Karolina Czarnecka, LL.M.
Karolina specializes in international and domestic arbitration, transactions and corporate disputes, with a particular focus on post-M&A arbitration and strategic M&A advisory. She also serves as an independent arbitral tribunal secretary.
Working across both disputes and transactions positions her uniquely to assist clients in identifying risks, preventing them from materializing, and managing those which cannot be avoided. With a multicultural background and experience gained across private practice, government institutions and NGOs, she can approach complex legal issues from a range of perspectives.
Her experience includes representing private equity funds, financial institutions, manufacturers, distributors and engineering companies in complex domestic and international arbitrations (particularly post-M&A, shareholder, supply and EPC disputes), as well as advising strategic and financial investors on high-value M&A transactions, alongside acting as tribunal secretary in institutional arbitrations across various sectors.
Prior to joining Peak Legal, she worked at the Paris office of one of the world’s leading international dispute specialist firms and helped grow a boutique law firm focused on CEE matters. She also gained experience in top-tier firms in Poland focusing on transactions and corporate law.
Karolina is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Kozminski University and holds an LL.M. in Transnational Arbitration and Dispute Settlement from Sciences Po, Paris. She is currently completing her Ph.D. degree at Kozminski University and lectures undergraduate students on transnational dispute resolution. She complements her formal education with professional training and executive programs, continuously expanding her knowledge base in international arbitration (American Bar Association), advocacy (Delos Dispute Resolution) and ESG-focused courses (Berkeley Law Executive Education).
She holds and has held leadership and mentoring roles within leading international arbitration organizations, contributing to institutional development, sustainability initiatives and the training of the next generation of arbitration practitioners. Additionally, Karolina regularly publishes and presents at conferences around the world.
She speaks English (fluent / near-native), Russian (intermediate), and French (lower-intermediate).