Wildgen Law Firm's 95th Anniversary;
On 20 September 2018, the Wildgen law firm turned 95 years, and was joined for the occasion by distinguished guests including His Excellency Prime Minister Xavier Bettel: this was also the opportunity for Wildgen to officially present and celebrate the launch of its new representative office, opened last June in London.
The Wildgen law firm put every effort into offering its 200 guests a memorable evening. Founded in Luxembourg in 1923 by Victor Bodson, Wildgen has since advised a national and international clientele in all areas of business law. Today, Wildgen is a reference for Luxembourg companies and has taken advantage of its 95th anniversary to officially inaugurate its London representative office. This office is steered by Mark Shaw on site and by Samia Rabia from Luxembourg.
François Brouxel, Managing Partner, revealed the secrets of this success story: “If our firm knows such longevity, it is because it has been able to adapt to the various eras and face the diverse challenges that it has encountered while remaining flexible and independent. The opening of the London representative office solidifies Wildgen’s desire to establish strategic international development and open a new chapter in its history. This implementation reflects our proactivity, our desire to extend and improve our services to all our clients for many years to come.”
Mark Shaw, Head of the representative office in London, agreed on that point: “After 95 years of being a Luxembourg-only firm, it was a big decision to open an office in London, but it made perfect sense. Wildgen is a very client-centric firm, and that something that is in high demand from the London market.”
His Excellency Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who congratulated the firm for the newly opened representative office, stressed the importance of such pathways between London and Luxembourg, allowing English firms and investors to obtain answers to their enquiries about Luxembourg. Such private initiatives contribute to the promotion and success of our country on the international stage.
Wildgen will, no doubt, know how to take advantage of these arguments and seize new opportunities to exceed its first century of achievement.
A FEW KEY DATES
In 1923, Victor Bodson, a lawyer and future Minister for Justice, Public Works and Transport, opened a firm dedicated to his activities. The first 50 years of the company, located on Boulevard Joseph II, were not representative of the full-service law firm we know today. In 1978, Albert Wildgen, a trainee at the firm at the time, was propelled to the top and focuses the activity on business and financial law. The 1980s and 1990s saw the emergence of Luxembourg as a financial capital and the company’s expansion as it became a member of the KPMG legal network, KLegal, from 1996 to 2003. Albert Wildgen then left the firm. He was replaced by François Brouxel and Pierre Metzler. The firm moved to 69 Boulevard de la Pétrusse.
In 2012, the shareholders chose Pierre Metzler (now working as a notary in Grevenmacher) as the first Managing Partner. In 2016, François Brouxel succeeded Pierre Metzler in the role of Managing Partner.
The firm joined networks of independent law firms, thus giving its clients access to over 10,000 lawyers worldwide. In 2018, Wildgen opened a representative office in London to better serve its clients. The firm currently has 85 employees, including 11 partners.
