Category: News

Last weekend, the Legal Netlink Alliance Europe Board met in Bratislava.
Board members, including our partner Tomasz Janaszczyk, discussed the future of the association, which for thirty years, has enabled its members to extend the reach of their services to meet the needs of their clients across the globe.

The main objective of the LNA Board meetings is to develop new projects, strategies, and solutions in order to strengthen the LNA’s market position, ensure its development, thereby guaranteeing the highest standard of services to our clients.

The law firms belonging to the network are highly skilled thanks to the exchange of knowledge and experience, thus we are an indispensable support for our clients on a global scale.

This year’s edition of the prestigious ranking “The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa 2024” published on March 27th, recommended the JLSW Law Firm as a specialist in construction law for the seventh time.

Great recognition for the team, which, thanks to its knowledge and experience, provides irreplaceable support for our clients, business partners, contractors, engineering companies and architects in various investment projects!

Verified customer reviews as well as progressive solutions in residential, commercial, infrastructure, green energy and construction consulting have permanently associated our company with large-scale projects.

We are here to help at every stage of your project!

With pride, we can boast of our participation in key events, such as the Andersia Silver project in Poznań or support for Novum Plus Sp. z o. o. in expanding their development portfolio. We reliably represent clients in contract disputes, including those based on FIDIC, and in matters related to public procurement.

What sets us apart? Undoubtedly: commitment, knowledge, experience and professional management of your affairs. We are here for you!

 

Since last year, new regulations of the Labour Code regarding remote working have been in force. As a rule, the rules for remote working are set out in an agreement between the employer and the company trade union organisation(s). If there are no company trade union organisations at a particular employer, the employer defines the rules for remote working in regulations after consultation with employee representatives. Even if the employer does not regulate remote work in the regulations, the performance of remote work by the employee is possible through a remote work order or an agreement concluded individually with the employee.

In the Labour Code, the rules for remote working are set out in Article 6720. Section 6 of the aforementioned provision indicates the minimum content of an agreement with the unions/regulation of remote working. In view of this, for the rest, the employer has the right to regulate remote working at its own discretion. Therefore, the employer may also regulate in the agreement or regulations the issue of the employee’s possible appearance at the workplace at the employer’s call for specific purposes, e.g. for meetings, organisational purposes, etc.

However, the situation is different if the employer does not regulate this, as the provisions of the Labour Code also do not address the issue of whether an employee working remotely may be summoned to appear in the office, e.g. for a meeting.

First of all, it is worth noting the content of Article 100 § 1 of the Labour Code, according to which the employee is obliged to comply with the instructions of his/her superiors. As a rule, a remote employee should not be treated differently from a stationary employee, as employees should not be discriminated against due to their form of employment. This leads to the conclusion that a superior could issue an order for a remote employee to attend a meeting or training in the office.

It is also worth pointing out that the legislator introduces in the Labour Code explicit prohibitions on certain actions of the employer towards certain groups of employees. By contrast, there is no prohibition on summoning a remote worker to the workplace, e.g. for organisational reasons. It should therefore be concluded that in the absence of such a prohibition, the above-mentioned action of the employer is permissible under the provisions of the Labour Code.

It is also sometimes indicated that, depending on the definition of the place of work in the remote employee’s contract, a remote employee’s travel to the office may be considered as business travel. A business trip is a trip away from the location of the employer’s registered office or the employee’s permanent place of work, during which the employee performs official tasks, and at the same time it must be at the employer’s instruction. Therefore, if the contract specifies only the employer’s registered office (or both the employer’s registered office and the place of remote work, such as the employee’s place of residence) as the place of work, then the commute to the office should not be included as a business trip.

On the other hand, if the employment contract specifies that the remote employee’s place of work is only a place that is not the employer’s registered office, such as the employee’s residence, then the employee’s travel to the office could be considered as business travel.

Author:

apl. solic. Klaudia Szymańska

In connection with the entry into force of the Act of 7 July 2023 amending the Act – Code of Civil Procedure, the Act – Law on the System of Common Courts, the Act – Code of Criminal Procedure and some other acts, a number of changes are being introduced in the organisation of court hearings as part of civil proceedings.

