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2nd US-CEE Connection Weekend: US and EU Perspectives on ESG: Towards a sustainable world or a dangerous utopia?

 
New event by Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków
and Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.
 
Participation is free of charge but demands upfront registration under this link (or button below/on the left).
 
 
Kraków, 28-29 June 2024
 
 
From Friday afternoon June 28 through Saturday afternoon June 29, UJ and CUA will host lawyers, business people, government officials to consider the past, present, and future potential and challenges of ESG and sustainability. 
 
Programs will take place in the Jagiellonian University’s beautiful Collegium Novum just off the main square with a Friday reception and Saturday lunch in other historic Kraków venues.
 
Organising Committee: Prof. Leah Wortham, dr Wojciech Bańczyk, Łukasz Chyla
Secretary of the organisational board: Olga Marzec
 

This event has been supported by a grant from the Faculty of Law and Administration under the Strategic Programme Excellence Initiative at Jagiellonian University.

 

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Schedule

Pre-conference agenda (Friday, June 28, 2024)

 

Refektarz (downstairs), Collegium Wróblewskiego, UJ, Olszewskiego Str. 2

9:30-11:30 am ESG Disputes and Arbitration – Opportunities and Challenges workshop by a law firm GESSEL (Barbara Tomczyk, Piotr Paprota)

11:30 am – 1:30 pm ESG Officer – Career for a Lawyer? workshop by a law firm B2Rlaw (Agnieszka Hajos-Iwańska, Małgorzata Tomaka).

 

3:00-4:30 pm Information meeting about CUA-UJ American Law Program 2024-2025

 

Main Aula, Collegium Novum, UJ, Gołębia Str. 24

1:30-2:30 pm Commencement Ceremony, American Law Program

Jagiellonian University Faculty of Law & Administration and the Columbus School of Law of The Catholic University of America (Catholic Law). Awards to top program students.

 

Room 30, Collegium Novum, UJ, Gołębia Str. 24 (By invitation)

3:00 – 5:00 pm Informal Roundtable for Speakers and Other Invited Guests

The Roundtable gives speakers and other invited participants an opportunity for an informal exchange of thoughts. Possible topics include ESG concerns and controversies in the US, Poland, and Europe more generally as well as positions currently taken by stakeholders and interest groups on both sides of the Atlantic.

Facilitated by Prof. Sarah Duggin, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law (Catholic Law), Professor of Law (Ret.) and Director, Compliance, Investigations & Corporate Responsibility Program

 

Conference agenda (Friday, June 28, 2024)

 

4:00 – 5:00 pm Registration (Main Aula, Collegium Novum, UJ, Gołębia Str. 24)

 

5:00 – 5:30 pm Welcomes Consul Jeff Burnett (US Consulate in Krakow); Dean Prof. Jerzy Pisuliński (UJ); Dean Prof. Stephen Payne (Catholic Law); Dean of Attorney-at-Law Bar, Dr Marcin Sala Szczypiński

 

5:30 – 6:00 pm Opening keynote lecture Prof. Jacek Jastrzębski, Chair of the KNF Board (Polish Financial Supervision Authority); Associate Professor at University of Warsaw

 

6:00 – 8:00 pm Panel #1: Conceptualizing ESG and Sustainability

Moderator: Dr. Wojciech Bańczyk

This panel addresses multiple perspectives on defining sustainability including philosophical, religious, and international law perspectives on sustainable development. Panelists also consider overarching questions like what is/should be encompassed in ESG, purposes sought to be served, and relative effectiveness of contemplated approaches in achieving those goals.

  • Ewa Całus, MBA, Plenipotentiary of the Kraków City Mayor for Environmental Education
  • Dr. Agnieszka Hajos-Iwańska, Advocate (Tech transactions, VC, compliance, ESG), partner at B2RLaw
  • Dr. Maciej Grodzicki, Assistant Professor, Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social Communication
  • Mary Graw Leary, Professor of Law, Catholic Law
  • Dr. Hab. Małgorzata Podrecka, Vice-President Management Board, Legal Service, Compliance, Sustainability, & Corporate Responsibility, CAN-PACK S.A.
  • Prof. Piotr Szwedo, Head of the Centre for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Jagiellonian University
  • Jakub Wiech, Editor in Chief, Energetyka24.com

 

8:00– 9:30 pm Reception (Courtyard of Collegium Maius, UJ, Jagiellońska Str. 15)

Conference agenda (Saturday, June 29, 2024)

 

8:00 – 8:30 am Registration (Main Aula, Collegium Novum, UJ, Gołębia Str. 24)

 

8:00 – 8:30 am Information meeting about the UJ-CUA American Law Program for those interested 

 

8:30 – 9:00 am Opening remarks Bogdan Klich, Senator, Republic of Poland

 

9.00 – 9.30 am Where is responsibility for and interest in ESG investment located in the US government? 

A dialogue between the Honorable Phyllis C. Borzi & Professor Jack Murphy

 

9.30 – 11.30 am Panel #2: Differing EU and US Approaches to Promoting ESG goals

Moderator: Łukasz Chyla

Many US lawyers are not aware of what the EU is doing regarding ESG. Conversely, some in the EU are surprised by currents in the US including efforts within some states to block ESG directed investment, e.g. in pension funds. This panel provides the basics of where each side is, and explores the differing premises and politics that underlie the differing approaches.

