16.05.2024 / Our Firm
Interview with Peter Hafner: Our new Partner since 2024
Since the beginning of the year, Peter Hafner has joined Wenger Vieli as a partner. As we approach the halfway point of the year, we spoke with him about his career path and his role as a partner at our firm.
Since the beginning of the year you have been a partner at Wenger Vieli. What are you looking forward to most in this new role?
Litigation is one of the core areas of the legal profession and an important service for our clients. As a partner, I am most excited about shaping and positioning the firm's Dispute Resolution practice. In litigation, teamwork is central to both a productive working environment and to success. We have a strong litigation team at Wenger Vieli. As a partner, I am available to our team to jointly master the cases entrusted to us and to further develop our associates through exciting and challenging work.
What motivated you to take up your profession and how did you end up in your current field?
While studying law, I quickly realized that the subject suits me. My colleagues said that I would probably become a professor. As a young attorney, I worked on the team of one of the best litigation attorneys at the time. This sparked my interest and joy in litigation, and I maintained that fascination to this day.
You are part of the Litigation and Arbitration team. What exactly fascinates you about this area?
In American legal thinking, there is the concept of "Legal Realism", meaning that a right on paper doesn't necessarily have much impact in practice; rather, a right only truly exists when it can be effectively enforced. In litigation, claims that exist in theory are realized in practice. Thus, claims can also fail due to practical hurdles that must be considered in any litigation.
For each new case, the people involved and the facts are different. As such, the work is highly varied. The expertise acquired through numerous lawsuits must be applied and further developed in ever-changing case scenarios.As a litigation attorney, I have never stopped learning.
What excites / inspires you?
Everything where people achieve great things. So, top-level sports, music, good architecture, technology and research.
How do you find a balance to your everyday work?
I spend time with family and friends. To stay fit, if possible I go to the gym at lunchtime. I enjoy reading good novels and political literature.