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As of 14 March 2024, further provisions of the amendment will come into force, which are to significantly improve the course of proceedings themselves. The new regulations are aimed at improving the functioning of the judiciary by allowing remote hearings and through the development of the ICT system.

Below we are presenting the major changes to come into force as of 14 March 2024.

 

Service of pleadings via the information portal

This March, Article 131^1a of the CCP will come into force , according to which, in the event of an inability to effectively serve court papers via the ICT system, the court will serve them only by placing their content on the information portal in a way that allows the recipient to obtain a document confirming the service. However, this regulation does not apply to letters which, in principle, are to be served together with copies of pleadings of the parties, except in cases where the court has an electronic copy of a pleading.

A pleading posted on the information portal will be deemed to have been served at the time indicated in a service confirmation document. In the absence of the service confirmation document, the service will be deemed effective 14 days after the date of posting the content of the letter on the information portal. It should be noted that in case of service via the portal, Article 134 § 1 of the CCP, according to which service on bank holidays or at night is only allowed in exceptional cases by prior order of the court president, will not apply.

Moreover, the new regulation obliges the chair to issue an order not to serve a document via the information portal if such service is impossible due to the nature of the document, in particular if it is necessary to issue a certified copy of a judgement or a writ of execution to the party.

 

An account in the information portal is a new obligation for attorneys

In connection with the implementation of the civil procedure consisting in service via the information portal, an obligation to have an account in the information portal has been introduced for a number of entities:

• legal counsels – Article 22¹¹ of the Act of 6 July 1982 on legal counsels (consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2022, item 1166);
• attorneys – Article 37d of the Act of 26 May 1982 – Law on the Advocates’ Profession (consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2022, item 1184, as amended);
• patent attorneys – Article 16b of the Act of 11 April 2001 on patent attorneys (Journal of Laws 2023, item 303);
• court experts – Article 157 §1a of the Act of 27 July 2001 Law on the System of Common Courts (consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2023, item 217, as amended);
• the General Counsel – Article 36a of the Act of 15 December 2016 on the General Counsel to the Republic of Poland (Journal of Laws 2023, item 1109).

Remote sessions for good

In accordance with Article 151 of the amended CCP, the chair will be able to order a public hearing using technical devices enabling a remote hearing, if this is not prevented by the nature of the activities to be carried out at the hearing, and the remote hearing is held in a way that guarantees the full protection of the procedural rights of the parties and the proper course of the proceedings. The chair will order for a remote meeting to be held:

• ex officio
• at the request of the participant of the hearing who has indicated his/her e-mail address (the deadline for submitting the application is 7 days from the date of serving a notification or summons to the hearing).

When summoning to a remote hearing, the court will inform the participants about the possibility of appearing in person in the courtroom or notifying about a remote participation in the hearing no later than 3 working days before the scheduled date of the hearing. For effective notification of the intention to participate in the hearing remotely it will be sufficient to notify the court by e-mail about the intention to participate in the hearing remotely and indicate a valid e-mail address.

After receiving a summons to a remote hearing, persons who do not submit an application for a remote hearing or do not inform about an intention to participate in the hearing remotely will be obliged to attend the hearing in the court conducting the proceedings without additional notice.

It should be noted here that a remote hearing will not be possible in case of a person whom a request for incapacitation concerns, if he/she is to be heard, or in case of participation of experts in that procedure.  

 

Remote examination of evidence

In accordance with amended Article 427 of the CCP, a hearing in camera does not prevent remote examination of evidence during a remote hearing, if this may significantly accelerate the examination of the case or contribute to cost savings.

If the nature of the evidence to be examined allows, the adjudicating court will be able to examine evidence remotely during a remote hearing. Moreover, in accordance with Article 235¹ of the CCP, the parties will be entitled to request examination of evidence at a remote hearing in the motion for evidence.

 

Remote objection to hearing of a witness

According to Article 263¹ of the CCP, a party will be able to object to hearing of a witness outside the courtroom during a remote hearing, but no later than within 7 days from the date of obtaining information about an intention to examine evidence in such a way. In the event of an effective objection, the court will summon the witness to appear in the courtroom in person.

 

Partner of the Law Firm JLSW Janaszczyk Lis & Wspólnicy Spółka Komandytowa Attorney in Law Tomasz Janaszczyk on February 2-4, 2024, had the honor to participate in the Winter Meeting of the Legal Netlink Alliance (LNA) Europe organized in Malta, which was attended by lawyers from all over the world.