Panel #2 Keynote lecture The Honorable Hester M. Peirce, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner

  • The Honorable Phyllis C. Borzi, Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security of the US Department of Labor (2009–2017), Catholic Law Board of Visitors
  • Annette Capretta, Chief Counsel, Investment Company Institute (ICI) Global, Washington, DC
  • Jacek Jastrzębski, Chair of the KNF Board (Polish Financial Supervision Authority); Associate Professor at University of Warsaw
  • Beata Tylman-Nowakowska, Director of Primary Market Department, Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW)
  • Małgorzata Szewc, Vice President of the Management Board, Polish Association of Listed Companies (SEG)

 

11.30 – 12.00 pm Coffee break 

 

12.00 – 12.30 pm Keynote lecture Jurand Drop, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance

 

12.30 – 2.30 pm Panel #3: Competing visions of corporate interests and ESG goals

Moderator: Łukasz Chyla

It is important to focus on competing visions regarding the rationale for regulation in capital markets and debates about corporate purpose in smaller incorporated ventures as well. Discussion during this panel includes the debate about relative effectiveness of differing approaches to corporations to push toward ESG goals.

  • Prof. Katarzyna Bilewska, Commercial Law Chair, University of Warsaw. Partner, BLSK Legal
  • Christopher D. Christian, Financial Services Partner, Dechert LLP, Catholic Law Board of Visitors
  • Dana M. Muir, University of Michigan, Robert L. Dixon Collegiate Professor of Business, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business
  • Prof. Jack W. Murphy, Director, Securities Law Program, Catholic Law
  • Karolina Opielewicz, Board Member, Polish Chamber of Commerce
  • Zofia Piwowarek, ESG Chapter Leader, Santander Bank Polska

 

2.30 – 3.30 pm Sandwich break

 

3.30 – 5.30 pm Panel #4: Law and Business Perspectives on Practice Challenges in Meeting ESG Requirements

Moderator: Dr. Gaspar Kot

This panel builds on the first three panels and talks about practical consequences for businesses and their in-house and outside legal counsel who must deal with compliance with current and contemplated ESG regimes in the US and EU.

  • Mateusz Jurczyk, Amcham, Branch Director, Krakow & Katowice
  • Mariusz Mielczarek, Amazon, Regional Director CEE for Public Policy
  • Dr. Karolina Panfil, Assistant Professor, University of Warsaw
  • Dr. Maximilian Piekut, LL.M., Counsel, SSW,
  • Seweryn Szwarocki, Polish Economic Society, Chief Executive Officer ESG+ Consulting
  • Mariusz Wawer, 3M, Head of Government Relations & ESG, East Europe Region

 

5.30 – 5.35 pm Thanks Leah Wortham, Professor Emerita of Law, CUA Director of CUA-UJ Cooperative Programs

 

6.00 – 7.45 pm Closing reception & buffet (Collegium Novum)

 

7.45 pm Join participants and CUA-UJ Program alumni at an informal gathering (TBA)

Speakers

Consul Jeff Burnett (General Services Officer, US Consulate General Krakow)

Opening remarks: Friday

Consul Jeff Burnett (General Services Officer, US Consulate General Krakow)

General Services Officer for Consulate General Krakow. This is Jef Burnett's first tour overseas. He arrived in Krakow in September 2022 for his two-year tour and is joined by his spouse, Megan, who works in the consular section of the consulate. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Jeff served in a variety of government contracting positions with the State Department in Washington, DC. Jeff received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from The George Washington University and hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Prof. Stephen Payne (Dean, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Opening remarks: Friday

Prof. Stephen Payne (Dean, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Dean of the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; graduate of B.S. Cornell University; J.D. Yale Law School. Dean Payne was a partner and the chair of the FDA and Health Care practice group at the global law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Previously, he practiced at Sidley Austin LLP and was a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Admitted to the DC and New York bars, he received the highest rating of “Leading” from the Practical Law Company, was named a “Life Sciences Star” by the legal guide LMG Life Sciences, and was ranked in 2019 as a “Litigation Star” in Washington, D.C. by Benchmark Litigation.
Prof. Jerzy Pisuliński (Dean, Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków)

Opening remarks: Friday

Prof. Jerzy Pisuliński (Dean, Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków)

Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Professor of law; head of the Chair of Civil Law (UJ), chairman of the Legal Committee of the Polish Academy of Skills (PAU) in Kraków; past vice-chairman of the Codification Commission at the Polish Ministry of Justice; past member of the group of experts of the European Commission for European contract law. In his research, he focuses his scientific interests on contract law (consumer law), rights in rem (in particular security for claims in rem), inheritance law, private banking law (in particular monetary settlements and credit agreements), European civil procedure and private international law.
Dr. Marcin Sala-Szczypiński (Dean, Attorneys at Law Bar Association in Kraków)

Opening remarks: Friday

Dr. Marcin Sala-Szczypiński (Dean, Attorneys at Law Bar Association in Kraków)

Dean of the Attorneys at Law Bar Association in Kraków, attorney at law, Ph.D. in law. Assistant professor in the Chair of Administrative Law, University of the National Education Commission in Kraków; former (2006-2013) associate dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration, A. Frycz-Modrzewski Kraków Academy
Prof. Leah Wortham (Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Opening remarks: Friday

Prof. Leah Wortham (Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

CUA Director of CUA-UJ Law Programs, namely American Law Program, International Business and Trade Summer Law Program, and LL.M. in American Law. Professor Emerita of Law; J.D. (Harvard Law School). She served as CUA Law’s clinical program coordinator, an Associate Dean, and taught professional responsibility, criminal law, and the externship seminar, Becoming a Lawyer. She has taught, presented, or consulted in 35 countries regarding teaching legal ethics, legal profession reform, clinical education, and legal education generally. Professor Wortham was Chair of the Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee and the Legal Ethics Committee of the DC Bar, which has more than 100,000 members.
The Honorable Hester M. Peirce (Commissioner, US Securities & Exchange Commission)

