We want to be an initiator and promoter of changing the world for the better

Dear Team, Clients and Friends,

Not long ago, we completed another busy year which, like every year before it and hopefully all the years to come, was filled with exciting and inspiring projects that are absolutely changing our world for the better. But, as always, there were also challenges and adversities we had to face and overcome.

It’s clear that the obstacles we have overcome are important milestones in the development of ourselves and our organisation. It is through them that we have the opportunity to identify and address our weaknesses, remove bottlenecks and improve processes. To develop and grow. But also to stretch ourselves and in doing so, set the bar much higher than others.

So we made the most of this year. In every possible way. First and foremost on the business front, creating and leading change in the energy, infrastructure, finance and technology markets, among other areas, as well as participating in and advising on the most important projects being implemented in our part of Europe.

As an organisation, we have also undergone a profound transformation, consolidating our potential, greatly enhancing our technological competence and strengthening our links with our international partners.

However, we recognise that we will not realise the full potential of these benefits unless change is accompanied by a genuine understanding and integration of issues that are already an integral part of any mature business today. These include a responsibility to have a positive impact on the environment and a concern for wider social issues.

ESG Committee

As careful observers of the world around us, we are well aware of this. We have therefore established a dedicated advisory body, reporting to senior management, which is responsible for developing and implementing the best ESG standards to ensure the most comprehensive and sustainable approach, and that our business operates in line with the values we hold dear.

The members of the Committee are:

• Joanna Barbrich – Chief Sustainability Officer
• Anna Gwiazda – Labour Relations Executive
• Daria Matyja – People & Culture Executive
• Marcin Dyński – Chief Operations Officer
• Mateusz Ostrowski -Anti-Bribery and Corruption Officer
• Wojciech Wrochna – Head of Energy and Natural Resources
• Michał Walczak – Chief Technology Officer
• Diana Tavera – Chair of the Committee

In addition, the role of Chief Human Rights Officer is held by Parasto Yari, whose extensive knowledge, experience and uncompromising fight for the rights of women and children have earned her international respect and recognition. We take advantage of having this prominent Afghan lawyer on board by including her in meetings and events where we discuss issues of gender equality and freedom of expression. These are areas that remain a global challenge, and our aim is to raise awareness of and sensitivity to their importance in building a strong democracy and civil society.

Today, our ESG Committee is made up of nine sustainable business enthusiasts whose complementary skills enable us to manage all ESG issues appropriately. These range from the business and the people who make it up, law, work culture and technologies that support us, to environmental protection, sustainable use of energy and resources. 

The Committee’s work is continuously supported by a working group, which translates sometimes abstract ideas and concepts into concrete projects, and coordinates day-to-day cooperation with our partners. It is thanks to the creativity and commitment of all these wonderful people that we have been able to implement a number of small but important initiatives for our working culture and everyday life.

Kochański & Partners Master Academy

Kochański & Partners Master Academy is a programme aimed at students, graduates and young talents, offering paid internships and participation in specific legal projects, as well as attending meetings with partners and mentors, trainings and workshops, and publication in our newsletters. The very best have the opportunity to take part in international initiatives with our partners. The sky is the limit!

What’s COOking?

To attract the best talent in the market, we need to give them the best possible conditions to develop their careers and work together on projects. This is why we pay so much attention to building an organisational culture with an open, respectful working environment. An environment that is based on values, that listens to the needs of the people who make it up, one that builds on their strengths but also provides space and motivation for development.

Hence the “What’s COOking?” initiative where we hold regular meetings with our Chief Operations Officer to find out what people think about the way the office and the firm work. Sometimes it is the little things that need attention and minor changes that make the difference. And sometimes it is the more fundamental issues that individuals feel can make the difference between staying and achieving their career goals with us or leaving. Knowing what makes things difficult for them, what needs to be changed or improved, gives us the chance to respond quickly and appropriately.

Communication, and more communication

In our pursuit of innovation, we never forget what creates the unique atmosphere of our firm. It is the strong, open relationships, the lack of distance, the enthusiasm and the willingness to share all that is good, important and noteworthy. That is why we are strengthening internal communication channels and tools so that all our employees and associates have equal access to important information and the opportunity to actively participate in the life of the firm at every level.

