Lawyers spend a lot of time discussing complex cross-border matters, legislative updates and business development. But what lies beyond the lawyer? What are their passions, hobbies and interests?

We are excited to launch a new feature: Beyond the Billable Hour

Each month, we will shine a spotlight on one of our members to find out what they do when they are not working on legal cases – whether they are scaling mountains, restoring vintage motorcycles, perfecting their tennis serve, or volunteering in their local communities, we believe that getting to know each other on a personal level helps form strong professional partnerships.

This month, we get to know Zdenek Tomick, Partner at CEE Attorneys, who loves the mountains and recently successfully completed a winter ascent of Austria’s highest peak, Grossglockner, which was followed by a ski descent from the saddle down the Ködnitzkees glacier.

When did your passion for mountaineering start?

Probably in childhood, when I used to travel with my parents to the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and climbed my first two-thousand-metre peaks. I was captivated by the mountains then, and that passion has stayed with me ever since.

Is there a link between a mountaineering mindset and your mindset when tackling a complex legal problem?

In a way, it is actually the other way around. In the mountains, I look for peace and calm. That is where I feel truly relaxed, both mentally and emotionally. It simply feels like home to me. Thanks to that, I return to the office recharged, stronger, and in the right condition to provide our clients with the very best service.

Is there a mountain you are particularly keen to climb?

For a long time, that mountain was the Matterhorn, the iconic peak above Zermatt in Switzerland. I climbed it last year. My current goal is to collect the crown of the Alps by climbing the highest mountain in each Alpine country. I have also fallen in love with the Italian beauty of Tre Cime. Standing on one of its summits would be truly special. As for higher mountains, I hope that sooner or later I will make it to Aconcagua. It is not a technically difficult mountain, but it is a real test of how the body copes with altitude above 6,000 metres.

What one item are you never without in the mountains?

My journal. I keep a mountaineering journal in which I record my climbs, notes, impressions, and small details from the mountains. I also collect stamps from mountain huts. I write it by hand, which is rather unusual nowadays. I dedicated it to my sons in the opening pages, and I see it as part of my legacy. One day, when I am no longer here, I do not want my children, or perhaps even their children, to remember me only as a lawyer, but as someone who pursued his dreams in the mountains and achieved something there, even if only as an amateur.

Who is one person you would love to do a climb with and why?

From those closest to me, it would be my elder son, who turns nine this year and has already been on the ropes with me a few times. I hope the mountains will continue to bring us together and become a passion we share. Among well-known figures, it would be Kilian Jornet. He is known more as a trail runner, of course, but he also has some outstanding Alpine-style ascents behind him. I would probably only be able to keep up with his pace for the first minute, but even that would be worth it.

What’s next?

At the moment, I am training for an ascent of Mont Blanc, which I am planning for the end of June. The goal is not the standard route, but an itinerary with an overnight stay at the Cosmiques Hut and an ascent across three summits: Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit, and Mont Blanc itself. I am really looking forward to it. And when I say I am training, I truly mean training. In the mountains, preparation is not only about performance, but above all about safety. I work with a coach, spend several hours a week in the gym, and run more than 60 kilometres a week with many hundreds of metres of elevation gain. I try to balance it all with work and family life. At times it is difficult, but it is something that gives me enormous fulfilment.