Keynote Speaker

The Honorable Hester M. Peirce (Commissioner, US Securities & Exchange Commission)

Hester M. Peirce was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was sworn in on January 11, 2018. Prior to joining the SEC, Commissioner Peirce conducted research on the regulation of financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She was a Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where she advised Ranking Member Richard Shelby and other members of the Committee on securities issues. Commissioner Peirce served as counsel to SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins. She also worked as a Staff Attorney in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Commissioner Peirce was an associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) and clerked for Judge Roger Andewelt on the Court of Federal Claims. Commissioner Peirce earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Case Western Reserve University and her JD from Yale Law School.
The Honorable Phyllis C. Borzi

Keynote Speaker

The Honorable Phyllis C. Borzi

A former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) from 2009 until 2017, overseeing approximately 700,000 private-sector retirement plans and 2.3 million group health plans as well as additional welfare benefit plans that together provide benefits to approximately 150 million Americans. She represented the Department of Labor (DoL) in implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She was instrumental in important pension regulations, including the DoL’s Department’s 2016 rule extending Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) fiduciary duties to financial advisors to pension plans and retirement investors and the 2020 rules on ESG investments and proxy voting by pension plan fiduciaries. Ms. Borzi headed the U.S. delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Private Pensions and Insurance from 2009-2017. From 1995-2009, Ms. Borzi was a research professor in the Department of Health Policy at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and practiced law at a Washington, D.C. law firm. From 1979 to 1995, she was Pension and Employee Benefit Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor. She is a nationally recognized expert in pension and health benefits, the author of numerous articles and a frequent speaker on these issues both in the U.S. and globally. She graduated from Catholic Law where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and now serves on the law school’s Board of Visitors.
Prof. Jacek Jastrzębski, LL.M. (The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF), Chair of the Board; University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration)

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Jacek Jastrzębski, LL.M. (The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF), Chair of the Board; University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration)

One of the leading Polish specialists in law and finance. He has a legal background as a graduate and professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration of University of Warsaw, as well as economic background as a graduate of SGH Warsaw School of Economics. He has also completed a prestigious ‘Professional LL.M.’ legal programme at University of California, Berkeley (United States). Jacek Jastrzębski combined his work in banking with his academic and scientific activities. For more than ten years he served as Deputy Director of the Legal Department at Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski. He has been employed as Professor at the Department of Civil Law of the Faculty of Law and Administration at University of Warsaw. In 2017, he was recognised in ‘Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Central and Eastern Europe’, a list of the most influential lawyers in Central and Eastern Europe. As part of his scientific activity, he deals with civil law, commercial law and financial market law, and he is an author/co-author of more than 80 scientific publications. His PhD and habilitation dissertations have received awards from Państwo i Prawo monthly. He participated, as a speaker and host, in a series of national and international conferences, including events regarding financial market.
Jurand Drop (Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Finance)

Keynote Speaker

Jurand Drop (Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Finance)

Jurand Drop holds position of Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance. He assists the Minister of Finance in running the macroeconomic policy and broader economic policies, as well as shaping the regulatory framework of the financial markets in Poland. In particular, he supervises departments of: Macroeconomic Policy, Public Debt, Development of Financial Market, and Efficiency of Public Expenditures and Accounting. He serves as the Chief Speaker for Discipline of the Public Spending. He is a member of the Economic Committee of the Council of Ministers, and represents Minister of Finance at the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers. Jurand Drop is an economist, public servant and academic lecturer. He graduated from the Cracow University of Economics, faculty of International Economic Relations. His master's thesis analysed the theory of the optimum currency areas in the European context. During his studies he made an internship at the National Bank of Poland. In 1999-2005 he worked as a researcher and teaching assistant at the Department of Macroeconomics at the CEU. He held lectures on macroeconomics, mathematical economics and the European Monetary Union. He also held lectures at several private university-level schools. Upon passing the concurs for the European civil servant, he worked from 2005 to 2008 as an economist at the European Commission. He was involved in the implementation of the i2010 information society programme, the Lisbon Strategy economic reform program, and also in the preparations of the economic analyses in the Directorate-General for Information Society and Media. He participated in negotiations between the European Commission and EU Member States in economic reforms and the creation of operational programs in cohesion policy. In the years 2009-2011, he was employed at the Ministry of Interior and Administration in Warsaw. He served as the head of the Unit for Strategy and Coordination of National Programs in the Department of Information Society. He was responsible in the implementation of the reforms foreseen by the i2010 program by the Polish administration. He co-operated with ministries, local government administrations, as well as with stakeholders from the telecommunications and IT sectors. During the Polish Presidency in the Council of the EU in 2011, he served as the Councillor for Economic Analyses in the Coreper-II Team at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union in Brussels. Among other assignments, he represented Poland in the Task Force for Greece that dealt with the economic crisis in that country. In the years 2012-2015, he served as the Counsellor for the telecommunications and information society. He represented Poland in the Council Working Parties for telecommunications and postal services, for cybersecurity, and periodically also for protection of personal data and for radio and telecommunications equipment. In 2015, he became Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Administration and Digitization responsible for digitization policy, telecommunications, cybersecurity and e-government. In 2020-2023, he worked again for the European Commission as the Country Coordinator for Finland, Lithuania and Poland in the Directorate-General for Telecommunications Networks, Content and Technology in the European Commission. He was responsible for, among others, supporting these three countries in running policies on telecommunications, cybersecurity, and on greening of the ICT. He participated in the process of setting up economic reforms, including negotiations regarding the Resilience and Recover Programs the implementation of the measures, as well as verification of the goals and milestones. He contributed to the Digital Agenda Reports on the three countries. He also participated in the European Semester procedures, in particular on the economic reforms. In 2023, he became Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance in Poland.
Prof. Katarzyna Bilewska (BLSK; University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration)

