For dealers, importers, distributors, manufacturers and fleet operators.
Launch and grow your automotive brand on the Polish and EU markets with a legal partner who understands the industry — from regulation, through distribution and dealer-network relationships, to the day-to-day operational challenges of importers, manufacturers, dealer networks and other players in the automotive sector.
WLAW provides legal services to automotive businesses at every stage of their operations in Poland — from market entry and importer agreements, through ongoing disputes with customers and commercial partners, to compliance with GDPR, competition law and type-approval regulations.
We work for dealers, importers, distributors, manufacturers (OEMs) and fleet and mobility operators. Our services are addressed exclusively to institutional clients in the automotive industry.
Trusted by
sales networks, authorisation agreements, importer relations
dealer networks, MVBER, market compliance
type-approval, product liability, IP
rental, transport platforms, driver and customer contracts
Agreements imposed by the importer or manufacturer — sales networks, authorisation terms, contractual penalties for missed standards — are a risk that is hard for a dealer to assess without a market benchmark. We negotiate, audit and renegotiate distribution, dealer and franchise agreements for compliance with the EU MVBER regulation, and when a network is restructured or terminated we represent the dealer or the importer in negotiations and in dispute.
When a customer raises a warranty or vehicle-defect claim, the first question is: who is liable — the manufacturer, the importer, the dealer or the service centre? Without clearly allocated responsibility in the contracts, such a dispute escalates and costs more than the claim itself. We help allocate responsibility between the manufacturer, importer and distributor in contracts, handle complaints and warranty proceedings, and during recall campaigns we coordinate customer communication and legal risk.
Vehicle telemetry, connected-car systems and the growing scrutiny of market practices by the Polish competition authority (UOKiK) are an area where a compliance gap surfaces only during an inspection — when it is too late to fix. We build compliance programmes for the automotive sector, train boards and sales teams preventively, guide clients through UOKiK inspections and implement GDPR for telemetry and driver data — including autonomous vehicles and AI-based solutions.
The importer–dealer–service relationship generates disputes that do not fit standard commercial law — while new type-approval and environmental requirements and the battery and recycling rules of e-mobility change faster than most in-house legal teams can track. We represent clients in commercial, distribution, product and IP disputes, and in e-mobility we advise on certifications, environmental requirements and new technical regulations.
Talk to a lawyer specialising in the automotive industry — no obligations, about your specific situation.
Automotive is one of the industries we know best. Day to day, we advise manufacturers, importers, distributors, dealer networks and fleet and mobility operators, supporting them through successive stages of their presence on the Polish and EU markets.
We work with automotive-sector clients under an ongoing, comprehensive legal partnership — from competition law, compliance and dealer-network relationships, through data protection, consumer matters and antitrust training, to day-to-day operational advice.
We understand that automotive is not only about selling cars, but an entire system of dependencies between the manufacturer, importer, dealers, CFM providers, leasing companies, fleet operators and end customers. We advise on designing and assessing cooperation models, support programmes, commercial policies and incentive mechanisms so that they work commercially while remaining regulatorily sound.
We are a member of Stowarzyszenie Prawników Rynku Motoryzacyjnego — the Polish association of lawyers specialising in the automotive market. Membership keeps us up to date with regulatory and market-practice developments, which we translate into practical advice for automotive businesses.
We also support international automotive groups entering the Polish market with a modern EV and premium line-up and new models of sales and customer communication. We advise, among other things, on e-mobility, connectivity services, subscriptions, marketing and advertising law, brand-ambassador and influencer partnerships, and building an automotive brand's presence in a new market.
Our experience also covers the hard regulatory areas: type-approval, environmental requirements, the obligations of importers and manufacturers, product safety, relations with public authorities, and the practical implementation of EU and national requirements for vehicles, parts, accessories and related services.
We also serve fleet and mobility operators and businesses in the truck and commercial-vehicle segment. We understand both the process of an international brand entering the Polish market and its day-to-day regulatory, operational and contentious functioning.
We know how the board of an automotive brand thinks, how an importer operates and what a dealer network needs. We combine knowledge of EU regulation — including VBER/MVBER, type-approval, environmental requirements, the GDPR, e-mobility and in-vehicle digital services — with hands-on experience of the Polish market, UOKiK, public authorities and the courts. We provide legal protection grounded in business pragmatism.
Enter the Polish and EU markets on solid legal foundations. We draft and review importer, dealer and distribution agreements, and design selective and exclusive sales networks and franchise structures — in line with MVBER and transparency requirements.
Ensure competition-law compliance before the regulator does it for you. We run antitrust compliance programmes for the automotive industry, deliver preventive training for management boards and for sales, marketing and dealer-management teams, and prepare procedures for UOKiK inspections — grounded in real automotive-market experience.
Reduce the risks around the safety of vehicles, parts and accessories. We advise on the liability of manufacturers, importers and distributors, support you with product complaints, safety incidents and recall campaigns, and help you properly allocate roles and risks between manufacturer, importer, dealer and service centre.
