How a small practice founded in 2007 by ex-Allen&Overy lawyer Grzegorz Woźniak developed into an esteemed and recognisable legal brand

In 2007 I decided to leave Allen&Overy Warsaw to set up my own law firm. It was not an easy decision for me. I was agonizing when I put my termination notice on the table. However, I knew it was the right moment and that I had to do it; without this single step, nothing would have been possible. My plan was to provide the same consistently high quality of service as the top-tier international firms whilst delivering services in a more personalized and flexible way.
 
I remember the first day I opened the doors and walked into my office and I thought "that’s awesome; my logo, my computers, my shining furniture; that’s money well spent but how do I pay my next bill?" It was not easy. Although most of my clients followed me to my new law firm, the financial side of the business was below my expectation.
 
In need of advice, I decided to reach out to people I admired most. One of them was Stephen Denyer, who was my first boss at Allen & Overy, Warsaw. I decided to go to London and see Stephen. I hoped that he would find some time for me. At that time Stephen was working for The Law Society of England and Wales in London and he was an important figure in the world of international law.
 
I bought a ticket, packed my things and flew to London. Stephen received me very warmly. We went to the café at the Law Society to have a beer and to talk about good old times. The meeting went beyond my expectations. It was not just a visit – it was a real working session. We sat together for three hours talking about law firm management and other practicalities. While drinking a cold Stella Artois in the café, I learned probably the most important business lessons in my life.
 
Stephen was speaking to me like an inspired prophet and I was taking notes. It was like the wisdom of many generations of English lawyers speaking through him. How to develop the legal network, how to use social media, how to think about your brand, how important a good and easily navigated website is, how important is to be visible on Twitter and LinkedIn, how crucial is to be ranked by legal directories etc.
 
I had heard these things before but this time it was different. It was spoken directly to me by an eminent lawyer from the heart of the Empire. Stephen convinced me that I should aim high and dream big. I will never forget these words.
 
Stephen talked to me that – obviously - I need to be a very good lawyer with excellent analytical skills but at the same time I need to be a trusted advisor to my clients. Clients want to know that they are getting value and quality for their hard-earned money. The reality is that the best kind of marketing is word of mouth and recommendation. Stephen was saying that: “If you provide a top-class service then people will know about it and the benefits to your business will be endless. That means that if you want to own the top brand then you have to have the best service”.
 
I went back home the next day. I adopted Stephen’s advice 100%. I made a shift towards cross-border matters and I moved my offices to one of the most prestigious addresses in Warsaw at Sniadeckich 17 in the heart of the city. I set up my profiles on LinkedIn and Twitter. I started to add posts in English regularly. I joined the International Bar Association and started to attend the annual IBA conferences. I attended the fantastic annual IBA conference in Rome in 2017 where Stephen introduced me to the most important people in the business.
In 2017 Woźniak Legal was ranked for the first time in Chambers HNW as one of the best Polish law firms in private client category.
In 2018 Woźniak Legal was highly commended by the Law Society of England and Wales for excellence in the category of international legal services. The Law Society Excellence Awards gala took place in London on 17 October 2018 at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel at Mayfair. I received the award from the hands of the then - President of the Law Society Christina Blacklaws. What a wonderful evening that was!

I still see Stephen regularly, either in Warsaw or in London. He is my mentor for life.