Prof. Katarzyna Bilewska (BLSK; University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration)

Professor Katarzyna Bilewska is a partner at BLSK, a law firm specializing in complex commercial and regulatory disputes. In 2022, she was recognized in the Forbes “25 Women Lawyers in Business” ranking. She is also listed annually in the international legal rankings of Chambers and Partners and Legal500. She combines her legal practice with her academic activities - she is a university professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw, where she served as Head of the Department of Commercial Law from 2017 to 2020.

Ewa Całus, MBA

Plenipotentiary of Kraków City Mayor for Climate Education
Annette Capretta (Investment Company Institute (ICI) Global, Washington, D.C.)

Annette Capretta (Investment Company Institute (ICI) Global, Washington, D.C.)

Chief Counsel of ICI Global and guides the Investment Company Institute’s international legal program in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere for the benefit of ICI members and long-term investors. In previous positions at ICI, Annette served as Associate General Counsel, focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, and as Deputy Managing Director of the Independent Directors Council, providing education resources and advocacy on behalf of fund independent directors. Before joining ICI, Annette held senior management positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission and in the legal department of a large fund complex. Annette began her legal career as a litigator, after a one-year clerkship with a federal judge. Annette received her law degree from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of North Carolina.
Christopher D. Christian (Dechert LLP)

Christopher D. Christian (Dechert LLP)

Member of the Dechert’s Policy Committee and Deputy Chair for Strategic Growth, advises U.S. and European asset managers and investment funds and their boards of directors, including funds organized under the European Union directive on Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) and funds organized in other jurisdictions offered on a private basis. Mr. Christian’s practice has a significant international component. He advises offshore funds on compliance with U.S. regulatory requirements and routinely counsels European retail and institutional funds on organization, registration, corporate governance, and global distribution issues. He has assisted clients in coordinating offering advisory services and various types of investment funds in compliance with local law in jurisdictions in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin and South America. Mr. Christian is also the architect of Dechert’s World Compass, an innovative marketing compliance subscription service that offers investment firms advice in more than 100 jurisdictions. Mr. Christian is the former Chair of the International Bar Association's Investment Funds Committee and was recently selected as Chair of the Irish Funds North America Distribution Working Group. He has spent considerable time working in Dechert's London office and is a frequent conference speaker.
Prof. Sarah Duggin (Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Prof. Sarah Duggin (Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Director of the Catholic University School of Law Compliance, Investigations and Corporate Responsibility Program (CICR), and Ordinary Professor of Law (Ret.), teaches in the areas of constitutional law, corporate law, legal compliance, and corporate social responsibility. Before joining the law faculty, Sarah served as Chief Legal Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Vice President & General Counsel of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), and as a partner in the law firm of Williams & Connolly LLP. She has written extensively in the fields of corporate law, corporate responsibility, professional ethics, and constitutional law. Sarah is also an Episcopal Priest who serves part-time as Associate Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish in Washington, D.C.
Prof. Mary Graw Leary (Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Prof. Mary Graw Leary (Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Professor of law at The Catholic University of America. A former federal prosecutor, Professor Graw Leary's scholarship examines the intersection of criminal law and procedure, technology, and contemporary victimization. She focuses on the exploitation and abuse of women, children, and the marginalized. She is a recognized expert in the areas of criminal law and procedure, exploitation, human trafficking, missing persons, victimization, technology and the Fourth Amendment. Professor Graw Leary is the Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission’s Victim Advocacy Group and the former co-chair of the Victims Group of the ABA’s Criminal Justice Section. She earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Dr. Maciej Grodzicki (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Institute of Economics, Finance and Management)

Dr. Maciej Grodzicki (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Institute of Economics, Finance and Management)

Ph.D. in economics (Cracow University of Economics, 2016), researcher and academic teacher at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication of the Jagiellonian University. Laureate of DAAD P.R.I.M.E. post-doctoral scholarship, conducted at SPRU, University of Sussex and IERP, University of Bremen. Member of the board of the Polish Economics Network, as well as the JU Climate Council. His research interests have focused on the issues of international inequalities, global supply chains and economic development in peripheral countries, while more recently he has conducted projects on forestry practices and energy transition.
Adv. Dr. Agnieszka Hajos-Iwańska (B2R law)

Adv. Dr. Agnieszka Hajos-Iwańska (B2R law)

Ph.D. in law (Jagiellonian University), advocate in Poland and partner in M&A / VC practice of B2RLaw - independent law firm that houses multi-disciplinary experts focused on the different types of matters and transactions ranging from VC, PE, Public Listed M&A, Cross-Border/Multi Jurisdiction; the standout leader for VC and NTT company transactions in Poland and CEE. An author of several books and articles in recognized magazines, co-author of the series of e-books "Make a startup right", free guides for startup originators. Conducts transactional projects from VC to multi-entity and multi-jurisdiction industry transactions. Has extensive cross-border experience and knowledge of international standards and requirements in the area of compliance & ESG as a head of B2RLaw’s Compliance 360 practice.
Mateusz Jurczyk (American Chamber of Commerce)

