When the pandemic hit Germany in March 2020, none of us were truly prepared.
We had very different plans: Florian Dupuy was scheduled to join the partnership on 1 April 2020 — a milestone we were all looking forward to and wanted to celebrate with all WagArb grandeur. And I was set to go on a special New England tour to give a lecture at Yale Law School.
And then, from one day to another, everything stopped.
Looking back through my photos of that time, one overarching topic becomes very much apparent:
🙏 We took care.
Not just of the work, but of each other.
Of our families, our friends, our clients, our alumni — everyone who was part of our world.
And care became the defining word of that year.
😷 We had a friend make face masks and sent them to family and friends.
🎥 We shared movie vouchers so we could watch something hopeful together online.
🥘 We mailed Italian and Turkish food boxes when restaurants were closed.
🎺 Spreeblech — a brass band that was born during the pandemic — performed at our first outdoor law firm Octoberfest between lockdowns (and has continued to do so ever since).
🥳 We moved the Arbitrattoria online, kept our weekly apéro alive online, shipped champagne to alumni around the world for a virtual reunion, and held our Christmas party in our own online pub, The Jolly Waggoner.
🔥 When the second lockdown shut down our Christmas markets, I invited interns and trainees to weekly campfire one-on-ones in my backyard — hot wine, bratwurst, and human connection.
These are just some examples. And I am glad there were so many good moments and that no one around me got seriously ill or worse.
Admittedly, I disagree with much of how the crisis was handled especially with regard to our youth. But my gratitude prevails.
🌎 And there is another comforting lesson I take from that time: For all the chaos and politics, the world acted together. Almost instantly.
Coordinated and aligned. At least for most parts. It proves that global cooperation is possible when people truly want it.
🫶 Above all, I remain deeply grateful to our team for their resilience, humour, and kindness. We grew stronger during the pandemic. That’s for sure.
🔜 Next: Reflection #18 — The WagArb Cookbook.
20YearsInPractice Care Community Gratitude WagArb WagnerArbitration Arbitrattoria