Bring vehicles, EV solutions and charging infrastructure to market in line with regulatory requirements. We support you on type-approval (homologation), certificates of conformity, technical approvals, environmental obligations, batteries, recycling, and the regulations governing e-mobility and charging infrastructure.
Take control of the data today's vehicles generate. We advise on the GDPR, customer and driver data, telematics, and connected and autonomous vehicles — from privacy policies and data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) to cybersecurity and the legal aspects of AI.
Protect what builds the value of your brand. We register and defend trade marks, and handle intellectual-property matters and the technology licences characteristic of the automotive sector.
Run your automotive communications fast, broad and safe. We support both a brand's day-to-day activity — dealer materials, websites, social media, mailings, promotions and price communication — and major image projects: launch campaigns, brand-ambassador, influencer and sponsorship partnerships. We vet commercial messages, disclaimers and promotions against advertising law, the Omnibus Directive, data protection, copyright and competition rules, and review agreements with agencies, creators and partners.
A customer's relationship with a brand often truly begins only after the purchase. We support automotive brands on consumer law, commercial guarantees, statutory warranty, complaints and after-sales services — so that sales, customer-care and after-sales teams can operate smoothly, clearly and on a sound legal footing. We understand that this is exactly where satisfaction, trust and long-term brand value are built.
We represent automotive clients in commercial, distribution, product and IP disputes and in proceedings before public authorities and regulators — with particular experience in matters at the importer–dealer–service-centre interface. We handle disputes over dealer and service agreements, targets, bonuses, settlements, network standards, contract terminations, repair costs and liability for customer service.
We help you grow a business built on vehicles, drivers and users — safely. We support fleet operators, rental companies, ride-hailing platforms and their fleet partners on fleet agreements, rental and leasing, insurance, damage claims, terms and conditions, relations with drivers and customers, personal data, transport regulation and liability for the day-to-day running of the fleet.
The scenarios below are illustrative — they show typical applications of our services in the automotive industry, based on the scope described above, rather than specific client matters.
Distribution
A manufacturer or importer entering the Polish market needs a selective distribution network compliant with EU block exemptions — we design dealer agreements and selection criteria to limit the risk of an anticompetitive-agreement claim.
Recall
When a product defect requires a service action, allocating responsibility between manufacturer, importer and parts supplier matters both in the contract (upfront) and during the matter itself.
GDPR / telematics
A new model with telematics and connected-car features requires assessing what data is personal data, who is the controller, and what documentation compliance requires.
We don't wait for a problem — we identify risks before they become a case, and propose solutions ahead of the regulatory curve.
For more than a decade we have advised automotive brands, combining knowledge of EU regulation with hands-on Polish practice before UOKiK, UDT and the courts.
We support international automotive brands in entering, growing and operating day to day on the Polish and EU markets. For key clients we work under a long-term, comprehensive partnership — close to the business, to operational decisions and to network relationships — acting as an external legal team for the automotive industry.
As the only law firm in Poland, we are a member of Alliott Global Alliance — a network of independent law and advisory firms spanning more than 100 countries (Band 1 in the Chambers and Partners 2023 ranking). We support you wherever you do business.
We are members of the Association of Automotive Market Lawyers (SPRM) — actively tracking technological and regulatory change so that we advise on the basis of it, not behind it.
From day-to-day advice, through compliance, competition law and dealer-network support, to complex regulatory, distribution, marketing and after-sales projects — you receive comprehensive solutions without having to look for further experts.
Through our dedicated online platform you see work in progress, hours logged and costs as they happen — giving you full control of your legal budget, 24/7.
We start by understanding your organisation, your distribution model and your goals. A dedicated Project Manager gets to know all of your company's matters and how they interconnect.
We identify legal and regulatory risks and set priorities — from compliance and contracts to e-mobility and data protection. We propose concrete, commercially workable solutions.
We take over the time-consuming work: we prepare documents and procedures, deliver training, and represent you in proceedings and in dealings with the regulator. We work in a project model based on Agile principles.
We keep you up to date on changes in the law and on work in progress. Through our dedicated online platform you have real-time visibility of task status, time and costs.
You gain a partner who knows the automotive industry and thinks like your business — not one who merely reacts to correspondence. We can support the business directly and act as your outsourced legal department, or reinforce your in-house legal team when the volume of matters, the pace of decisions and the complexity of projects call for an additional, proven team on the law-firm side.
We help you enter the market safely and operate on it smoothly: with well-structured contracts, compliance that limits UOKiK risk, safe marketing communications, regulatory support and a team that understands both the law and the practice of the automotive market. We work on individual projects — or under a long-term, comprehensive partnership.
Fewer surprises, lower risk, faster decisions and full cost transparency. That is legal protection with business pragmatism.
A team that knows the automotive industry through law, regulation and business — supporting you from the first contract to day-to-day operations.
Kinga Miller
Partner · Advocate · Approved Compliance Expert
Kinga works with the automotive industry on a daily basis — including car importers and authorised dealers. She has 20 years of professional practice in contract negotiations, litigation and labour law, and as a certified Approved Compliance Expert she designs and implements compliance management systems.