Mateusz Jurczyk (American Chamber of Commerce)

M.A. (Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków), MBA (University of Bedfordshire, UK). He joined the American Chamber of Commerce in January 2019, to run the Kraków and Katowice Branch of AmCham Poland and was appointed Branch Director in January 2021. Mateusz is also responsible for running ’AmCham 30 Under 30’ - a youth development program, coordinates energy-related issues and the ‘Rebuild Ukraine’ working group. Except that he is a lead of American Investor Desk – an AmCham project supporting Polish companies on their way to the U.S. market expansion. He has 18 years of professional experience in senior management positions, working for both Polish and international companies, where he focused on finance, quality, relationship-building, and sales.
Mariusz Mielczarek (Amazon, American Chamber of Commerce)

Mariusz Mielczarek (Amazon, American Chamber of Commerce)

Regional Director CEE for Public Policy at Amazon and chair of the Digital Economy Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Poland. Before joining Amazon, Mariusz was Executive Director, Government Affairs & Policy CEE at General Electric. Prior career steps include leading roles in Poland and in Brussels with Alstom, the European Commission (DG Regio, Unit Poland), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA). Mariusz holds a Bachelor in Business Administration, a Master’s degree in International Relations and a Postgraduate degree in European Law. He is also a graduate of the Stern Leadership Academy program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Prof. Jack W. Murphy (Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Prof. Jack W. Murphy (Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America)

Practising lawyer in securities law for 33 years, retiring in 2018 from Dechert, LLP, where he was a senior partner in the firm’s Financial Services Practice Group and provided legal advice to registered mutual funds, closed-end funds and investment advisers in connection with all aspects of their operations. He began his career in the Division of Investment Management of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 1985. He left the SEC in 1988 for private practice in New York, after which he served as associate general counsel of an asset management firm before returning to the SEC in 1994 as Associate Director and Chief Counsel of the Division of Investment Management. In that role, he supervised the office primarily responsible for interpreting and establishing the Division’s positions under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. In 1997, he returned to private practice, joining Dechert, LLP as a partner. Since retiring, Mr. Murphy has served CUA’s Columbus School of Law as an Adjunct Professor, teaching Securities Regulation: Compliance and Introduction to Securities Law. He currently serves as the Director of the school’s Securities Law Program. He has also taught courses in American Business Organizations and American Securities Regulation as part of the CUA-JU American Law Program.
Dana M. Muir, MBA (University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business)

Dana M. Muir, MBA (University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business)

She is a recognized expert on trustee obligation especially at the cross section of investments and retirement plan assets, advice, and engagement. Her research reaches extensively into her peer academic community (both domestically and internationally), the legal community at-large, as well as the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the U.S. government. She has published multiple articles on the intersection of ESG and investing retirement plan assets. During sabbatical in 2021-22, Professor Muir studied South Africa’s regulatory framework for sustainability considerations in retirement plan investments. She has actively supported the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulation on plan investments and shareholder engagement.
Karolina Opielewicz (Polish Chamber of Commerce)

Karolina Opielewicz (Polish Chamber of Commerce)

Member of the Management Board of the Polish Chamber of Commerce (Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza) responsible for communication and projects supporting business development. Actively advocates for SMEs, promoting among the largest companies the need to take responsibility for their smaller partners. Has been working at the Polish Chamber of Commerce since 2008. Since 2016, she has been the Deputy General Director. Since 2021, she has been a member of the three-person management board. Initiator of such activities of the Polish Chamber of Commerce as running the Trade Fair Creativity Center, establishing the ESG Committee, and creating the cross-border.pl platform in cooperation with Amazon. On her initiative, the Polish Chamber of Commerce established the ESG School and undertook a number of other educational and development activities to support entrepreneurs in the green transformation. In addition, she is a member of the Board of Directors and the Budget Committee of Eurochambres. Since 2024, she has been elected Vice-President of the Sustainable Development Committee within Eurochambres. Karolina is also a member of many working groups at the national and European level that deal with sustainable development. These include POLSIF, Chapter Zero Poland, and the Sustainable Finance Platform at the Ministry of Finance.
Dr. Karolina Panfil (University of Warsaw, General Counsel to the Republic of Poland)

Dr. Karolina Panfil (University of Warsaw, General Counsel to the Republic of Poland)

Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw, attorney at law, counsel at the General Counsel to the Republic of Poland. She specializes in civil law and dispute resolution. Lecturer at post-diploma studies in sustainable finance at the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw. During her doctoral studies she received scholarships from the Polish National Science Centre and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg. Her Ph.D. dissertation dealt with controversial issues of the law on termination of contract for breach of contract, and has received an honourable mention in a nationwide contest organized by 'Przegląd Sądowy' law journal. Her academic interests focus on various topics of civil law including contract law, civil procedure, extra-contractual liability, climate litigation, and the impact of sustainable development initiatives on contract law.
Dr. Maximilian Piekut, LL.M. (SSW)

Dr. Maximilian Piekut, LL.M. (SSW)