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The Legal Netlink Alliance (LNA) is a global association of law firms that offers members and their clients access to international first-class legal representation. Additionally, LNA provides a unique platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between lawyers from different countries, thereby strengthening global legal cooperation.

Thanks to our membership in LNA, we can provide our clients with comprehensive legal assistance in matters bordering Polish law and other legal systems.

We are pleased to announce that during this prestigious event, a partner of the JLSW Janaszczyk Lis & Wspólnicy Spółka Komandytowa Law Firm, Atorney in Law Tomasz Janaszczyk, was elected to the Management Board of LEGAL Netlink Alliance. 👏

Joining the board of Legal Netlink Alliance (LNA) Europe is, above all, proof of recognition of competence and commitment to the association’s activities.

E-doręczenia to usługa, która umożliwia wysyłanie i odbieranie korespondencji drogą elektroniczną, ze skutkiem równoważnym z listem poleconym za potwierdzeniem odbioru (za gov.pl). Oznacza to, że za pomocą komputera przedsiębiorcy będą mogli, bez względu na porę dnia i z dowolnego miejsca, nadać lub odebrać przesyłkę. Usługa ta wymaga jednak rejestracji.

Skrzynkę elektroniczną powinni posiadać między innymi przedsiębiorcy zarejestrowani w CEIDG oraz KRS ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem podmiotów niepublicznych – fundacji i stowarzyszeń – oraz zawodów zaufania publicznego takich jak adwokat, radca prawny, notariusz, doradca podatkowy, doradca restrukturyzacyjny oraz rzecznik patentowy.

Ostateczny termin wdrożenia rozwiązań technicznych niezbędnych do doręczania korespondencji               z wykorzystaniem publicznej usługi rejestrowanego doręczenia elektronicznego lub publicznej usługi hybrydowej oraz udostępnienia w systemie teleinformatycznym punktu dostępu do usług rejestrowanego doręczenia elektronicznego w ruchu transgranicznym został już kolejny raz zmieniony.

W zależności od daty rejestracji podmiotu niepublicznego w CEIDG lub KRS przedsiębiorców obowiązują inne terminy na wdrożenie systemu e-Doręczeń:

CEIDG

• przedsiębiorcy zarejestrowani do 31 grudnia 2024 r do 30 września 2026 r,
• przedsiębiorcy rejestrujący się od 1 stycznia 2025 od 1 stycznia 2025 r.

 

 KRS:

• przedsiębiorcy uzyskujący wpis przed dniem określonym w komunikacie Ministra Cyfryzacji (nie wcześniej niż 30 marca 2024 r. i nie później niż 1 stycznia 2025 r.) – w terminie 3 miesięcy od dnia określonego w komunikacie Ministra Cyfryzacji

Obecnie publiczną usługę rejestrowanego doręczenia elektronicznego świadczy Poczta Polska S.A. natomiast kwalifikowaną podmioty spełniające standardy świadczenia usług dotyczące bezpieczeństwa i wiarygodności. Podmiotom niepublicznym będącym przedsiębiorcami zarejestrowanymi w KRS przysługuje uprawnienie do wyboru usługodawcy.

Jeżeli spółka zdecyduje się korzystać z usług publicznego podmiotu może uzyskać adres elektroniczny poprzez złożenie wniosku on-line przez stronę www.gov.pl/web/e-doreczenia w zakładce „Uzyskaj adres do e – doręczenia”. W przypadku usług kwalifikowanego dostawcy uzyskaniem adresu oraz wpisaniem go do rejestru zajmie się usługodawca.

Wniosek o uzyskanie adresu elektronicznego może w imieniu spółki złożyć pełnomocnik lub reprezentant. Inaczej rzecz się ma w przypadku spółek z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością, gdyż w tym przypadku wniosek złożyć musi członek zarządu uprawniony do samodzielnej reprezentacji lub osoba wybrana przez zarząd          na pełnomocnika.

