Before committing to law, Mr. Wardyński first considered a maritime path. Friends’ stories steered him toward a university degree. Studies, he says, offered less professional training than “a first attempt to understand the world.” That curiosity set him on a five-decade journey – from criminal defense and family law to business law – while building one of the country’s leading firms.

Let’s start from the beginning. What drew you to law?

Nothing dramatic. Life is a combination of circumstances. Studies don’t really prepare you for professional life – they’re your first attempt to understand the world. But legal studies are amazing: they give you a basic grasp of the state and how society is organised.

When it came to practice, I became an advocate because I wanted to stand up for myself and for others in society. Growing up, we saw abuses of power. Over time I realized abuse isn’t only about the system – it’s also about the culture of a society. In every society, people must care about their own rights – and others.

You’ve worked across practice areas. What did that journey look like?

 I’ve done everything over nearly 50 years. I started in criminal defence, then family law, then succession. When things changed in Poland and the economy normalised – people could run their own businesses – I followed that change into business law. That shift helped me build a firm that grew quickly because the economy did.

 What I’ve kept as the firm’s culture is what advocacy really is: protecting clients’ rights. Not just advising from a distance, but helping them reach outcomes.

Why build your own, multidisciplinary firm?

 Real-world client problems are multidimensional. Corporate activity touches many areas like regulation, real estate, administrative law, and more. You simply can’t do it alone, even with new technology. You need colleagues who specialise in different fields, so you can bring complete, workable solutions to complex projects.

You once said: ‘Law is boring… specialised law even more so.’ What is exciting?

 People. The human dimension of legal problems is exciting. As an advocate, your work is to influence other people ethically so you can close a settlement or a transaction. Influence, in the good sense, is helping others see the legitimacy of your client’s rights. On the other side, you must be vigilant and alert your client if their rights are violated.

 Every project changes your work; there’s always something new to learn. Even within one specialization, each matter brings different stakes and emotions. Part of the job is to read those emotions and show clients what they can achieve, without harming others.

How do you see technology changing legal work?

We moved from typewriters to word processors to systems that help organise text. And now AI. Technology helps; it accelerates. But what you get from a machine is a semi-product. You must still add judgement and intellect, choose what matters, and assume responsibility for outcomes.

We’re also approaching an overload of information. That means lawyers must be more analytical, faster to react, and selective about what truly matters. Technology won’t replace advocacy, judgment, or understanding people. It can’t sell hard-won legal experience to your client on your behalf. 

As technology in the legal profession keeps evolving, what advice do you have for young lawyers today?

Have genuine curiosity. Ask where something is heading and why it’s written a certain way. Curiosity leads to competence.

Then I’d say experience. You need eight to ten years of relevant, repeated exposure before real confidence sets in. You can’t generalise across everything – for example, skills in M&A don’t automatically transfer to disputes.

Finally, remember your role with clients. If you want clients to accept advice, speak in a way that doesn’t chill them. Advocacy includes empathy.

So, if you started over, would you still be a lawyer?

 I’m not sure. Maybe I’d be an architect. There’s a creative, organizing impulse in both professions – making something coherent out of many constraints.

Looking ahead: What’s your vision for the future of legal practice?

Within the profession, we’ll have more complexity and more acceleration. That demands better reactions and clearer thinking. The mission remains constant: protect rights, resolve conflicts fairly, and keep the human dimension at the centre.

 The Shapers are practitioners who mix rigour with humanity, who adopt new tools without surrendering judgement. Mr. Wardyński reminds us that while regulation, markets, and technology keep changing, advocacy, protecting rights, and listening to the person in front of you, doesn’t go out of style.