Counsel at SSW. Dr Piekut specializes in advising energy-intensive companies and energy companies on sustainability issues, including renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions allowances (EU ETS), energy efficiency, energy transition, net-zero strategies, ESG and non-financial reporting. He is a member of the Sustainable Development and ESG Practice Steering Committee at SSW. He is an expert on non-governmental organizations which support climate change mitigation. He obtained his PhD from the University of Warsaw, having written a doctoral thesis on legal instruments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector. He graduated the University of Warsaw and the Warsaw School of Economics and holds an LLM from the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. He also studied at Fudan University (Shanghai) and the China University of Political Science and Law (Beijing).
Zofia Piwowarek (Santander Bank Polska)

Zofia Piwowarek (Santander Bank Polska)

ESG Chapter Leader w Tribe ESG & Home Solution, Santander Bank Polska. Graduate of the Department of Political Science and International Relations and the Institute of Southern and Western Slavic Studies at the University of Warsaw, and Slovenian Philology at the University of Ljubljana. She completed her postgraduate studies in Washington at the Daniel Morgan School of National Security (now The Bush School of Government and Public Service). Since 2019 was a United Nations Organization employee. As Director of the Climate Positive Program and National Representative for International Cooperation at the UN Global Compact Network Poland, she shared expertise in UN and EU policies, particularly in the areas of working at the interface of business, government and science, and involving the private sector in the implementation of UN goals, policies and standards. Expert at the Institute for Sustainable Development and Environment, Lazarski University in Warsaw. Lecturer at the Warsaw School of Economics and the Center for Postgraduate Education at Lazarski University in Warsaw. Since 2023, in the position of ESG Chapter Leader, she has been responsible for translating sustainability theory into practice, creating green financial products and solutions for retail and SME clients, supporting the transformation of the economy to low- and zero-carbon, and collaborating on the adaptation of international environmental regulations in Poland. Specialist in development cooperation, multilateral cooperation, and knowledge transfer. Specializes in the implementation of climate policy in Poland, economic diplomacy, social and economic innovation, sustainable fashion, social economics, and designing development leaps and meta-trends in business, particularly in climate change adaptation.
Dr. Hab. Małgorzata Podrecka (Canpack)

Dr. Hab. Małgorzata Podrecka (Canpack)

Vice-President of CANPACK S.A., habilitated in law (Jagiellonian University in Kraków), member of the Entrepreneurship Council, an advisory body to the President of Poland.
Małgorzata Szewc (Polish Association of Listed Companies)

Małgorzata Szewc (Polish Association of Listed Companies)

Graduate of Jagiellonian University in German Linguistic, postgraduate studies in Accounting and Public Finance, European Administration and graduate of Warsaw School of Public Administration. She was employed as civil servant at the Ministry of Finance (2006-2022) dealing with international cooperation in accounting and auditing (at the EU level she represented Poland in the legislative work on the directives: Accounting Directive of 2013, Non-financial reporting directive – NFRD of 2014, Tax CBCR Directive of 2021 and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive – CSRD of 2022). She represented Ministry of Finance in the Accounting Regulatory Committee from 2006 till 2022. In 2018 she led the project on the first report concerning the NFRD implementation by companies in Poland. In 2023 she was elected as vice-president of the management board of SEG (Polish Association of Listed Companies). Member of a working group on improving ESG reporting by Polish companies at the Sustainable Finance Platform set up at the Ministry of Finance. She is engaged in various educational activities concerning CSRD and ESRS application.
Seweryn Szwarocki (Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne)

Seweryn Szwarocki (Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne)

Economist, a graduate of Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), and a manager with experience in renowned consulting firms (Ernst & Young, Sollers Consulting, IGT). He has experience in management and corporate supervision over large companies (Supervisory Board Member of Totalizator Sportowy Sp. z o.o., CPK Sp. z o.o., Welcome Airport Services Sp. z o.o., and IRGiT S.A.). He specializes in developing and implementing business and sustainability strategies. Over the past few years, he led the strategy and sustainable development division at Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka SA. The Bogdanka's transformation strategy he developed was awarded the "Wprost Eagle" for the best strategy of the year and the DISE Energy Congress Award for the best energy transformation strategy. He served as a proxy of the Board in the Lublin Circular Economy Cluster, Lublin Hydrogen Cluster, and Łęczna Energy Cluster. He currently runs ESG+ Consulting (www.esgplus.pl), advising on the implementation of ESG in Polish companies.
Prof. Piotr Szwedo (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Faculty of Law and Administration)

Prof. Piotr Szwedo (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Faculty of Law and Administration)

Dr. Hab. in law, Professor at the Chair of International Public Law, Jagiellonian University in Kraków; head of OKSPO Center for Foreign Law Schools; member of UNA Europa Sustainability Self-Steering Committee; Head of the flagship project Centre for Advanced Sustainability Studies; member of Polish Accreditation Committee. He is a principal investigator of the NCN research grant entitled Rights of Nature - a vehicle for sustainable development ? Operationalisation and critique from an international and comparative law perspective. His research interests are: international trade and investment law, international law of natural resources, comparative legal language
Beata Tylman-Nowakowska (Warsaw Stock Exchange, GPW)

Beata Tylman-Nowakowska (Warsaw Stock Exchange, GPW)

Director of the Primary Market Department at the Warsaw Stock Exchange, responsible for acquiring new issuers for markets operated by GPW, maintaining relations with issuers, and executing selected strategic projects of GPW, including the creation of the ESG Data Hub project. She has over 24 years of extensive professional experience in the financial market. In her career, she has focused on developing business areas in financial institutions, mainly in banks, investment firms, and investment fund companies. She has managed numerous projects, creating and implementing business and communication strategies. She is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics and the Kozminski University in Warsaw. She is a member of the Project Management Institute, an international non-profit organization that brings together professionals in the project management industry. Her mission is to transform strategic concepts into tangible, measurable results, considering the values and needs of stakeholders.
Mariusz Wawer (3M, American Chamber of Commerce)

Mariusz Wawer (3M, American Chamber of Commerce)

Head of Governmental Relations & ESG for all 3M entities in Poland and Central Europe. Responsible for strategic planning & coordination of regulatory & public affairs activities as well as communication with key company stakeholders and trade organizations. He actively works as within the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, chairing the Sustainable Development Committee. Prior to 3M he gained his professional experience in various consulting companies incl. Deloitte and as a journalist in Polish nationals dailies & business magazines. Academic lecturer in the areas of social communication and Public Affairs at MBA studies. Graduated from Faculty of Law.

