Greenberg Traurig Opens in Eastern Europe with Former Warsaw Office of Dewey LeBoeuf

NEW YORK, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has announced that it opened an office in Warsaw, Poland and strategically established a presence in Eastern Europe with a 50-plus-lawyer team formerly with Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP. The firm's 35th office will operate as Greenberg Traurig Grzesiak in Poland. Jaroslaw Grzesiak, former managing partner of Dewey's Warsaw office, serves as the managing partner and Lejb Fogelman as the senior partner.

"Our balanced business model, effective structure and unmatched U.S. platform allow us to build from strength, ready to move on top-tier opportunities in key regional locations as they arise. This approach requires real discipline in an increasingly undisciplined world, as we focus on the careful selection of individuals and teams in a sensible manner," said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig's Chief Executive Officer. "This team has been successful in Poland for two decades, is integral to the Warsaw business and legal communities, and is exactly such an opportunity in one of the most important and successful European markets, where entrepreneurship in the private sector is highly valued and supported with policies that focus on growth."

At the same time, Frank R. Adams is joining the firm in London and New York. Adams was a member of Dewey's Executive Committee and the former global chair of Dewey's corporate finance practice, most recently focused on its Europe, Middle East and Africa regions. Last year, he handled the first-ever bond tender and consent solicitation on the Polish market, as well as a series of secured convertible notes exchanges that won the Treasury Today 2011 award for Best Corporate Debt Solution. Adams was a key member of the team selected by Legal Business as the 2012 Finance Team of the Year for its representation of Spartan Capital Holdings on the PLN 18.1 billion (US$6.6 billion) LBi of Polkomtel in June 2011. Relationship partner Grzesiak and Andrzej Wysokinski in Warsaw also handled the transaction, for which The American Lawyer selected Grzesiak as "Dealmaker of the Week."

Also joining in Warsaw and London is Federico Salinas, a U.S. and English law qualified partner currently in Dewey's London office. Salinas is widely experienced in emerging markets and was a founder of Dewey's Dubai office. He also led Dewey's Turkey practice and has experience in international capital markets, M&A, and private equity transactions. Salinas led the team that won the IFLR "IPO of the Year" Middle Eastern award for 2006 and 2008, and was a key member of the team that handled one of the first single-listing GDR offerings to list on the London Stock Exchange.

"Our office was approached by many of the highest quality firms in Europe and the U.S. We chose Greenberg Traurig because we share many of the same values - quality, strength, spirit and clarity of vision. We feel that we have a recipe for success and are excited about what this venture will bring to our collective clients worldwide," said Grzesiak.

"Greenberg Traurig is financially stable and its platform, business strategy, and commitment to delivering quality will further elevate our team and strengthen the portfolio of services we can offer to our clients," said Fogelman. "We are working closely with clients on a seamless transition."

"We are pleased to grow with an exceptional and market-leading office as part of our European network, as well as with these individuals who will be immediately additive to our London team," said Paul Maher founding shareholder of Greenberg Traurig Maher LLP in London.

The Warsaw team has advised on many of the key transactions in Poland over the past 20 years. It is recognized as a premier provider of legal services in Poland. In December 2011, the team represented a group consisting of over 20 international and Polish banks on the successful conclusion of a PLN 2 billion (US$634 million) debt restructuring for a Polish steel company. In April 2011, they completed the biggest M&A deal ever made in Poland and the largest leveraged buy out this year.

In March 2012, the Warsaw office was named as the Private Equity Law Firm of the Year in Poland at the 2012 Global Law Experts Practice Area Awards. In addition, Chambers Europe 2012 ranked the office as Band 1 in each of Corporate M&A, Private Equity, Capital Markets Equity and Tax.

The Warsaw office provides legal services in a number of areas key to important industries in Eastern Europe and beyond. The team includes highly experienced and widely recognized legal professionals working with clients across borders and sectors on mergers and acquisitions, privatizations, capital markets, private equity, project finance, asset securitization, bankruptcy proceedings and financial restructurings, tax, litigation and arbitration across a wide range of sectors including banking, insurance, energy, telecommunications, real estate, and aviation, among others.

Greenberg Traurig's first entree into Europe was Amsterdam in 2003 with some of the best lawyers in the Netherlands. In 2009, the firm opened in London, also with market leaders. The Warsaw office will be Greenberg Traurig's first office in Eastern Europe and is expected to enhance its existing European presence, which also includes Milan via an alliance with highly ranked Studio Santa Maria.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1800 attorneys serving clients from 35 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In the U.S., the firm has more offices than any other among the Top 10 on The National Law Journal's 2012 NLJ 250. For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.

SOURCE Greenberg Traurig