TRADE AND DISTRIBUTION PRACTICE OF KOCHAŃSKI ZIĘBA AND PARTNERS STRENGHTENED BY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCE IN THE FIELD OF THE GAMING AND MUTUAL WAGERING LAW

In November, Bartosz Kosek, Advocate joined the team of the Trade and Distribution Practice of Kochański, Zięba and Partners Law Firm, strengthening the Krakow office.

Bartosz specializes in civil law and what is broadly understood as gambling law. He has extensive experience in advising clients on multi-million litigations. Bartosz represented a transmission company in complex multi-million disputes concerning claims related to the location of transmission facilities.

He has many years of experience in representing and providing services to entities from the gaming and mutual wagering industries. Bartosz has been involved in numerous proceedings before administrative authorities and administrative courts, relating to the Gambling Act (i.a. in licensing proceedings and in proceedings for the recognition of a game as a game of chance). He has represented clients before the European Commission in the objection procedure in the course of notification of the amendment to the Gambling Act. He has also represented clients in civil cases (for damages) related to the validity and application of the Gambling Act. He prepared a number of legal opinions concerning gaming and mutual wagering law, i.a. online gambling, gambling ads, legal consequences of planned amendments to regulations, conditions and rules of auditing gaming machines by the so-called audit units).

Bartosz also provided regular legal advice for large business entities (including state-owned entities). He was responsible, among others, for representing clients in multi-million trade negotiations and coordinating the work of due diligence teams (i.a. a coordinator of a team conducting due diligence of a privatized state-owned company, contract value: PLN 320 million, and of a Polish speedway extra-league club).

In recent years we have been facing huge changes that affect the sector of trade and distribution in the field of the gaming and mutual wagering law. Amendments to the Gambling Act that came into force in Poland in April and July this year in conjunction with the existing provisions of that Act are now one of the most restrictive regulations in Europe. Some see new opportunities for the gaming and wagering industry in the development of mutual wagering in the scope of the so called virtual events, which has been made possible under the April amendment to the Gambling Act. The role of professional and specialized legal services in such difficult and dynamic branches of law as the law of gaming and wagering cannot be overestimated. Aware of the challenges ahead of us in this area, we want to be the best prepared. We want our team and Kochański, Zięba and Partners Law Firm to be at the forefront of the legal services market for the trade and distribution sector and also in the field of gaming and mutual wagering law – said Krzysztof Zięba, Head of FMCG, Retail & Automotive and Trade & Distribution Law Practices.

Bartosz Kosek graduated from Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Law and Administration. Prior to joining Kochanski & Partners, Bartosz cooperated with Forystek & Partnerzy Adwokaci i Radcowie Prawni for six years. He is a member of the Cracow Bar Association, where he serves as the Deputy Spokesperson for Disciplinary Matters. Bartosz is also a Member of the Supervisory Boards of large businesses. He is fluent in English.

Bartosz Kosek 2