Meet Me in HKV – Matej Janek

Matej Janek

• Can you briefly tell us about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in law?

My interest in history and the humanities (especially ancient legal philosophy), and later in the legal system as a whole, inspired me to take up law in the very beginning. Before coming to HKV, I worked in a Slovak law firm during my studies, mainly dealing with commercial law. In my fourth year, I decided to join HKV based on my participation in the M&A Clinic run by our law firm at the Law School and worked here until my graduation, after which I joined HKV as an associate.

• What areas of law are you most passionate about and why?

Commercial and civil law, especially in view of the fact that we come into contact with them most often in everyday life and at the same time they are relatively clear legal branches without a significant fragmentation of legal regulations. I am also very interested in the field of professional ethics in the legal professions, which was the subject of my master’s thesis. However, it receives relatively little attention despite the fact that lawyers and members of other legal professions are in daily contact with it during the exercise of their profession.

• What do you believe are the most important qualities for a successful lawyer?

In addition to the standard qualities necessary for the proper exercise of any profession, such as professionalism and a responsible approach to work, for a lawyer these are an emphasis on morality and on justice. No legal profession should be practiced without these qualities.

• Can you share a challenging legal case you’ve worked on and how you approached it?

Of the ones I have had the opportunity to work on so far, the most comprehensive are due diligence reports. The best prerequisites for handling any legal case, especially the more complex ones, are systematic study of the issues, perseverance and teamwork.

• How do you stay updated with the latest developments in the legal field?

I am passionate about law in general, so I do enjoy studying it in my spare time as well, also the HKV student team keeps us up to date with all relevant legislative changes on a weekly basis. In the future, I plan to attend conferences and lectures regularly to maintain a proper level of overview.

• How do you spend your spare time?

I enjoy sports, piano and guitar, reading autobiography books and gardening. On the weekends I love going for a drive in the nearby mountain passes, playing golf as well as going birdwatching.