Wdrożenie systemu e-doręczeń niesie za sobą wiele korzyści dla przedsiębiorców. Warto zwrócić uwagę na usprawnienie systemu przepływu korespondencji, archiwizacji oraz ułatwienie dostępu do danych za pomocą dowolnych urządzeń elektronicznych. Rozwiązania te przybliżają systemy administracji państwowej do pełnej informatyzacji, a co za tym idzie do unowocześnienia aktualnego mechanizmu komunikacji pomiędzy organami państwa a podmiotami gospodarczymi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pursuant to the amendment of the Act on Value Added Tax and certain other acts of 16 June 2023, electronic invoicing using the National System of e-Invoice (hereinafter: “KSeF”) will become a new obligation for entrepreneurs. Currently, the use of the KSeF system is voluntary, whereas from 1 July 2024 KSeF will be a mandatory solution for:

• entrepreneurs who are exempt from VAT;
• entrepreneurs registered as active VAT taxpayers;
• taxpayers verified in Poland for the EU VAT-OSS procedure, who have a Polish tax identification number NIP.

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For small and medium-sized VAT-exempt entrepreneurs the mandatory use of the system is postponed to January 2025.

KSeF allows the structured invoices with a unique identification number to be issued and shared. The issuer of the invoice receives an official acknowledgement of receipt and the recipient of the invoice can access it through a profile in KSeF or by indicating the invoice details. The system also enables granting, changing or withdrawing of KSeF access rights or the analysis and control of the correctness of data in the e-Invoices issued.

This is a fundamental change for entrepreneurs. When the planned amendments come into force, each invoice will have to be issued in electronic form and entered into the system. The invoice will be submitted to a system verification process to ensure that it meets the requirements of a so-called structured e-Invoice (XML format, user authorisation in KSeF, invoice without attachments).

The introduction of KSeF means that existing accounting software and internal procedures will have to be adapted to the new legal requirements.  Also, it must be pointed out that in order to effectively register with KSeF, it is necessary to have a qualified electronic signature, a qualified electronic seal or a trusted signature.

This form of record-keeping will simplify the process of controlling entrepreneurs’ accounts through remote monitoring by tax authorities, which will reduce the risk of malpractice in this area.

In addition, the amendment introducing the electronic invoicing obligation for entrepreneurs provides for, among other things:

• automatic archiving of issued invoices;
• simplified circulation of documentation to streamline the accounting process and mutual settlements between entrepreneurs;
• a shorter VAT refund waiting period to 45 days (currently 60 days);
• a unified invoice template will make it easier for entrepreneurs to issue invoices;
• a possibility to download documentation from a database maintained by the Ministry, which minimises the risk of loss/destruction of invoices;
• certainty that an invoice will be received by the recipient through electronic acknowledgement of receipt (where the recipient chooses this form).

It is worth mentioning that, at this stage, the functioning of the KSeF still raises a number of practical doubts with regard to the matters that are not explicitly regulated by the Act. These concern in particular the technical aspects of the functioning of the system itself or verification of the status of the buyer (with respect to excluding from the KSeF the invoices issued to natural persons not conducting the business activity).

 

We are pleased to announce that JLSW Law Office will take part in this year’s POLAGRA fair in Poznań, which will be held on 27-29 September 2023 at the Poznań International Fair.

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POLAGRA covers the food industry and the HoReCa sector. The event comprises three zones. The FOOD zone is intended for the food industry and heralds the latest consumer trends, provides a comprehensive overview of offers and promotes the Polish economy. Another zone during the September fair is the FOODTECH zone, which provides an opportunity to see entire production lines in operation. The last zone at the POLAGRA fair is the HORECA zone, which presents innovative solutions improving work in professional kitchens, increasing the range of services offered by catering and accommodation facilities, and ensuring safety and comfort of stay for guests of restaurants and accommodation facilities.

As one of the exhibitors, on 28 September at 10:30 we will hold a legal training on preventing food waste and related problems, on the basis of applicable regulations. The theory will be supplemented by a case study – an example of a case and practical use of the acquired knowledge.

The following topics will be discussed during the training:

who is responsible for preventing food waste?;

duties of food vendors;

NGOs and their responsibilities;

controls;

consequences of non-compliance with food waste prevention obligations;

case study.

To participate in the training, you must fill in the form available at the link and then download the invitation.

JLSW Law Office will be represented by legal counsel Julita Wilbik-Klimek.