Marta Solarska-Kaleńczuk
Partner · Chief Operating Officer · Data Protection Officer
Marta manages comprehensive legal projects for key automotive clients, including at the European level — with particularly extensive experience in competition law around distribution and authorisation agreements. Since 2015 she has ensured data-protection compliance at Hyundai Motor Poland, first as ABI and now as Data Protection Officer.
Michał Wołoszański
Managing Partner · INSEAD Global Executive MBA · Attorney-at-law
Michał, with his particular focus on intellectual property, combines professional experience and legal education with a passion for new technologies and business. He identifies the risks of a transaction, as well as those related to the later functioning of the venture, and proposes legal solutions.
Łukasz Kudela
Senior Associate · Attorney-at-Law · Approved AML & Sanctions Officer
Łukasz advises domestic and international businesses on coordinating the implementation of EU regulations, with particular focus on the automotive industry. He also handles competition law matters, focusing on unfair market practices and vertical agreements, and co-creates complex compliance systems.
Oliwia Koper
Associate · Advocate
Oliwia specializes in comprehensive legal services for businesses, with particular focus on the automotive industry, the new technology sector and life sciences. She advises on negotiating and drafting complex commercial contracts, implementing data protection policies and procedures, compliance and information security.
Katarzyna Płonkowska
Associate · Attorney-at-law
Katarzyna Płonkowska advises automotive and e-commerce companies on their contracts and consumer relations, and when a dispute arises she runs it from litigation strategy through to the courtroom. In the automotive sector she handles vehicle distribution, dealer network relations and obligations towards consumers.
Karolina Dębiec
Lawyer · Key Projects Coordinator
Karolina is a specialist in legal research, focusing on labor and corporate law. Her background includes a role as a research lawyer at a global corporation, advising both private and public organizations, whether they operate domestically or internationally.
The MVBER is the sector-specific block-exemption regulation for the motor-vehicle market, sitting alongside the general VBER — it mainly concerns the aftermarket for repair services and spare parts.
In practice it means particular rules for, among other things, independent workshops' access to parts and technical information, and for clauses in dealer and service agreements — we test your network against both regimes.
No — Polish and EU competition law does not have a system of prior UOKiK approval for distribution agreements.
Selective distribution networks can rely on block exemptions from the ban on anticompetitive agreements (the general VBER exemption for all sectors, in force since 1 June 2022, and the sector-specific MVBER exemption for motor vehicles, extended to 31 May 2028), provided the conditions set out in them are met (e.g. market-share thresholds, no hardcore restrictions). UOKiK does not pre-clear agreements, but may review them ex officio if it has concerns about competition-law compliance.
Passive sales (responding to unsolicited customer enquiries) generally cannot be banned — that is one of the hardcore restrictions of competition law.
You can, however, structure selective or exclusive distribution and restrict active selling outside the territory; we draw the line in specific clauses so they do not turn into a prohibited market-sharing arrangement.
The most common flashpoints are termination and non-renewal of the dealer agreement, the settlement of brand-standard investments, and supply terms.
We analyse the agreement for competition-law and termination issues, secure the evidence, and run the case — from negotiation through to litigation or arbitration.
Type-approval determines whether a vehicle may be placed on the market and registered in the EU — without it you cannot sell the car.
For EVs there are additional requirements on batteries, charging and consumer information; we organise the documentation, conformity liability and obligations toward distributors and customers.
The timeline is set by the vehicle type, the approval category and the completeness of the technical file, not by the date you file.
Any gap in the file extends the procedure, because the case waits until it is completed. That is why, when launching a new model, we plan the schedule around a complete file — it is the one variable you actually control.
The cost of a recall falls on whoever the distribution or supply agreement designates — and where it is silent, product-liability rules decide.
A well-drafted distribution agreement should set out upfront who bears the cost of a service action and on what recourse terms.
Yes, if it can be linked to a specific, identified or identifiable driver or user (e.g. location or driving-style data tied to a user account).
In that case it falls under the full GDPR regime, including information obligations and a lawful basis for processing.
The role is decided by who actually determines the purposes and means of processing — the manufacturer, importer, dealer or service provider may be a controller, joint controllers or a processor.
We set up the role map, the legal bases for processing vehicle data and the processing/joint-controller agreements, plus the driver-facing information duties — an area under growing scrutiny from data-protection authorities.
The key points are labelling material as advertising and keeping the message consistent with the vehicle's real characteristics — missing disclosure is a risk for both the brand and the creator.
We build the contract around content and image rights, exclusivity, KPIs and crisis-scenario rules, and we guard against misleading claims about emissions or EV range.
Yes — content published by influencers must be labelled as advertising or sponsored material.
The requirement follows from unfair-commercial-practices rules and from guidance on social-media advertising.
Legal position: July 2026. General information about our practice areas — not legal advice for an individual matter.
Tell us briefly what you are facing — we will reply to the address you provide.
Let's talk about how we can protect and accelerate your business — from the first contract to day-to-day legal support.
Book a call