Ewa Rutkowska

Principal

Attorney-at-Law

I am an expert in product liability, pharmaceutical law and healthcare law.

I have many years of experience in providing legal advice to Polish and international companies from the pharmaceutical, new technology, medical devices and FMCG sectors. I advise industry organisations which I have repeatedly represented as the public party in the legislative process, as well as supporting them in work on industry codes of best practices. I also work pro bono for non-profit organisations.

I have many years of experience in product liability litigation, including highly publicised cases of global product recall from the market. I represent clients in other cases before courts of law and arbitration courts. I am the chair of the Nominating Committee of the Court of Arbitration at the Confederation of LEWIATAN and a member of the Audit Committee at the Polish Arbitration Association. I am also a member of the team of mediators/conciliators of the Centre for the Amicable Resolution of Food-Related Disputes at the Polish Federation of Food Industry Union of Employers and the Diversity and Inclusion Senior Vice President of the Product Law and Advertising Committee of the International Bar Association.

For years, I have been recommended in the Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) international ranking as a Thought Leader – Global Elite in the field of Product Liability, and recognized as a leading lawyer in Life Sciences in the Chambers Europe, Legal500 and Rzeczpospolita (Polish daily newspaper) rankings. I have also been recommended by the Legal500 EMEA in the Dispute Resolution category in Poland.

Before co-founding KRK, I worked for the Hogan Lovells law firm (previously Lovells) for many years, forming and managing the pharmaceutical law and product liability practice. Later, together with my team of four, I joined Baker & McKenzie as a partner, where I worked for almost four years.

 

Języki

Polish, English, German

Wyróżnienia

  • 2025

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2025

      Ewa Rutkowska – a leader in the field of pharmaceutical and medical law.

    • Lexology Index 2025

      • Category:

        Healthcare & Life Sciences - Product Liability Defence

      • Awa

        Thought Leader

      • Category:

        Healthcare & Life Sciences - Regulatory

      • Award:

        Recommended

      • Category:

        Product Regulation & Liability - Product Liability Defence

      • Award:

        Global Elite Thought Leader

    • The Legal 500 EMEA 2025

      • Category:

        Healthcare and life sciences

      • Award:

        Leading Partner

    • Chambers Europe 2025

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

      Ewa Rutkowska is a visible presence on the life sciences market and covers matters including distribution, reimbursement, product liability and regulatory issues.

      Mocne strony

      I love working with Ewa. Her enthusiasm is great for getting through the most complex situations.”

      „Ewa Rutkowska is an exceptional lawyer with extensive knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry.”

      „Ewa is a very good and a very bright lawyer. ”

  • 2024

    • The Legal 500 EMEA 2024

      • Category:

        Healthcare and life sciences

      • Award:

        Leading Individual

      • Category:

        Dispute resolution

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      Testimonial

      “Ewa Rutkowska and Mateusz Winczura are a pleasure to work with, and in addition to being extremely smart and knowledgeable about the relevant issues, they are extremely thorough, careful, and responsive.”

    • Chambers Europe 2024

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

      Ewa Rutkowska is a visible presence on the life sciences market and covers matters including distribution, reimbursement, product liability and regulatory issues.

      Mocne strony

      “I feel very confident when working with Ewa Rutkowska that she will provide the right advice.”

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2024

      Ewa Rutkowska – Recommended lawyer in pharmaceutical in pharmaceutical and medical law.

    • Who’s Who Legal 2024

      • Category:

        Product Liability Defence

      • Award:

        Global Elite Throught Leader

      • Category:

        Life Sciences | Regulatory

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      • Category:

        Life Sciences | Product Liability

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

  • 2023

    • The Legal 500 EMEA 2023

      • Category:

        Healthcare and life sciences

      • Award:

        Leading Individual

      • Category:

        Dispute resolution

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

    • Chambers Europe 2023

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

      Ewa Rutkowska is a visible presence on the life sciences market and covers matters including distribution, reimbursement, product liability and regulatory issues.

      Mocne strony

      “Ewa Rutkowska is a great lawyer with a good business understanding”.

      “Ewa is an amazing person, a great lawyer and inspiring leader. It is always a pleasure to work with her”.

      “Ewa Rutkowska is very experienced and a strong lawyer”.

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2023

      Ewa Rutkowska – Leader in pharmaceutical and medical law.

  • 2022

    • The Legal 500 EMEA 2022

      • Category:

        Healthcare and life sciences

      • Award:

        Leading Individual

      Testimonials

      “I’ve worked most closely with Ewa Rutkowska for well over a decade and she is a superb lawyer with a very sophisticated understanding of the relevant science and law. She is also an excellent communicator and excels at explaining Polish law issues to foreign clients.”

      “Ewa Rutkowska is an excellent lawyer, and a standout in biopharmaceuticals and life sciences. An excellent choice in Poland.”

      • Category:

        Dispute resolution

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

    • Chambers Europe 2021

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

    • Who’s Who Legal 2022

      • Category:

        Product Liability Defence

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      Ewa Rutkowska recommended in Product Liability Defence.

      Testimonials

      “Ewa Rutkowska has a strong depth of expertise in multiple areas of the product liability sector.”

