In each edition of our newsletter, we personally introduce people working for our firm. This time it is the turn of Hans Christian Wilms from our Freiburg office.

Hans Christian Wilms, born in 1983, lawyer in our Freiburg office since September 2019, was born in the Black Forest and grew up there. His first attraction for studying law was logically the university in the valley, i.e. in Freiburg. This was to lay the foundation for a career in diplomacy, which would fulfill the desire to see the world as a workplace. The doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg was to give these career prerequisites the necessary refinement. It was there that he developed a fascination for Public Law, especially European Law, which continues to this day. However, sobering descriptions of the lives of diplomats then caused a change in the choice of career. The legal clerkship finally brought the realization that the most exciting legal activity is to participate in shaping the environment by advising companies, municipalities and institutions. The path into the European Environmental and Construction Law was therefore consequential and has proven to be the right one to this day.

Before joining Friedrich Graf von Westphalen, Hans Christian Wilms worked for law firms in Düsseldorf, Stuttgart and Potsdam. After years away from home, his longing for the black forest led him back to the city with the highest quality of life. At Friedrich Graf von Westphalen, he was able to contribute and expand his previous areas of specialization. The decisive factor for him was that human quality also counts in our firm. The question in the job interview about the book he is currently reading spoke volumes for him. For him, it demonstrates that a good lawyer must look beyond the pages of law books. Literature taught him the most important lessons. Which is why he passionately "studies" authors like Murakami, Franzen and Barnes.

When he's not reading, Hans Christian Wilms is mainly into sports, but a ball is a must. Above all, the round leather on green turf has ensured from childhood until today that he can switch off. Since the birth of his young son, however, all leisure activities alongside his job have become a balancing act. At the same time, the youngster has to be prepared for the planned trips to India, Chile and Georgia, following his lesson that the best way to explore the world is from Freiburg.