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Employment Law

Our range of advisory services

We have one of the largest and highest-capacity employment law practices in the German market. While the focus of our advisory services is on collective employment law, we are also very competent advisors in the area of individual employment law. And something very unusual for a large law firm: we have a long tradition of providing top quality advice in all areas of employment law, not only in the context of transactions – even though it goes without saying that we also provide transaction advice with great expertise. Our many years of experience help us ensure that our clients in both the private and the public sector receive efficient and excellent advice.

The large size of our team means that we have significant capacities in the area of employment law and, therefore, can respond at any time, even at very short notice, to an increased demand for advice. It further means that our clients can benefit from a very broad range of advisory services and that we are also in a position to cover all special areas of employment law, such as collective bargaining law, company pension schemes or the protection of employee data, and to provide an appropriately qualified lawyer at any time.

Each company has a unique identity and culture, which is why our advisory services are tailored to suit your needs. Our team provides great legal and economic expertise and is able to develop a thorough understanding of the special operational needs of your company. We advise you at a national and international level because comprehensive employment law advice often requires taking into account EU law and European jurisprudence, and also because issues involving international aspects account for an increasingly larger share of the advisory services rendered. With our offices in Europe and Asia and our international network of partner law firms, we are very well positioned worldwide.

Our approach to solving problems includes carrying out a legal assessment taking into account the economic goals, the practical feasibility of possible solutions, and the question of whether these solutions can be communicated to the workforce, the owners and the public. Only then can we develop the ideal solution for all employment law issues together with you and successfully implement this solution on a long-term basis at your company.

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  • Advising on business restructurings, including the splitting, merging and closing of businesses
  • Assisting with corporate restructurings, in particular, advising on matters relating to co-determination in supervisory bodies
  • Providing advice in connection with transformations, for example, a company’s transformation into an SE or cross-border mergers, including conducting negotiations with employee representatives
  • Advising on business transfers
  • Providing insolvency employment law advice

  • Negotiating with works councils
  • Advising on co-determination issues, works agreements, reconciliation-of-interests agreements and social compensation plans
  • Advising on arbitration committee proceedings
  • Advising on the introduction of modern remuneration systems
  • Advising on how to make working time models more flexible
  • Drafting work rules, labour standards and working time models
  • Drafting guidelines for the posting of employees

  • Advising on matters pertaining to collective bargaining law, a change of the applicable collective bargaining agreement, company-specific bargaining agreements and supplementary collective bargaining agreements
  • Negotiating with trade unions
  • Litigating to avoid strikes

  • Drafting employment and service contracts, of whatever kind
  • Advising on the termination of employment contracts, the right to give notice, and cancellation agreements
  • Advising on the liability of management board members and managing directors/D&O liability
  • Advising on stock option plans and variable remuneration models
  • Advising on employee invention law
  • Litigation
  • Advising on the protection of employee data

  • Advising on the posting of employees, including drafting contracts for expats
  • Advising on foreign employment law

  • Designing, closing, modifying or restricting pension schemes
  • Carrying out pension due diligence reviews and drafting contractual agreements in connection with transactions
  • Developing and reviewing contractual trust arrangements (CTAs)
  • Advising on the release from liability for pension obligations in liquidation contexts and upon business successions
  • Advising on all further company pension issues, including as they relate to tax, accounting, insurance contract and insurance supervisory law

  • