“You don’t need a global firm to tackle international legal issues” – interview with Dr. Ádám Wagner, attorney-at-law

You don’t need a global firm to tackle international legal issues. All you need is a Hungarian lawyer primarily practising in English, with a brief academic stint in St. Petersburg and Paris. We sat down with Dr. Ádám Wagner, who has become the go-to lawyer for many foreign clients. We discussed his unique career path, the hurdles he’s overcome, and his take on the new draft law on immigration, which has been passed by the Hungarian Parliament since our discussion. 

Every lawyer has their own story about how they got into the profession. When did you first discover your interest in this field?

I believe that people tend to find a role that suits them relatively early in life. Even in primary school, I was an advocate for my class against various teacher oversteps and injustices, and I proudly continued this tradition in high school. I remember a particular incident in which one of our teachers treated a classmate so unfairly that I couldn’t remain silent. Since we were in the middle of an exam, I quickly finished answering the questions and in the remaining time, I wrote an essay in the corner of my paper about why what had happened was wrong and why I considered it unjust. This act of defiance surprisingly led to a very positive outcome from the teacher, who wrote back at length, praising my courage, which felt great. To be truthful I could start by listing the sound principles and ethos of law and the legal profession. Nonetheless, I will not deny considering the fact when choosing law that I wanted a profession offering a stable income in the future.

Have you always aspired to be an attorney?

As clear as I was about wanting to go to law school, I also realised relatively quickly I did not want to be a prosecutor nor a judge but an attorney. What struck me and still does, is the independence and freedom of thought that comes with being an attorney. From the very beginning of my studies, I did internships in renowned law firms where I actively participated in solving cases, drafted documents and submissions, and gained a lot of experience – actually much more than at university. 

You started your legal studies at ELTE Law School in Budapest, then studied both in St. Petersburg and Paris. What motivated you to go abroad and what did you gain from that experience?

The women. All joking aside, I had a Russian girlfriend in high school and essentially her influence brought me to St. Petersburg. Taking a gap year before university was already common practice in Western Europe, during which young people often travel and explore the world for a year. I chose Russia – let’s call it a bold move, as it happened to be in the early 2000s, the same year Putin took over from Yeltsin, when travel to Russia was uncommon. It was an unconventional decision that heightened my eagerness to visit even more. That’s how I ended up in St. Petersburg, where I participated in a legal foundation programme and studied legal Russian. As for Paris, I went there with my then future wife whom I met during my university years. She earned a scholarship to study at the Sorbonne, which influenced my decision to apply despite having only a basic understanding of French. Surprisingly, I was accepted into an LLM program specializing in European Criminal Law. So, I truly went to these places due to the women’s influence without initially knowing the respective languages but both times I came home with a confident command of such. Also, the time spent abroad also helped me to develop numerous professional contacts and valuable friendships, not to mention getting to know the local customs and culture – the latter of which continue to be highly beneficial in my work today.

How has this maverick personality impacted your career?

I think that this is as much an advantage as a disadvantage because being an attorney is not just about my own perception of truth; there are occasions when the judge’s standpoint differs from mine, and it’s often challenging to accept.

… but this kind of determination and self-beliefis a huge plus for clients.

That’s exactly right. The real challenge, however, lies in navigating within this divergence while prioritising the interests of my clients, because, ultimately, that’s what matters to them. I prefer not to provide specific figures, but we have a notably high success rate as we consistently win far more cases and lawsuits than we lose.

The years spent abroad and the language skills acquired have paid off, as 75% of your clientele now comes from abroad. How have you built your practice?

It was clear to me from the beginning that it would be foolish not to utilise my language skills. My strong desire for independence led me to start my own practice after passing the bar exam. At that time, I quickly realised that there were very few small law firms in Hungary with the language skills to serve foreign clients, and multilingual talent was usually lured away by the big international firms.

While the knowledge of English is now evident, Russian and French are still a curiosity among lawyers.

