Iain Batty first visited Poland in 1995, when he attended a conference, though he remembers very little about this trip. He explains, “ the first time when I came here was in 1995. I arrived to speak in the panel discussion. I would have never guessed that I would end up living in Poland” he says. “Poland wasn't really an exotic place for me. I had already been working in Central and Eastern European countries since 1991, but Warsaw was the only capital in the region that I hadn't been to. I had heard some stereotypes about Poland, which were reinforced over time, like the condition of roads! Other opinions I had heard proved to be untrue and turned out to be very positive surprises, like people I met here and their philosophy of living” he added.
Two years later Iain had a second chance to visit Poland, but this time the trip turned out to be the journey of a lifetime. He was instructed to advise the Polish government assist in developing the Polish pension fund legislation. The Polish model of reform was later implemented in other CEE jurisdictions, which allowed Iain to gain a reputation as the top pension legislator in this part of Europe and quickly develop a strong regional role.
“Every country is different,” explains Iain when asked for hints about doing business in Central and Eastern Europe. “People tend to generalise about Central and Eastern Europe, and that's an unwise thing to do. What I found, is that Poland proved to be a great base. In this part of Europe, lawyers tend to be more flexible and less specialised, that's why I have been able to work with a diverse range of governments, as well as local and multinational businesses for working on the other growing markets on the region. In the nineties I found myself working on a developing market with the ability to suggest successful business strategies and solutions which I had already seen being implemented in other parts of the globe. From my base in Poland I started helping clients expand operations across the region and deal with issues in various countries. Often the problems our clients faced in Poland were not dissimilar to issues in Hungary or Romania. Our presence in the CEE enabled us to offer comprehensive legal solutions and, in particular, spot linkages between issues in different countries. By building up a strong team of Polish lawyers, we were able to offer to a strong combination of local and international expertise. “
Warsaw became Iain's new home both professionally and personally. Poland opened new perspectives and opportunities for his development. He was over thirty and life started to accelerate rapidly. His close relationships with many multinational corporations present in Central Europe were facilitated by the fact he was conducting business from Warsaw rather than London. Thanks to his knowledge and wide-ranging experience, Iain became well known to many companies investing on emerging European market.
“I realised that this country is a good hub to develop a practice across the region and I wouldn't find such dynamics in the UK. I was at the right place, at the right time. There was a gap to be filled in for high quality legal services on many areas of law. Even now, Poland is an exciting market and gives me a buzz that I wouldn't get in the UK, there are still many great opportunities to take advantage of and possibilities to grow in many areas. It is a question of spotting where the change are, where the demand is for new goods and services, and exploiting these opportunities.
Since it entered the Polish and central European market in the early nineties, CMS Cameron McKenna has grown and evolved its practice. It is now the largest international law firm in the region with several hundred lawyers advising a wide range of businesses. Iain has seen his own practice grow and develop in the fourteen years since he first visited Poland. He has grown the businesses beyond its original pension fund roots and, by building up a team of expert lawyers, has moved the firm's practice into diverse and growing areas.
“There are still lots of areas, which I think are ripe to exploration and where businesses are not as developed as for example, in the UK” he says. “I still think that customer service in Poland isn't as good as it could be. Businesses like ours need to provide customer service at the highest international level. This enables us to stay ahead of our local competitors - just like my passion for old cars. What I like about old cars is their quality and originality. You need to care about them more than you would a typical car, as all materials should be true to the original. This way of thinking comes across in my vision of doing business: originality, precision and the best knowledge about what you do always sets you apart from the competition” he summarises.
Tips for Success in the CEE Market
Iain Batty highlights the following points to consider when operating in the CEE market.
· The CEE market is more flexible than Western European markets and still changing rapidly. Even during the economic crisis, Poland is doing exceptionally well - and it is good to be where the changes happen.
· Markets, although now much more developed, are still subject to significant changes in this part of the world.
· Poland is a good base to exploring the region thanks to convenient geographic location and travel connections.
· Many business ideas from the UK and elsewhere can still be useful when imported into Poland.
· Customer service at the highest standard is always in demand and will always be appreciated by customers.
· Staff should be professional and well trained to provide top-tier service.
· Join organisations like the British Polish Chamber of Commerce, as they can be helpful, provide professional business forums, and assist in many areas of doing business in Poland. For further information on the British Polish Chamber of commerce, visit www.bpcc.org.pl
About Iain Batty
Iain Batty is a Partner and member of the Board of CMS Cameron McKenna, as well as the Head of the CEE Commercial Practice. He heads a team of approximately 100 highly specialised lawyers advising many leading multinational corporations in Poland and in Central and Eastern Europe on a vast range of commercial issues.
CMS Cameron McKenna is the pre-eminent provider of high quality legal and tax advice in Europe. As an organisation of nine independent law and tax firms which includes CMS Cameron McKenna, CMS offers deep local expertise combined with extensive industry-specific knowledge right across Europe.
For further information on CMS Cameron McKenna, visit www.cms-cmck.com
Polish Express
Panorama
Discover Poland
Polacy.co.uk
Fortis Media
PolskaPlusTV
1 GBP = PLN
