Justyna Smaża-Muras

Legal Services Counsel & Coordinator @ Merck Group | Intellectual Property, New Media Law, Life Science & Healthcare

Wroclaw Metropolitan Area

About

As a Legal Services Counsel at Merck Group, I leverage my extensive experience in contract management and legal advisory to provide end-to-end services for frequently required contracts in the Healthcare & Life Science industry. I have a proven track record of negotiating, reviewing, and drafting contracts, as well as analyzing legal contracting issues and executing strategic responses with a keen understanding of the impacts to business interest and company goals. I am also passionate about process improvements and knowledge transfer, which I have demonstrated in my previous roles as a Contracts Lawyer at Merck Group, Contract Management Lead at Capgemini and Associate in Axiom/Knowable. I have successfully established and maintained long-term relationships with stakeholders based on trust and shared goals, and managed other team members while leading assigned projects. I hold a Postgraduate Degree in Intellectual Property and New Media Law from Uniwersytet Jagielloński in Kraków and a Master's degree in Law from University of Wrocław.

Experience

  • Merck Group ()
    • Legal Services Counsel - Contracts, Legal Services Coordinator
      Aug 2024 - Present · 2 yrs

      • Coordinator in Legal Services Team for Life Science sector: Work allocation, being first POC for Procurement and Business teams, cooperating with LE teams in US, UK&RIO, EMEA, LATAM and APEC, conducting Daily Management meetings, problem identification and solving, knowledge sharing, training new joiners in LS sector, involvement in determining the appropriate approach for new assignments and tasks • Legal Services Counsel: Providing end-to-end service for frequently required contracts, Negotiating, reviewing and drafting contracts from Healthcare & Life Science industry, Legal advisory, Process improvements, Knowledge transfer, Analyzing legal contracting issues and execute strategic responses with a keen understanding of the impacts to business interest and company goals

    • Contracts Lawyer
      Nov 2023 - Jul 2024 · 9 mos

      • Counsel in a newly established Legal Services Team, providing end-to-end service for frequently required contracts • Negotiating, reviewing and drafting contracts from Healthcare & Life Science industry • Legal advisory • Process improvements • Knowledge transfer • Analyzing legal contracting issues and execute strategic responses with a keen understanding of the impacts to business interest and company goals

  • Contract Management Lead at Capgemini
    Aug 2022 - Oct 2023 · 1 yr 3 mos

    • I excelled in delivering contract management and commercial support for international clients, particularly in the British public sector • Defined service scopes, SLAs, and KPIs while ensuring compliance with data protection regulations • Fostered long-term relationships with stakeholders, enhancing collaboration and trust • Led a team to manage projects effectively, driving process improvements in contract management

  • Contract Manager / Paralegal at LiveChat
    Sep 2021 - Jun 2022 · 10 mos

    • I effectively managed contract workflows and improved team collaboration at LiveChat • Ensured compliance with privacy, IT, and IP laws during contract preparation and negotiation • Streamlined the contract management process through the development of B2B contracts • Employed Agile methodologies to enhance team efficiency in project sprints

  • Associate II, Contract Management (formerly Axiom) at Knowable
    Mar 2019 - Aug 2021 · 2 yrs 6 mos

    • Conducted comprehensive contract analysis, capturing clauses under pre-defined fields for various contract types, including commercial, public, MSA, NDA, and SOW. • Collaborated closely with clients to ensure accurate reporting based on contract information, assessing risks and identifying potential process improvements. • Engaged in data remediation efforts to enhance contract management efficiency within Knowable, a dynamic startup in the Wroclaw Metropolitan Area.

  • Axiom ()
    • Associate II, Contract Management
      Feb 2018 - Feb 2019 · 1 yr 1 mo

      In my role at Axiom, I specialized in contract management, focusing on analyzing and summarizing diverse contract types. I coordinated helpdesk operation , ensuring seamless client communication and support. As Helpdesk Coordinator, responsible for allocating tasks, maintaining relationships with US client representatives, and conducting QC/QA with 1:1 coaching to elevate team performance Additionally, I have been training new joiners and fostered a culture of knowledge sharing within the team, coordinating knowledge-sharing sessions and facilitating cross-regional knowledge transfer (e.g., travelled to Chicago to learn the Relativity tool from US colleagues and transferred insights to the Poland team).

    • Associate I, Contract Management
      Oct 2016 - Feb 2018 · 1 yr 5 mos

      • I played a pivotal role in contract management at Axiom, enhancing operational efficiency through detailed analysis and client collaboration. • Conducted thorough contract analysis, capturing essential clauses to ensure compliance and clarity. • Summarized various contract types, including commercial and public contracts, to facilitate better understanding. • Coordinated helpdesk activities, improving client communication and support for contract-related issues.