Justyna Szpara

Practice Areas

Arbitration

Litigation

Justyna Szpara is a partner heading the Dispute Resolution Practice. She is a renowned expert in the field of international arbitration and litigation, with over 20 years of experience in legal advisory for businesses.

Career

Justyna has worked as counsel in high-profile international and domestic commercial arbitrations, i.a., under ICC Rules, SCC Rules, VIAC Rules, UNCITRAL Rules, LCIA Rules, Polish Chamber of Commerce Rules and Lewiatan Rules. She has represented investors in investment arbitrations. She also frequently represents clients in commercial litigations.

Justyna is listed as a recommended arbitrator by the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw, Lewiatan Arbitration Court, LCIA, VIAC and SCIA. She is Fellow at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She has served as an arbitrator in more than 100 cases under ICC Rules, SCC Rules, VIAC Rules, as well as the rules of domestic institutions. She is frequently appointed as the presiding arbitrator or a sole arbitrator.

Justyna is one of the most recognized Polish lawyers in the field of dispute resolution and arbitration, regularly recommended by prestigious international rankings such: Legal 500 EMEA, Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, Who’s Who Legal and the Polish ranking of law firms organized by Rzeczpospolita.

Her social involvement includes serving as the Vice-President of ICC Poland and the Chairperson of its Arbitration Commission. She is also a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR.

She is the author of numerous publications on arbitration both in Poland and abroad, and a frequent speaker at conferences dedicated to this subject.

Justyna graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw. In 2000, she graduated from the School of German Law at the University of Warsaw and she also studied at the University of Regensburg, Germany. In 2011, she completed advanced training on international arbitration at International Arbitration Academy in Paris.

She has been cooperating with Łaszczuk & Partners since 1999. For many years, she held the position of managing partner.

Professional Memberships

Vice-President and chair of the Arbitration Commission, ICC Poland; fellow, CIArb; member, Arbitration Commission of the Polish Bar Council; Honorary Treasurer, AIJA; member, Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA);

Publications

- Multiparty Arbitration in Poland: Direct Liability of Employer vis-à-vis Subcontractor and Its Consequences in Arbitration [in:] Construction Arbitration in Central and Eastern Europe Contemporary Issues

- Comparative Legal Guide: International Arbitration, Legalease

- The Arbitration Rules of the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce. Commentary, M. Łaszczuk, A. Szumański (ed.)

- GAR Know How Commercial Arbitration: Poland

- A Few Remarks on Enforceability of a Decision on Costs of Arbitration in Case of Lack of Jurisdiction of the Arbitral Tribunal to Resolve a Dispute [in:] Usus magister est optimus. Rozprawy prawnicze ofiarowane Profesorowi Andrzejowi Kubasowi

Work Highlights

-Representing an insurer in proceedings before the state courts and in ICC arbitration in a dispute over liability for injury caused by a fire at a shopping centre

-Representing an industrial client in a dispute for payment under a joint-venture agreement under the UNCITRAL arbitration rules with the place of arbitration in New Delhi

-Representing a client from the real estate industry in an ICC arbitration with an international financial institution concerning a share purchase option, with the place of arbitration in London

-Representing an investor in arbitration under the bilateral investment treaty between Poland and the Netherlands

-Representing a client in the telecommunications industry in a multi-billion-dollar dispute over control of a leading mobile phone operator, including representation in post-arbitration proceedings, judicial proceedings, and related investment arbitration

-Representing a client from the consulting industry in ad-hoc arbitration concerning exclusion of a partner from the partnership

-Advice in an arbitration dispute concerning an option to acquire shares and assume control over an SPV company operating a heat and power plant

-Representing a general contractor in a dispute with the investor concerning repayment of amounts drawn under a bank guarantee and defective performance of construction work on a residential building

Awards