Pinsent Masons

Can a political campaign use a famous brand's trade mark without permission? A new ruling from the EU's highest court says freedom of expression can, in some circumstances, outweigh trade mark rights, but only after a careful balancing of competing interests. Rachael Barber explores what businesses and brand owners should know. ⤵️

Securing €172 million in refinancing for one of Warsaw's most iconic mixed-use destinations marks another significant milestone for the Polish real estate market. We advised White Star Real Estate and Tristan Capital Partners on the refinancing of Elektrownia Powiśle, one of the largest single-asset real estate financing transactions completed in Poland in 2026. The deal is particularly noteworthy as it represents the first financing transaction delivered alongside Erste Group and Erste Bank Polska following the bank's entry into the Polish market. It also reflects continued lender confidence in high-quality, income-generating real estate assets and the strength of well-performing mixed-use developments. The Pinsent Masons team was led by Jakub Zienkiewicz and Bartosz Nojek, with support from Kamil Bator and Justyna Machnicka from the Warsaw office.

Interested in what’s actually driving the energy transition right now? Join us next week with E-FWD as we dig into the findings from our global survey of nearly 1,000 investors and tech developers in the low carbon space. Julia Maguire, Stacey Collins and Laura Ayre will share what’s gaining traction, and what’s not, alongside E-FWD’s Ed Reed. We’ll cover everything from emerging technologies to the realities of scaling carbon markets. There's still time to sign up 👇

We’ve supported Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego in extending an investment loan and VAT loan for the partial financing of the acquisition of the Central Point office tower in central Warsaw. One of the largest office deals on the Warsaw market in 2026, and a strong signal of bank confidence in the sector. The deal reflects improving sentiment towards Core+ office assets. The transaction was led by the banking & finance team, including Bartosz Nojek, alongside Justyna Machnicka, Jakub Zienkiewicz, Katarzyna Pasek and Karol Ścibor.

Taylor Swift has moved quickly to protect her voice and image from AI misuse – and she likely won’t be the last. As our IP expert Hannah McLoughlin explains, it’s a move more public figures may soon follow as digital lookalikes become easier to create. 🎤https://ow.ly/sL1L50YVQ3l

The US government claims that training AI on copyrighted content is 'fair use', leaving it up to courts, not legislators, for further decision. Gill Dennis and Alexander Bibi explore the contrast to the stricter EU copyright laws, why a market for licensing may emerge, and what this could mean for rights holders and AI developers. A useful overview for those in IP, AI, or digital regulation: 👇 https://ow.ly/HRk650Yy3HR