About and cooperation
Before I propose a solution, I want to understand the business, its owners and the decisions they face.
In family businesses, legal and tax matters rarely arise separately. A decision about the structure of the business can affect the owners' liability, the family's situation, the future of the assets and the possibility of passing the business on to the next generation. The same applies to decisions taken in day-to-day operations: their significance often goes beyond a single contract, transaction or settlement.
That is why I look at a matter more broadly than through the lens of a single provision or a single tax. I help to put the situation in order, identify possible scenarios and choose a solution tailored to the owners' actual goals.
Who I am
I support owners of family businesses in decisions that concern more than the business.
My name is Jakub Owczarek. I am an attorney-at-law and I support entrepreneurs in matters that combine law, tax and ownership decisions.
I specialise in advising family businesses, particularly on succession, family foundations, business reorganisation, asset protection and day-to-day legal and tax security.
In my work I combine legal and tax knowledge with an understanding of the business consequences of the decisions being made. I want the client to know not only which solution is possible, but also why it is worth considering, what consequences it entails and what alternatives exist.
Law and tax are only tools. The starting point is your situation.
Why family businesses
A family business is more than a way of doing business
A family business combines at least three perspectives: the business, the owners and the family. Each of them has its own needs, rules and time horizon.
What is good for the business today does not always match the family's plans for the years ahead. A solution that is correct from a tax point of view may not take account of the relationships between shareholders. Conversely, a well-planned transfer of assets does not always resolve the question of responsibility for running the business going forward.
That is why, when working with family businesses, I do not start by choosing a specific legal instrument. A family foundation, the conversion of a company or a shareholders' agreement can be useful tools, but only when they serve a clearly defined goal.
First, I try to understand what needs to be protected, what should change and how the owners envisage the future of the business, or what the business currently needs. Only then do we choose a solution together.
Who I work with
I work with owners who are preparing an important change or need ongoing support in running their business.
I primarily support owners of family businesses, family members involved in the business and successors preparing to take on responsibility for the business or the assets. I also work with businesses operating steadily that need ongoing legal and tax support and an adviser who knows their operations and ownership context.
A conversation may be particularly useful when:
- you are wondering how to prepare the business for succession;
- you are considering setting up a family foundation, but do not want to start from a ready-made thesis;
- you need to put the legal or ownership structure of the business in order;
- you want to protect the assets and set out the rules for managing them in the future;
- further family members are joining the running of the business;
- the owners have different expectations for the future of the business;
- you are planning a conversion, merger, division or another reorganisation;
- you need an ongoing adviser who knows the business and its context and can support the owners and managers in day-to-day legal and tax decisions.
I work best with people who are looking not only for an answer to a single question, but also for a structured view of the consequences of the planned decision.
How I work
First we put the situation in order. Only then do we choose a solution.
The scope of cooperation depends on the type of matter, but I base my way of working on a few constant principles: understanding the context, clear communication, presenting realistic options and responsible implementation of the decision taken. In ongoing advisory I apply the same approach to day-to-day issues, drawing on the knowledge of the business gained during our cooperation.
Four stages of cooperation
01
Understanding the situation
We start with a conversation about the business, its owners, the family and the decision to be made. We establish what the real goal is, which constraints must be taken into account and which issues require further analysis.02
Organising goals and risks
I analyse the situation from a legal and tax perspective, as well as its business and ownership consequences. I separate problems that require a quick response from decisions that can be prepared in stages.03
Possible scenarios
I present the available options together with their consequences, limitations and implementation conditions. I want the client to understand the differences between the solutions and to be able to make an informed decision.04
Implementation and further support
Once a direction has been chosen, I prepare the necessary steps and coordinate their implementation. Where the matter requires it, I work with other specialists, ensuring the consistency of the whole process. The cooperation may end with the completion of the project or continue as ongoing advisory. Ongoing advisory may also be a stand-alone model of cooperation, independent of any earlier project.
Principles of cooperation
What I base our cooperation on
01
Personal involvement
I want to know the context of the matter and understand the reasoning behind the decisions taken. The client contacts me directly, and I am personally responsible for the course of our cooperation.
02
Clear communication
I explain legal and tax issues in a way that enables business decisions. If a topic is complex, I break it down into stages and indicate which issues matter most.
03
Discretion
Matters of family businesses often concern not only the structure of the business, but also assets and relationships between people close to each other. That is why I treat confidentiality and care in communication as the foundation of our cooperation.
04
No ready-made answers before understanding the situation
I do not assume that every family business needs a family foundation, a reorganisation or the same succession model. The choice of solution should follow from the owners' goals, the situation of the business and the possible consequences.
05
Responsibility for implementation
A good concept is only the beginning. What also matters is the proper preparation of documents, the sequence of actions, communication between participants and how the adopted solution works afterwards.
I run a limited number of projects in parallel so that I can give each matter proper attention and keep our cooperation direct.
Forms of cooperation
Cooperation tailored to the needs of the business
Strategic consultation
For owners facing a specific decision who need to put the possible directions of action in order. The result may be an initial diagnosis, identification of issues requiring analysis and a proposal of next steps.
Project
For matters that require planning and carrying out a specific process, for example succession, setting up a family foundation, reorganising a group of companies or implementing a tax solution.
Ongoing legal and tax advisory
For family businesses that need regular support from an adviser who knows their structure, owners and long-term goals. We agree the scope of cooperation individually, depending on the scale of operations and the type of matters that arise. It may include ongoing consultation on contracts, transactions and ownership decisions, support for company bodies and cooperation with the accounting or finance team.
The first conversation is free of charge
It is a chance for us to get to know each other. The client can see how I work and how I approach analysing problems and running projects. I, in turn, can better understand the business, its plans for the near future and its expectations of our cooperation.
After the meeting I prepare a short summary indicating the areas worth putting in order, securing or covering with further support. This gives the client a practical picture of the situation and allows an informed decision on the next steps.
If we manage to discuss the scope of needs and the expected way of working in detail during the conversation, I also come back with a specific proposal for cooperation and a fee estimate prepared before any work begins.
This allows both sides to assess whether our approach, way of communicating and expectations are a good fit.
Network of cooperation
When a matter requires a wider team
Not every project can be carried out responsibly from a single perspective. Depending on the needs, I work with other attorneys-at-law, advocates, tax advisers, accountants, financial experts, mediators or other relevant specialists.
The choice of team follows from the nature of the matter. The client does not have to coordinate several independent advisers or retell the whole story to each of them from the beginning. My task is to ensure consistent recommendations and the right sequence of actions.
Knowledge and experience
The experience my work is based on
- attorney-at-law (radca prawny), registration no. PZ-5147;
- 10 years of experience in legal and tax advisory;
- experience gained, among others, at one of the largest tax advisory firms in Poland and worldwide, where I served international corporations, and at one of the largest law and tax firms in Poznań, where I worked with family businesses and their owners;
- graduate of the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics, University of Wrocław; Regional Chamber of Legal Advisers in Poznań;
- advice in Polish and English.
A good decision starts with the right questions
If you are facing a decision about the future of your business or are looking for ongoing support in its day-to-day legal and tax matters, we can start with a calm conversation about your situation.
You do not need a ready plan or to know which solution will be right. We can start by putting in order a specific decision, current needs or issues that need checking.
I reply personally. Before the conversation I will only ask you to briefly indicate what the matter is about.