Jakub Wiech

Energetyka24
Dr. Wojciech Bańczyk (Jagiellonian University in Kraków)

Moderator, Panel 1

Dr. Wojciech Bańczyk (Jagiellonian University in Kraków)

Director of the CUA-UJ American Law Program, Ph.D. in law (diploma with distinction), attorney at law, court expert in American inheritance law. Assistant in the Chair of Civil Law at UJ, post-doc in the grant project "Homo consumens, Homo ecologicus – Ecological Efficiency Test of the New Directive on Certain Aspects Concerning Contracts for the Sale of Goods" financed by National Science Centre, former (2019-2021) scientific assistant at the University of Osnabrück, European Legal Studies Institute . Winner of 1st place in 8th national Prof. Z. Radwański contest for the best doctoral thesis in Polish private law as well as 1st place in the S. Bukowiecki contest for the best master thesis in court law organised by the president of the General Counsel to the Republic of Poland. Scholar of DAAD, the Foundation of Polish Science. Interested in contract law, inheritance law, comparative law, law of sustainable development.
Łukasz Chyla (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, University of Warsaw)

Moderator, Panel 2&3

Łukasz Chyla (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, University of Warsaw)

Fulbright Alumni Ambassador, Fulbright Junior Visiting Scholar at Columbia Law School in New York (2023), and the Foundation for Polish Science START Fellow. Ph.D. candidate at JU Business Law Department where he conducts research on the regulation of financial markets. Earned his Master of Laws degree with summa cum laude distinction from Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Project Coordinator at the CUA Columbus School of Law in Washington D.C., Principal Investigator of the National Center for Science research grant at the University of Warsaw. Two-time recipient of the international SYLFF grant (in United States and Australia). Completed numerous scientific scholarships and internships at prestigious academic institutions, including University of Cambridge, Melbourne Law School, Bucerius Law School, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and the Program in the EU Private Law for Postgraduates. Graduated with honors from the American Law School at Jagiellonian University and Columbus School of Law in Washington D.C. Founder and board member of the Semper Augustus Foundation, a scientific think tank offering pro bono education in the field of business and company law. Acknowledgment: Participation in this event was made possible thanks to the research funded by the Polish National Science Center scientific grant “Preludium” No. 2018/29/N/HS5/02977.
Dr. Gaspar Kot, LL.M. (UBS)

Moderator, Panel 4

Dr. Gaspar Kot, LL.M. (UBS)

Gaspar Kot is a markets, products, and structuring lawyer at UBS Asset Management in Zurich, Switzerland. PhD in law (Jagiellonian University in Kraków) and a member of the attorneys-at-law bar in Poland. He also holds an LL.M. degree from the University of Heidelberg as well as The Catholic University of America.

Distinguished Participants

Katherine Gamelin Crowley

Associate Dean, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America

Krzysztof Gawrysiak

Entrepreneur and startup investor, a member of several business angels networks
Adv. Wojciech Jarosiński, LL.M. (Peak Legal, CUA Law School’s Board of Visitors)

Adv. Wojciech Jarosiński, LL.M. (Peak Legal, CUA Law School’s Board of Visitors)

LL.M. in American Law (CUA); advocate admitted to the Warsaw Bar; partner at Peak Legal; from 2018 to 2021, named as the top dispute resolution lawyer in Poland by Rzeczpospolita Daily; featured in the Who's Who of Foreign Attorneys section of the National Jurist Fall 2019; co-founder at Expedition Cooperative; member of CUA Law School’s Board of Visitors. He has led or supervised more than three hundred technology litigations, the aggregated value of which exceeds a couple billion USD.
Adv. Dr. Rafał Kos, LL.M. (KKG, CUA Law School’s Board of Visitors)

Adv. Dr. Rafał Kos, LL.M. (KKG, CUA Law School’s Board of Visitors)

Advocate, Managing Partner of KKG (Kubas Kos Gałkowski law firm), Ph.D. in law (Jagiellonian University in Kraków), LL.M. in American Law (CUA and UJ), member of the Entrepreneurship Council, an advisory body to the President of Poland, member of The Board of Visitors at the Columbus School of Law (CUA, Washington D.C.), recommended lawyer e.g. in Legal 500 Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist - CEE Region

Prof. Paweł Laidler

Dean of School of Internationaland Political Studies, UJ

Waldemar Markiewicz

Chairman of the Management Board, Polish Chamber of Brokerage Houses (IDM)

Anna Miller-Pytlak

Polsat
Justyna Przybył (ESG Manager, Warsaw Stock Exchange, GPW)

Justyna Przybył (ESG Manager, Warsaw Stock Exchange, GPW)

ESG Manager at the Warsaw Stock Exchange. A graduate of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań with a degree in International Relations, specializing in International Business and Global Economy, as well as Cultural Anthropology. I have been associated with the capital market for over 10 years, gaining experience at Bank Pekao SA and the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW). At GPW, I initially managed media and market communications and, in recent years, led the development of the ESG Strategy for the GPW Group for 2022-2025. Currently, I am working on the implementation of strategic sustainability projects for the GPW Group. I also specialize in diversity management and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging). Actively involved in the 30% Club Poland campaign, I advocate for increasing the participation of women in corporate boards and supervisory boards.