       

      • Category:

        Product Liability

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      Ewa Rutkowska recommended in Product Liability | Life Sciences in Poland (as the only lawyer in Poland awarded in this category).

      Testimonials

      “Ewa Rutkowska is lauded by peers as “the best in Poland for product liability proceedings”.

  • 2021

    • The Legal 500 EMEA 2021

      • Category:

        Healthcare and life sciences

      • Award:

        Leading Individual

      “Clients rate Ewa for product liability disputes.”

      ‘Ewa Rutkowska is my main contact. Very nice to work with, very responsive, very knowledgeable.”

      • Category:

        Dispute resolution

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      Co-founding partner Ewa Rutkowska heads the team and is particularly adept in product liability cases.

      Testimonials

      “Ewa Rutkowska is a great lawyer and leader of her team.”

    • Chambers Europe 2021

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

      ”Ewa Rutkowska has a broad caseload, encompassing reimbursement matters, liability cases, distribution and regulatory issues. She is acclaimed by one market commentator as very good in product liability cases.”

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2021

      Ewa Rutkowska recommended in Pharmaceutical and Medical Law.

    • Who’s Who Legal 2021

      • Category:

        Product Liability Defence

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      Ewa Rutkowska recommended in the field of Product Liability Defence.

      Testimonials

      “Ewa Rutkowska stands out as a go-to for product liability disputes in Poland thanks to her long-standing experience in the area.”

      • Category:

        Product Liability

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      Ewa Rutkowska recommended in Product Liability | Life Sciences in Poland (as the only lawyer in Poland awarded in this category).

      Testimonials

      “Ewa Rutkowska is highly recommended and great to work with effuse sources who regard her as the person you want to see for life sciences litigation in Poland.”

      • Category:

        Life Sciences - Regulatory

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

  • 2020

    • The Legal 500 EMEA 2020

      • Category:

        Healthcare and life sciences

      • Award:

        Leading Individual

      “(…) She has developed a strong focus on product liability.

      “Ewa Rutkowska has exceptional knowledge and differentiated, long-term experience in all aspects of the life science sector.”

    • Chambers Europe 2020

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

      Ewa Rutkowska is well prepared to undertake product liability cases on behalf of multinational pharmaceutical clients. She is similarly able in mandates relating to clinical trials. She is esteemed by clients for her energy which, as one client suggests, “can give you a sort of extra power.”

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2020

      Ewa Rutkowska recommended in Pharmaceutical and Medical Law.

    • Who’s Who Legal 2020

      • Category:

        Product Liability Defence

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      Ewa Rutkowska Global Leader : Product Liability Defence

      Testimonials

      “Ewa Rutkowska is absolutely fantastic and gains high praise as the best Polish product liability defence counsel and a true leader of the bar.”

      • Category:

        Product Liability

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      • Category:

        Life Sciences - Regulatory

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      „Ewa Rutkowska at KRK Kieszkowska Rutkowska Kolasiński is the go-to person in Poland. One peer effuses: I’ve worked with her for a very long time – the recognition is very well earned.”

    • Expert Guides 2020

      • Category:

        Product Liability

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      • Category:

        Women in Business Law

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

  • 2019

    • The Legal 500 EMEA 2019

      • Category:

        Healthcare and life sciences

      • Award:

        Leading Individual

      “Ewa Rutkowska is noted for her high degree of specialisation in life sciences. She is frequently instructed on contentious and non-contentious matters, involving pharmaceuticals, healthcare, food and cosmetics.”

    • Chambers Europe 2019

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2019

      Ewa Rutkowska recommended in this ranking for the 11th time in Pharmaceutical and Medical Law.

  • 2018

    • Expert Guides 2018

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      • Category:

        Women in Business Law

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

    • Chambers Europe 2018

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2018

      Ewa Rutkowska – recommended in this ranking for the 10th time in Pharmaceutical Law

  • 2017

    • Chambers Europe 2017

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2017

      Ewa Rutkowska – recommended in this ranking for the 9th time in Pharmaceutical Law

  • 2016

    • Chambers Europe 2016

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

      “She is an expert in this subject, with a very good legal background. She is able to advise taking into account the business aspects of the clients.”

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2016

      Ewa Rutkowska was recommended for the 8th time in the Pharmaceutical Law category

    • Who’sWho Legal 2016

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      • Category:

        Product Liability Defence

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

    • Corporate LiveWire Awards 2016

      Ewa Rutkowska – Most Outstanding Pharmaceutical Lawyer – Poland

    • Expert Guides 2016

      • Category:

        Product Liability

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      • Category:

        Women in Business Law

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

  • 2015

    • Chambers Europe 2015

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1

    • Who’s Who Legal 2015

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

      • Category:

        Product Liability Defence

      • Award:

        Recommended Lawyer

    • Global Awards 2015 Corporate LiveWire

      Ewa Rutkowska – Most Outstanding Pharmaceutical Lawyer 2015 Poland

    • Rzeczpospolita Law Firm Ranking 2015

      Ewa Rutkowska was recommended for the 7th time in the Pharmaceutical Law category

  • 2014

    • Chambers Europe 2014

      • Category:

        Life Sciences

      • Award:

        Band 1