5 key takeaways
- Fintech law in Poland sits at the intersection of financial regulation, technology law, data protection and EU compliance – a generalist lawyer is rarely sufficient
- The most important credential is direct KNF experience – not just knowledge of the rules, but experience dealing with the regulator in licence applications, supervisory interactions and enforcement proceedings
- A good fintech lawyer in Poland understands both the regulation and the product – advice that is legally correct but commercially unworkable is not good advice
- EU regulatory fluency matters as much as Polish law – MiCA, DORA, PSD2, AI Act and GDPR are EU frameworks that interact in complex ways; your lawyer needs to navigate all of them simultaneously
- Rankings by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 EMEA are the most reliable independent signals of quality in this market – they reflect feedback from clients and peers, not self-assessment
I am frequently asked by founders, GCs and investors how to choose the right fintech lawyer in Poland. The answer is not obvious – fintech law is a genuinely specialised field that combines financial regulation, technology law, data protection and EU compliance in ways that most law firms are not structured to handle well.
This post explains what makes fintech legal advice different, what to look for when choosing a fintech lawyer in Poland, and what questions are worth asking before you engage.
Why Fintech Law in Poland Is Different
Fintech law is not a single discipline. Consequently, a lawyer who is excellent at one component may be inadequate at another. Specifically, a well-rounded fintech lawyer in Poland needs to understand all of the following simultaneously:
| Area | What it covers | Why it matters for fintech |
|---|---|---|
| Financial regulation | KNF licensing, PSD2, MiCA, AML/CFT, MiFID II | Core operating licence and regulatory compliance |
| Technology law | IT contracts, SaaS, cloud, IP, software ownership | Commercial framework for product and vendor relationships |
| Data protection | GDPR, UODO, cross-border transfers, DPIAs | Mandatory for any product handling personal data |
| EU regulatory frameworks | DORA, NIS2, AI Act, PSD3, FIDA | Overlapping obligations that interact with financial regulation |
| Corporate and commercial | Company structure, investment, M&A | Market entry structure and investor transactions |
Most Polish law firms cover one or two of these areas well. Consequently, many fintech businesses end up coordinating between multiple advisers – which creates gaps, inconsistencies and significant cost.
Fintech Lawyer Poland Legal Advice: 5 Questions to Ask
1. Do you have direct KNF experience?
This is the most important question. KNF authorisation processes are not simply legal document exercises – they require understanding of what KNF is looking for, how to present a business model persuasively, how to respond to KNF questions, and how to manage the regulator relationship over time.
A lawyer who has advised on KNF licence applications and interacted with KNF on behalf of clients is fundamentally different from one who has only read the legislation. Furthermore, experience with KNF enforcement, supervisory inspections and remediation programmes is increasingly valuable as KNF’s supervisory approach matures.
2. Have you worked with businesses like mine?
Fintech is not monolithic. A payment institution, a crypto-asset business, a neobank, a B2B SaaS provider and an insurtech all face materially different regulatory frameworks – even within the broader “fintech” category. Specifically, a lawyer who has advised extensively on VASP/CASP licensing and MiCA may have limited experience with PSD2 payment institution authorisation – and vice versa.
Ask for specific examples of comparable businesses the lawyer has advised, what the regulatory challenge was, and what the outcome looked like. Additionally, ask whether the lawyer has experience with businesses at your stage – early-stage regulatory strategy is different from ongoing compliance support for a scaled institution.
3. Can you advise on the EU regulatory framework, not just Polish law?
MiCA is an EU Regulation. DORA is an EU Regulation. The AI Act is an EU Regulation. GDPR is an EU Regulation. Consequently, a fintech lawyer in Poland who is strong on Polish financial regulation but weak on EU-level frameworks will leave significant gaps in your advice.
In practice, this means your lawyer needs to understand not only what the regulation says but how it interacts with other EU frameworks, how it is being applied in other Member States, and what supervisory convergence trends mean for Polish entities.
4. Do you understand my product?
This is the question most people forget to ask – and it is often the most revealing. Legal advice in fintech is only useful if the adviser understands the product well enough to identify where regulation actually bites. Consequently, a lawyer who has worked alongside product teams, compliance officers and technical architects will give materially better advice than one who works purely from legal texts.
Ask about the lawyer’s experience with product-adjacent legal work – reviewing technical documentation, advising on product features before launch, working through AI Act risk classifications with engineering teams. Additionally, ask whether they can explain regulatory requirements in plain language to non-lawyers.
5. What does the ranking say?
Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 EMEA are the most reliable independent benchmarks in the Polish legal market. They reflect structured feedback from clients, counterparties and peers – not self-assessment. Consequently, a consistent top-tier ranking in FinTech or Financial Regulation by Chambers, or recognition as a leading individual by Legal 500, provides meaningful third-party validation that general marketing materials cannot replicate.
Fintech Lawyer Poland Legal Advice: What Experience Matters Most
Direct regulatory experience
The most valuable experience is direct: licence applications handled, supervisory interactions managed, enforcement proceedings navigated. Specifically, this means the lawyer has sat across the table from KNF, prepared responses to KNF questions, and managed the relationship between a fintech client and its regulator over time.
Cross-border and market entry experience
If you are entering Poland from another jurisdiction, your lawyer needs to understand not only Polish regulation but how it fits into the EU single market framework. Furthermore, experience advising non-Polish companies on market entry – including corporate structure, licensing strategy, GDPR compliance and AML framework design – is materially different from advising domestically incorporated businesses.
Current regulatory knowledge
The fintech regulatory landscape in Poland changed more in 2025-2026 than in the previous decade combined – MiCA, DORA, NIS2, the amended KSC Act, PSD3 in progress, AI Act in force. Consequently, regulatory knowledge that was current two years ago may now be incomplete or incorrect. Ask specifically about the lawyer’s experience with MiCA transition, DORA implementation and the AI Omnibus – these are the live issues in 2026.
What Good Fintech Legal Advice in Poland Looks Like
Good fintech legal advice is not just legally correct – it is commercially realistic and operationally actionable. Specifically, it means:
- Identifying the regulatory requirements that actually apply to your business model – not a generic checklist of everything that might apply
- Explaining what compliance means in practice for your product, team and budget
- Providing clear recommendations, not a list of risks and open questions
- Being available when deadlines hit and situations develop quickly
- Understanding that your legal costs are a commercial input, not an unlimited overhead
Additionally, good fintech legal advice anticipates the next regulatory development, not just the current one. The lawyers who add the most value in fintech are those who understand where regulation is going – not just where it is today.
If you are looking for a fintech lawyer in Poland – for market entry, KNF licensing, MiCA compliance, DORA implementation, or ongoing regulatory advice — get in touch.
You can also have a look at my Fintech services page.
Related posts:
- Fintech, AI Act and NIS2 Lawyer in Poland: How I Work and Who I Help
- EMI vs KIP — Which Payment Licence Do You Need in Poland?
- Expanding Your US Fintech or Technology Business to Poland
- FinTech, Banking & Financial Regulation
Katarzyna Szczudlik is a Partner at Schoenherr in Warsaw and one of Poland’s leading fintech lawyers, ranked by Chambers & Partners (FinTech) and Legal 500 EMEA (Data Protection & TMT). She advises payment institutions, crypto-asset businesses and technology companies on KNF licensing, MiCA, DORA and EU market entry. Get in touch.