Going cyber secure

We have always embraced technology and been committed to innovation that frees up our time and resources. For us, as an organisation that works with hundreds of companies, clients, vendors and subcontractors every day, and for our team members and their loved ones. We do a lot of training on cybersecurity, digital hygiene and new technologies. And each time, we are reminded that the highest standards and best practices we use every day in the workplace are also worth applying in our private lives. This is why our IT department is so keen to support those of us who want to create secure networks and solutions in our homes. We firmly believe that this is how we build our collective digital resilience.

Sustainability

Looking back on the year as a whole, I have no hesitation in saying that the integration of ESG issues into the day-to-day operations and management of our business has created a powerful wave that has permanently changed every aspect of how we operate. We have looked at many issues from a whole new perspective, systematised and streamlined processes, and put them into a framework that allows us to realise our potential more effectively and efficiently – and to embrace new ideas, projects and initiatives.

Initiatives to which we voluntarily committed when we joined the ranks of companies united by the idea of the United Nations Global Compact last year. Today, as a signatory to the Diversity Charter, one of the largest international equality projects under the auspices of the European Commission, we have gone much further. We have made a formal commitment to respect the prohibition of discrimination, to implement and report on actions to create and promote diversity, and to involve employees and business and social partners in these actions.

At work and in our business lives, we create a space where each of us feels safe and secure. Where we feel ‘at home’ no matter how old we are, who we love, what colour our skin is or where we come from. We are all different, that much is clear. But it is this diversity that gives us strength. And that is why we celebrated this year’s Pride Month loudly and colourfully.

This is also why we underwent a rigorous EcoVadis audit and, as a result of this in-depth investigation, we were awarded a silver medal, making us one of the very few companies in the world to achieve such a high score. This is a source of great pride, but also a driving force to raise the bar even higher and continually improve. In fact, we are using the audit findings as a roadmap to help us identify where there is potential for change and what we can do better or more efficiently.

(Re)Build (New) Ukraine

Over the past year, the word that has come up most often is ‘consistency’. We have consistently grown our business, systematically improved our processes, stubbornly set new goals and persistently worked to achieve them, and always with an appetite for more.

And, as in the previous year, we have continued our activities under the (Re)Build (New) Ukraine programme, taking them to the highest, international level. This year we held three major events, inviting the Japanese and Ukrainian ambassadors, as well as Polish, Ukrainian, Japanese and Spanish entrepreneurs.

Participants at these meetings had the opportunity to forge relationships, share experiences and find common ground within the huge project of providing multi-directional assistance to Ukrainian companies and institutions operating under wartime conditions, supporting current business needs and projects, and then preparing Ukrainian partners for the upcoming challenges of post-war reconstruction.

And this steadfast consistency in supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the war has not only brought us tangible projects and a flood of work for our Ukrainian Desk, but has also been recognised as Highly Commended in the Best ESG Initiative category of The Lawyer European Awards 2023 ranking and in the Rzeczpospolita daily ranking.

(Re)Build (New) Ukraine is a large and high-profile project, but we are pursuing equally important projects that are less outwardly spectacular. Since the inception of the Polish-Canadian-Ukrainian KALYNA Foundation, we have provided financial support for the education of the children of Ukrainian soldiers killed defending Donbass. Every year, together with the entire team, we fund Christmas presents for the wards of a small orphanage in Krasne. These projects, small in the grand scheme of things, take place in the shadow of big politics and world events, but they are important elements of our identity, and constant points on which the strength of our organisation is built.

But these are not the only ones. Last year almost five hundred people participated in our training courses and events. We prepared dozens of newsletters and several hundred articles, we were present in the most important Polish and European media, and actively commented on the most important issues and events for Polish business, creating a space for dialogue and a ground for better, more practical and pragmatic law.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The changes on the Polish political scene that we celebrated at the end of last year have given us an extra boost. They have allowed us to look to the future with greater optimism, to plan further actions and to dream of good and beautiful things.

This is why, since the first days of 2024, we have been consistently implementing our New Year’s resolutions. At all times, we want to be an initiator and promoter of changing the world for the better. For our business, our people, our clients and our communities. As an employer, business partner and advisor. Here, now and for generations to come.

With best regards

Piotr Kochański