Ashurst has expanded its new law offering with the launch of a global delivery centre (GDC) in Krakow, Poland. 

The centre will launch with a 15-strong team which the firm said it expects to grow in line with client demand. It will be led by Damian Dusza, as associate director of advanced solutions for Ashurst Advance and will be operated in partnership with legal software and resourcing provider Elevate.

The centre will be the firm’s third after its GDCs in Glasgow and Brisbane and will expand its Ashurst Advance offering with the introduction of a delivery team based in continental Europe.

Ashurst’s global CEO, Paul Jenkins, said the launch was in response to clients’ evolving needs and reflected the firm’s commitment to driving transformation across the business. 

“There has been a significant change in what clients expect from their legal advisers over recent years, further fuelled by the macroeconomic environment and increased globalisation,” Jenkins said. “The drive to provide more for less, combined with the emergence and increased adoption of legaltech, has led to an increased demand for legal services innovation and forward-thinking solutions.” 

The Krakow GDC will form part of the Ashurst Advance team, working with its legal and risk consulting professionals to deliver legal services to clients globally. The multilingual Krakow team will provide support across service lines including managed services, M&A and banking due diligence, disputes and investigations support, contract management, repapering and regulatory change programmes. 

Global co-head of Ashurst Advance, Hilary Goodier, said: “We are excited to expand our global footprint with the launch of our third GDC. Having a global platform operating across Glasgow, Brisbane and now Krakow, will allow the firm to provide innovative services and solutions to our clients wherever they are located.

“Through this new GDC we will also broaden our European language capabilities, ensuring our team is well-equipped to continue to meet the diverse needs of our clients across the continent and beyond.”

Ashurst first partnered with Elevate in 2019 to launch a new flexible resourcing platform. The platform enabled Ashurst to source contract lawyers as an extension to its practice areas and has also allowed the firm’s clients to access technical expertise for secondments. 

Chris Georgiou, global co-head of Ashurst Advance, said: “Opening a new global delivery centre requires the mobilisation of a skilled and scalable team, and Elevate’s advice and execution has allowed us to do just that.” 

Ashurst Advance was first established in 2013 in Glasgow and since then has grown to a team of 200 people across the UK, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and now Continental Europe. Now one of the fastest growing parts of the firm, the team offers a suite of services, including digital, advanced delivery, legal managed services, legal operations and flexible resourcing.