Vincenzo Senatore

Partner, London, Giambrone Law Firm, CUA Law School's Alumni Board

Prof. Adam Sulkowski

Professor of Law and Sustainability, Babson College Presidential Scholar

Prof. Andrzej Sumański

Chair of Corporate Law at UJ, member of the UNIDROIT Governing Council
Maciej Trybuchowski

Maciej Trybuchowski

Central Securities Depository of Poland (KDPW), Chairman

Dr. Sergiusz Trzeciak

Trzeciak|Chmal

Eryk Walkiewicz

Polsat
Bartłomiej Zarzecki, MBA (Interim manager)

Bartłomiej Zarzecki, MBA (Interim manager)

Manager in charge of synergy and strategic projects in major Polish companies. Creator of central purchasing in the automotive sector and then in the whole Boryszew Group. Author of the first energy trading strategy in Boryszew Group and founder of the Purchasing Office in China and India. For the last 7 years, Managing Director for Procurement in the PZU Group, co-responsible for the synergy project with PEKAO and Alior banks and other strategic projects. Participant in numerous project teams and member of committees including ESG and DORA. Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Armatura Kraków from 2021 to 2024. A budding beekeeping enthusiast for four years.
Dawid Zieliński (CEO, Columbus Energy)

Dawid Zieliński (CEO, Columbus Energy)

Founder and CEO of Columbus Energy - the largest Polish company in the sector of modern energetics and renewables. Graduate of electrical engineering at AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow, he also holds the diploma of MBA at Tadeusz Kościuszko University of Technology. He has gained managerial experience working, among others, for Heidelberg Technology Centre in Heidelberg, Air BP in London, or MARS Poland. He has been an entrepreneur since 2009. From the beginning he has concentrated on energy efficiency and renewables, focusing on innovation in his start-ups. During 10 years of Columbus activity, he performed the development and transformation of the company listed on the GPW Main Market, achieving spectacular business success. Through Columbus, Dawid Zieliński invests in innovative start-ups, among others in Nexity, the company connected with electromobility, or Saule Technologies - Polish company developing the technology of perovskite solar cells. Valued expert in the sector of modern energetics, member of the Programme Council OZE Power, winner of a prestigious competition EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 in the category New Technologies/Innovativeness, laureate of the Emblem “Teraz Polska”, he was named one of 200 people who create Polish economy (according to rankings by RMF FM, Money.pl and 300Gospodarka). Charismatic leader and visionary, enthusiast of unconventional solutions and mountain climbing. He lives in harmony with values, which are in Columbus DNA: tempo, talent, thoughtfulness, and technology. His vision, which he implements, among others through Carbon Footprint Foundation, is neutralisation of carbon footprint.
Prof. Fryderyk Zoll (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, University of Osnabrück)

Prof. Fryderyk Zoll (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, University of Osnabrück)

Professor in law, Professor at the Chair of Civil Law, Jagiellonian University in Kraków and at European Legal Studies Institute, University of Osnabrück, doctor honoris causa of the West-Ukrainian National University in Ternopil, past member of the Executive Committee of the European Law Institute, the Common Frame of Reference and Committee of Acquis Group drafting teams as well as the Member of the Codification Commission at the Polish Ministry of Justice (until 2015 and from 2024).

Strategic Partners

                                   
Trzeciak Chmal have been actively cooperating for over 20 years. Dr Sergiusz Trzeciak is a leading expert with over 20 years of international experience in the field of Political Marketing, Strategic Communication, Public Affairs, and Public Relations. Author of 10 books about Personal Branding, Political Marketing, and Politics. Tomasz Chmal is a Counsel and a leading expert in the field of sectoral legal regulations, a former partner in White & Case LLP International Law Firm. They possess the knowledge and skills necessary to forge professional institutional relationships. Also, they have an expertise in solving complex business issues that result from bundle of legal, political, economic, and social complexities.
The Kubas Kos Gałkowski (KKG) law firm is the long-time partner of the American Law School. The firm has provided legal services to Polish and foreign entrepreneurs for over 25 years. KKG represents clients in court proceedings and advises business entities in civil, economic and commercial law matters. The firm implements international and local projects with services including court and arbitration proceedings; company law / M&A; restructuring / bankruptcy; banking / finance; real estate; class action; and compliance. Many KKG employees are associated with the Jagiellonian University through their involvement in teaching and research.

Platinum Partner



https://ssw.solutions/en/

Partners

Olesiński i Wspólnicy (OW) is a law firm that supports business by implementing legal, tax, analytical and accounting projects. They combine strong competences within all these areas in one place, offering their Clients comprehensive support. OW understands business because they are a part of it – they are agile, applying modern project management methodologies and constantly working with our partners to achieve faster and better results. They cooperate within the OW Group and as a component of a long-standing, proven international network.  



https://b2rlaw.com/
https://gessel.pl/en/
https://www.kancelaria-cracow.pl/


https://www.pwc.pl/en.html
https://www.canpack.com/

Partners of the American Law Program



https://www.gostynski.net/


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