Those who speak French usually end up working for international organisations, as for those who speak Russian well, I honestly don’t know where they are because Russian is not widely spoken among Hungarian lawyers. For me, it is a huge advantage to be able to represent my clients confidently in four languages. Returning to the question, I chose to specialise in criminal law because I found it to be the most intriguing. As I started taking on more criminal cases involving foreign individuals and those cases often had some connection to immigration matters. Over the years this evolved into a full-scale practice of residence, immigration, settlement, and citizenship cases, as my focus shifted away from criminal cases, which I take on very selectively and I have consciously stopped representing tough guys in violent criminal cases.

Law schools do not teach what it is like to be a lawyer specialising in immigration matters. 

What clients approach me for is constantly changing. Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the number of citizenship cases has significantly grown. A lot of people affected by such conflict suddenly discovered their Hungarian ancestors, so accordingly we start procedures for verification of Hungarian citizenship or for simplified naturalisation. By now, the great wave followed the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war has subsided, and those who wanted to come have found their way here or in other parts of Europe. Surprisingly, besides my Russian-speaking clients, many clients from the Anglo-Saxon world, including the United States and Canada, are also approaching us with questions of this kind. It’s already apparent which issues and cases will be scrutinised regarding the new immigration law proposal submitted in November.

What changes can we expect from the new immigration law?

Under the new rules, individuals applying for residence or settlement permits will have to meet much stricter conditions. This will likely lead to a significant reduction in the number of expatriates with residence permits. In addition to the restrictions, the proposal would reintroduce an old-new category: the residence permit for investment purposes. While non-existing under the current rules, the Residency Bond Program previously offered a residency permit under similar conditions to those who were willing to invest in Hungary. The previous scheme received much criticism; however it was essentially a positive initiative in many aspects. Contrary to popular belief, it did not pose any security risk, as applicants had to undergo the same background checks as in any other case.

Now, there is a huge global demand for investment residence permits. Over the last year and a half, we have received numerous enquiries from all over the world: spanning from Russia through India to the United States.

According to the bill, by investing €250,000 into bonds issued by an eligible real estate fund registered with the National Bank of Hungary, the investors and their family members can first apply for a Guest Investor Visa followed by a Guest Investor Residence Permit. Moreover, upon meeting certain thresholds and conditions, investors can also apply for a guest investor residence permit by purchasing Hungarian residential real estate or even by donating to a designated cultural or sports institution.

You also specialise in international compensation cases. How did you get involved in this area?

In compensation cases, it gradually became clear that there are very few lawyers in Hungary capable of effectively representing clients in a foreign language before foreign authorities and insurance companies, and the larger law firms do not typically handle such cases. Based on my previous experience, I know how to speak before foreign authorities and this skill is extremely valuable. Beyond that, it is a highly stimulating and rewarding field that relatively few Hungarian lawyers engage in at the highest level of practice.

You have already litigated in Poland and have also handled a case for damages in Brazil. What have been the most unique and interesting cases in your career so far?

In my work, I have encountered many different situations. In addition to representing the interests of air and maritime disaster victims, I have dealt with some truly unusual cases, one of which involved a client who, after purchasing a high-value racehorse, was delivered an inferior replacement due to the death of the original one. However, in an astonishing turn of events, it turned out that the original horse had not died after all. It miraculously ‘resurrected’ and began racing.

Reflecting on your career so far, what are you the most proud of? 

We receive recommendations from several individuals and entities, including many embassies, and that is perhaps what I am most proud of. We have managed to cultivate a clientele that not only returns but also enthusiastically refers our legal services to others. Furthermore, it’s a source of pride, not only for me but for every legal professional when we become involved in a case that goes beyond simply securing a victory. Instead, it aims to obtain a court decision that becomes a precedent thereby contributing to the development of the law. But I’m also proud of the law firm my wife and I established together, a firm that has found its purpose and managed to thrive. Additionally, I am gratified to pursue this profession as part of a small law firm and still be recognized among the best in our field, based on the feedback we receive. If next year proves to be as successful as 2023, then I will be absolutely satisfied.

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The interview was conducted with Dr. Ádám Wagner, founder of WAGNER & WAGNER Law Firm.