ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6799-7392
Professor at the Kozminski University in Warsaw (Poland), arbitrator adjudicating at the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce, associate member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (Academie International de Droit Comparé) in Paris, member of numerous codification commissions, member of numerous editorial boards or programme councils of journals.
Awarded the Gold Cross of Merit (1975), the Knight’s Cross (1980), the Officer's Order of Polonia Restituta (1987) and the Knight’s Order of Academic Palms (by the decree of the Prime Minister of the Republic of France of July 21st, 1987) – the latter for his contribution to the development of Polish-French cooperation. Awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by the University of Rostov-on-Don in 1995 and by the University of Silesia in 2011. Laureate of the Pro Scientia et Arte Award (2006), the Silesian Oscar (2008), the Award of the Society of Friends of Silesia in Warsaw (2016), the laurel of the Student University of Silesia (2017) and the Crystal Laurel of Skills and Competence (2018).
Born on May 18th,1936 in Zagorzyce (Malopolska). In the years 1953–1957, studied law at the Faculty of Law of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow; as of October 1st, 1956, deputy assistant at the Department of Civil Law and Private International Law, headed by prof. Kazimierz Przybyłowski at the Jagiellonian University. Upon obtaining his master's degree, as of July 1st, 1957, assistant in this Department, then senior assistant, and upon obtaining his PhD degree - assistant professor. From August 15th, 1959 until October 31st, 1961, legal advisor for legal representation in the Organizational and Legal Department of the Presidium of the Provincial National Council in Cracow. From December 1st, 1961 until December 31st, 1963, completed extra-tenure judge training at the Voivodeship Court in Cracow and in December 1963, passed a judicial exam with the “very good” result.
On April 27th, 1964, on the basis of his PhD dissertation entitled “Capacity for Legal Action of Natural Persons in Polish Private International Law”, and upon positive assessment of his PhD examinations and public thesis defence before the Faculty Board of the Jagiellonian University, the Board, by resolution of the same date, awarded him a PhD degree in legal sciences. The supervisor of the PhD dissertation was prof. Kazimierz Przybyłowski.
In the years 1966–1968, delegate of assistant professors and assistants to the Board of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University. As of October 1st, 1968 - assistant professor at the Department of Civil Law of Internal and International Trade at the University of Silesia in Katowice, and from 1991 until 2006 - head of the Department of Civil Law and Private International Law of the University of Silesia. He held tenure at this University until 2015. As of October 1st, 2007, employed as professor at the Kozminski University in Warsaw.
He obtained a postdoctoral degree in legal sciences in 1974 by the resolution of the Board of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University. The habilitation process was based on his post-doctoral dissertation entitled “Statutory Succession in Private International Law. Methods of Regulating the Properties of Law”, Katowice 1973, pp. 192. In 1979, obtained the academic title of associate professor, and in 1990 - professor at the University of Silesia.
Professor dr hab. Maksymilian Pazdan specializes in private international law, civil law and international commercial law. His textbook on private international law has had 16 editions so far. In the years 2014–2015, the three-volume “Private International Law System” was published under his editorship, and in 2018 – a commentary covering private international law currently in force in Poland.
At the University of Silesia he held numerous positions, including Head of the Administrative Vocational Study (1970–1972), Vice-Dean (1972–1978) and Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration (1978–1980), Vice-Provost (1981–1987), and in 1990–1996 – the Provost of the University. In the 2002–2005 term, member of the Senate of the University of Silesia.
In the years 1999–2002, Vice-Chairman of the Main Council of Tertiary Education.
As of 1978, arbitrator adjudicating at the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce (until 1989 - Polish Chamber of Foreign Trade) in Warsaw; also elected arbitrator in ad hoc arbitration.
For a number of years involved in legislative work and processes. As a member of the Expert Committee to develop a draft code of foreign trade, appointed by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Maritime Economy (1977), he actively participated in the efforts that led to the development of such a draft (1981). Member of the so-called Resich Commission, which prepared a draft law on tertiary education (1980–81), member of the Civil Law Reform Commission established in 1988, which formulated the amendment of the Civil Code of 1990; for two consecutive terms participated in the activities of the Legislative Council (1987 -1992); in the years 1990–1991, chaired the Commission for the Reform of Mining and Geological Law, which developed a draft of the relevant act subsequently adopted by the Parliament, and from October 22nd, 1996 until December 17th, 2015, member of the Civil Law Codification Commission. Within the Commission, he chaired the Private International Law Section and the Inheritance Law Section.
Member of the Scientific Council of the Ministry of Justice’s Institute for Judicial Law Research (1986–1990) and the Council of the Interuniversity Institute of Inventiveness and Intellectual Property Protection in Cracow (as of 1978). From 1999 until 2018, member of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Legal Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.
