About Me

I am a senior counsel in the Commercial Group in Warsaw. I focus on major IT and commercial projects and transactions, as well as developing my dispute resolution practice. I also advise on financial sector regulatory issues relating to pan-European payments and fintech projects, including outsourcing and cloud computing.

My experience covers Polish market flagship IT implementation projects, as well as multi-billion euro International Arbitrations based on Bilateral Investment Treaties, where I've proudly represented Poland before the Arbitral Tribunals in Stockholm, The Hague and Warsaw.

When advising clients, I aim to be responsive, timely, business oriented and legally sound. I keep my advice concise, but I am always delighted to discuss all related legal issues and jurisprudence.

Before helping to establish our Warsaw office in 2008, I had been working on IT projects and dispute resolution matters in leading law firms in Poland since 2004. During my career, I spent a year in the Netherlands, working between Warsaw, The Hague and London.

When I'm not working, or spending time with my family, I play and watch sports, and try to understand basic quantum physics – just for fun.
Experience
  • I have advised clients on numerous flagship IT projects, including:
  • PKO BP's (the largest retail bank in Poland) core banking system implementation and development project (2006 - 2011).
  • Establishing PKO BP's Wide Area Network (one of the biggest WANs in Poland at the time) (2009).
  • The Polish Post acquiring and implementing their ERP class system (2014-2019).
  • Within my dispute resolution practice I've represented Poland before the Arbitral Tribunals in Stockholm, The Hague and Warsaw in multi-billion euro Bilateral Investment Treaties based investment disputes (2012-2015).
Cases
  • I advised one of the leading universal banks in Poland, Santander Bank Polska, on their process of acquiring a cloud computing-based CRM solution from a world leading CRM services provider. The advice included preparing and negotiating contractual documentation, reviewing regulatory compliance, and supporting the client in its discussions with the supervision authority.
  • I advised BondSpot SA (Warsaw Stock Exchange Group) in renegotiations of the core system/functionality outsourcing agreement with MTS (London Stock Exchange Group). Advice included redrafting of the agreement, making it compliant with MIFID2, negotiations (in London) and support with obtaining required regulatory consent from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF).
  • I advised PZU Group companies in their project to acquire the treasury management system from the global leading software house within that area. Our advice included review and redrafting of the implementation, license and maintenance agreement, reviewing regulatory compliance, negotiations with the system provider, support of clients internal risk and compliance procedures. Advice also included review of the agreement from the French law perspective done by our Paris-based partner Stephane Leriche.
  • Within the same project I reviewed and redrafted the implementation and integration agreement with the IT services company – integrator of the solution with the client's IT environment and systems.
  • I have also contributed to legal, economic and technology reports on regtech, fintech and AI in Poland - in cooperation with FinTech Poland Foundation and Accenture.
Education

Studied

  • University of Amsterdam, Law
  • University of Warsaw, Law

Admissions

  • Polish Bar Association
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Testimonials

Kuba Ruiz is an IT, commercial and dispute resolution expert who is considered an expert in payments law. 'Kuba Ruiz gives to-the-point advice. He understands our business and taken the time to do that; he is obviously expert and has contacts.'

Chambers FinTech Legal 2023

Kuba Ruiz is an IT, commercial and dispute resolution expert who is considered an expert in payments law. A variety of sources praise his capabilities in securing good deals on behalf of his clients. A source says: 'He is a strong lawyer who cooperates a lot with banks in the FinTech sector.'

Chambers FinTech Legal 2022

'Excellent for IT detail and solutions' and 'very goal-oriented. He's not focused on problems but on finding solutions. We had a difficult negotiation of legal clauses and Kuba was very engaged, his approach of finding solutions was extraordinary. Nothing is impossible with Kuba.'

Chambers FinTech Legal 2020

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