With its numerous international connections, Oppenheim has long played a leading role in the area’s legal market. Ever since Hungary’s political transition in 1989, the firm has been focused on domestic and international commercial law.
Growth of our International Network
As part of this international strategy, Oppenheim has developed strong relationships with other leading law firms in the region. As its first foreign relationship, our firm became affiliated with the Austrian law firm Heller Löber Bahn in 1989, which became Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber. This was a testament to the reliability and high quality of our legal services together with the expertise of our legal team. With this partnership, our clients could be ensured multi-jurisdictional legal support at a time of rapid globalization in the legal services market.
In 2000, this partnership expanded dramatically when Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber merged with Freshfields, Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund, resulting in Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. This merger was an important milestone for Oppenheim, both professionally and culturally.
As a member of an extensive multi-jurisdictional network, Oppenheim needed to meet exacting international standards. Under these standards, our firm has followed a basic tenet that our lawyers should acquire a broad depth of international experience and qualifications whilst also expanding our presence in foreign markets. As our lawyers have acquired over the years extensive theoretical and practical knowledge in the international arena, our firm has been able to radically enhance the skills and experience of our outstanding team of professionals.
Our team members share the bonds of a sharp focus on professionalism coupled with a depth of social responsibility, which strengthens our internal cohesion. Our team consists of many outstanding individuals from diverse backgrounds who work harmoniously and effectively together while sharing the same values and principles.
A Fresh Approach
By the end of 2005, our firm recognized that a new model was needed to focus on increased flexibility so as to provide sustainable high quality legal services.
Recognizing this shift, the management of the firm decided to lay the foundations of the firm on a new business footing, employing a two-fold approach. Firstly, our firm would establish economic and operational autonomy whilst maintaining strategic partnerships within an international legal network. Secondly, we would create an environment for providing competitive legal services by integrating our international know-how and experience within the framework of a new business model. By implementing these approaches, Oppenheim can offer attractive solutions to its domestic and international clients.
The New Oppenheim
After a year’s preparation, we launched a newly independent commercial law firm on 1st November 2007, under the original Oppenheim name and retaining all of our lawyers.
We could accomplish this unique change in paradigm due to our recognition that our firm’s lawyers do not derive their motivation from abstract business models or revenue targets. They relish the prospect of being the most valued and trustworthy business partners of their clients. Oppenheim strives to be a point of stability to our clients in an ever-changing world.
The Oppenheim philosophy and approach can be summarized as follows:
- a team of renowned experts outstanding in their fields and recognized by the market
- clear, transparent and reliable solutions
- continuous innovation in the field of legal services
- synthesizing knowledge gained in international markets with domestic practice and utilizing it in the Hungarian market
- an in-depth understanding of the region’s markets
- a thorough understanding of the business and legal expectations of both multinational and domestic clients