On the Wilder side: Godfrey & Kahn attorney combines banking, legal expertise

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Peter Wilder holds a unique distinction: He’s the only Wisconsin attorney to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking.

“I was interested in learning more about the business side of things, which would make me more valuable to my clients, so I decided to enroll in the program,” said Wilder, an attorney with Godfrey & Kahn’s banking and financial institutions group in Milwaukee. “It helps me to think more like a bank president and not just a lawyer. I can offer better advice.”

Wilder’s work in financial services began by clerking for the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institution’s general counsel. He picked up that gig after sending letters during his first year of law school to general counsels in various state departments as he was looking for a summer clerkship.

“They were the only ones to respond and it turned out to be a good fit. I liked the strategic thinking I had the opportunity to do,” Wilder said.

In his practice, Wilder helps banks, mortgage banks and other finance companies with mergers and acquisitions along with branch sales, vendor contract negotiations, consumer finance laws and other regulatory and compliance matters.

“I work with a lot of boards and management teams on strategic matters,” Wilder said. “It’s very rewarding, unique work.”

Wilder enjoys working with the banking and lending community. He consults with some clients regularly while others he may see only once.

“There are a lot of interesting and good people who work in the industry, and it’s great to interact them and help them have better businesses,” Wilder said.

Wisconsin Law Journal: What makes your work important to you?
Peter Wilder: Two things. First: the people. The banking industry in Wisconsin is full of smart, high-character people, and the relationships I’ve had an opportunity to forge are extremely important to me. The work I do can end up having a very real and direct impact on my clients and their employees. That’s a huge responsibility.

Second: the impact my work can have at the local community level. Banks are the economic engines for local communities all across the country. They support new and growing businesses, help create and sustain employment opportunities and give back to the communities that they serve. Supporting that mission is very fulfilling.

WLJ: Who is your hero in the legal field?
Wilder: I don’t think I have a single hero, but I have great admiration for a lot of my colleagues. The ones I admire most are technically gifted and uncompromising with their work product. Just as important, they are selfless and collaborative. Everything is always about the client, never themselves. Those are the values that I aspire to, which is why I feel so fortunate to work where I do.

WLJ: What do you do outside of work to deal with stress from the office?
Wilder: The short answer is that I spend time with my wife and our two young sons every chance I get. I used to run and fish a lot, but the demands of career, family and school (I recently graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at UW-Madison) have made it difficult to maintain those hobbies the last couple of years. But those are short-term sacrifices. I recently bought a treadmill and my boys will hopefully be interested in getting out on the water with me in a few years.

WLJ: What’s one thing many people get wrong about what you do?
Wilder: When I tell people that I’m a “banking lawyer” they often think that I do commercial loan documentation or workouts. Our firm does that, but I’m really more like a corporate lawyer with a twist. I do all of the work of a corporate lawyer (e.g. M&A, corporate governance, contract negotiations, etc.) for banks and other financial services companies, but I also advise them on a whole host of regulatory issues that are unique to the financial services industry.

WLJ: What’s your favorite memory from law school?
Wilder: I earned a terrible grade on my first law school exam, which was in Torts. I thought the world was ending and that I was destined to fail out of law school. Rather than give up and drop out, which another of my classmates in a similar situation did, I dug in and studied even harder for the next exam, which was in Contracts. My hard work paid off, and I was near the top of the class on that exam, which was a desperately needed confidence booster. Looking back, I just needed to figure out how to study more effectively.

WLJ: Is there a certain case that stands out to you?
Wilder: I’m a transactional and regulatory lawyer, so I don’t spend any time in the courtroom. However, one deal that stands out to me is the first bank merger I led. I had gotten to know the management team for the seller at a conference on more of a social level, and I did a couple of favors for them like some employee training. They really didn’t have any legal needs at the time, and their bank had been in existence for more than 100 years. So I was shocked when they called me one day to ask me to represent them in a sale. It was a fantastic opportunity that most lawyers at that level don’t get.