In the years 984–1989 and 1997–2012, member of the Legal Sciences Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Elected associate member by the Congregation of the Polish Academy of Learning on June 23, 2001. As of April 2003, associate member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (Academie International de Droit Comparé) in Paris.
He did long-term internships abroad - in France as a scholarship holder of the French government (Université Paris I - 1973, 1978) and in Germany as a scholarship holder of DAAD and Max Planck Gesellschaft (Max Planck Institutes in Hamburg - 1984 and in Munich - 1984, 1986, 1989).
Previously, member of editorial boards or programme councils of journals: „Studia Cywilistyczne”, „Droit Polonais Contemporain”, „Polish Yearbook of International Law”, „Przegląd Prawa i Administracji”, „Nowe Prawo”, „Państwo i Prawo”. Currently, member of editorial boards or programme councils of the following journals: „Kwartalnik Prawa Prywatnego”, „Orzecznictwo Sądów Polskich”, „Rejent”. In 1987–2000, he edited „Problemy Prawa Handlu Zagranicznego" (20 issues in total), whereas "Problemy Prawa Prywatnego Międzynarodowego" are currently being published.
Member of the Polish Section of the Henri Capitant Association of Friends of French Legal Culture (Association Henri Capitant des Amis de la Culture Juridique Française), the Association of Polish Arbitrators, the Association of Friends of the University of Silesia and the Polish Association of European Law.
Publications (2017-2019)
1. W poszukiwaniu prawa właściwego dla uznania dziecka urodzonego w następstwie procedury wspomaganej medycznie [in:] M. Pazdan, M. Jagielska, E. Rott-Pietrzyk, M. Szpunar, Rozprawy z prawa prywatnego. Księga jubileuszowa dedykowana Profesorowi Wojciechowi Popiołkowi, red. M. Pazdan, Warszawa 2017, s. 140–146.
2. Zasada jednolitości statutu spadkowego i odstępstwa od niej w rozporządzeniu spadkowym UE z 2012 r. [in:] Prawo prywatne wobec wyzwań współczesności. Księga pamiątkowa dedykowana Profesorowi Leszkowi Ogiegle, red. M. Fras, P. Ślęzak, Warszawa 2017, s. 343–350.
3. Umowy o zrzeczenie się dziedziczenia w rozporządzeniu spadkowym UE z 2012 r. [in:] Ius est a iustitia appellatum. Księga jubileuszowa dedykowana Profesorowi Tadeuszowi Wiśniewskiemu, Warszawa 2017, s. 1047–1055.
4. Zawezwanie do próby ugodowej jako przyczyna przerwy biegu przedawnienia de lege lata i de lege ferenda [in:] Czynić postęp w prawie. Księga jubileuszowa dedykowana Profesor Birucie Lewaszkiewicz-Petrykowskiej, red. W. Robaczyński, Łódź 2017, s. 99–108.
5. Aspekty kolizyjnopprawne odpowiedzialności za długi spadkowe, „Rejent” 2017/9 (317), s. 11–24.
6. Prawo prywatne międzynarodowe, Warszawa 2017, ss. 551.
7. Zarządca sukcesyjny a wykonawca testamentu [in:] Ius est ars boni et aequi. Księga dedykowana Profesorowi Józefowi Frąckowiakowi, red. A. Danko-Roesler, M. Leśniak, M. Skory i B. Sołtys, Warszawa 2018, s. 885–894.
8. Prawo prywatne międzynarodowe. Komentarz, Warszawa 2018, volume editor & author of pages 3–11, 15–19, 37–48, 55–58, 81–83, 106–111, 177–190, 195–202, 173–283, 327–333, 361–372, 508–523, 535–547, 583–619, 1147–1213, 1220–1225, 1239–1249, 1275–1280.
9. Objaśnienie do art. 7091–70918 i 922–1088 [in:] Kodeks cywilny. T. II. Komentarz, red. K. Pietrzykowski, Warszawa 2018, s. 616–647, 1002–1288.
10. Objaśnienie do art. 8–43, 89–116 [in:] Kodeks cywilny. T. I. Komentarz, red. K. Pietrzykowski, Warszawa 2018, s. 79–190, 412–480.
11. Współczesne wyzwania prawa prywatnego międzynarodowego w zakresie prawa rodzinnego [in:] Kolizyjne i procesowe aspekty prawa rodzinnego, red. J. Gołaczyński, W. Popiołek, Warszawa 2019, s. 127–135.
12. Zagadnienia kolizyjnoprawne w prawie spółek handlowych [in:] Prawo spółek handlowych, t. 2A, red. A. Szumański, Warszawa 2019, s. 323–378.