This is why we regularly undergo training in this area.

Atmospheric Film Evenings: ‘Let’s Talk About Human Rights’

We concluded the last series with a discussion on the current threats posed by deep fakes and false and manipulated information. We must be particularly vigilant in this regard today. This means checking facts, seeking out and supporting reliable sources of data, standing on the side of honest journalism and promoting best practices in fact-checking.

Celebrating our rituals

Over the past 25 years, we have created quite a few. We celebrate together at the Firm’s Easter party and Christmas Gala. We always welcome new graduates, bar trainees and young lawyers who have obtained their professional qualifications with great fanfare. We celebrate Mother’s Day, Diversity Month and Pride Month with joy. We talk a lot about health during Pink October and Movember. Our children love our St Nicholas Day gatherings around the Christmas tree, and we welcome new babies with little silver spoons.

Internal initiatives – from us, for us

2025 was undoubtedly a year marked by investment in talent and the cultivation of a culture grounded in respect and equal opportunities.

Our Kochański & Partners Women’s Club was busy with all kinds of activities, including self-defence classes, mentoring, mutual support and assertiveness training.

I value working with women because they are creative and innovative, yet also have their feet firmly on the ground. This is why we maintain gender parity, which is very important to us, through a natural process of recognising excellence. This excellence is evident in the exceptionally talented women at our Firm, as well as their equally brilliant male colleagues.

We developed various activities within the framework of the K&P Master Academy and concluded the first edition of our Mentoring Programme. Based on this, we launched a more tailored second edition of the programme at the end of the year.

We believe that young people can be catalysts for change in a firm’s culture and in shaping its business. With this in mind, we have created the ‘Next Generation Lawyers’ programme.  

This initiative is aimed at individuals looking to develop their skills in various areas, including substantive knowledge, business acumen and personal branding. The target group is young lawyers: today’s juniors, recent graduates and bar trainees. They will shape the market in the coming decades, so our role is to recognise, guide and develop their potential. This unique programme is precisely designed for this purpose: to nurture talent by focusing on the conscious development of true innovators and business-oriented leaders, rather than on ‘technical execution’.

This is one of our most important educational projects: a development programme that actively rewards engagement.

It is also our route to achieving market excellence.

We will demonstrate to the world that our strength (still) stems from combining the viewpoints of different generations, genders, backgrounds and perspectives.

Solidarity that never ends – Ukraine

Although the geopolitical context is evolving and the world’s attention sometimes shifts to other regions, our stance remains unchanged. Ukraine is defending not only its own borders, but also a united Europe, our values, and democracy. It is their soldiers who are safeguarding our European security today. I cannot find the words to express my gratitude for the peace and security of myself and my loved ones, so I will continue to remind everyone of this: today, we all stand with Ukraine.

For this reason, we are committed to supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction and its integration into Europe. This includes collaborating with the KALYNA Foundation to establish a meaningful partnership in support of its mission based on truth and responsibility. Together, we are promoting an important historical dialogue, including through the publication of works that address challenging aspects of Polish-Ukrainian history. Last year, Dr Mariusz Sawa’s book Pociski jak paciorki różańca (Bullets Like Rosary Beads) was published, which covers the painful events in Sahryń in 1944.

For us, supporting KALYNA is a means of building a more conscious, just and better world. It is our moral duty.

Responsible and impactful business – successes and deregulation

The quality of our activity is measured not only by results, but also by awards. These include the title of Law Firm of the Year EMEA in the Climate Justice Firm of the Year category at the Social Impact EMEA Awards, Women in Business Law EMEA Awards, the title of European Energy Transition Team of the Year (Highly Commended) at The Lawyer European Awards, and recognition in Good Practices by the Responsible Business Forum.

We accept these accolades with humility and gratitude, keeping in mind that awards are a by-product of excellence, not a goal in themselves. They prove that our involvement in key energy (including nuclear) and infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe is delivering measurable results, and that the market and our community are recognising our efforts to build an open, friendly organisation that is a great place to work and grow professionally.

However, our ambitions extend beyond the success of our own firm. We want good laws for everyone. This is why we have fully committed to Rafał Brzóska’s deregulation initiative, SprawdzaMY, working with the Warsaw Enterprise Institute to simplify the tax and energy legal systems. We are dedicated to making Polish law user-friendly, transparent, and supportive of growth. We are pursuing this goal on every possible front.

We look to the stars – the year 2026

Looking back on 2025, I am optimistic about the future. The year 2026 will bring new challenges, but we are well prepared for them. We have stable foundations, a wonderful and diverse team, and a clear vision.

May our choices create a better reality. Let’s not wait for ideal conditions. Let’s take action and change the world together to leave our children with the best possible version of it. Free from wars and natural disasters, with wildlife thriving in their natural, unspoilt environments. In symbiosis and friendship with humans. And with technology that supports this.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for this.

Yours sincerely,

Piotr Kochański
Managing Partner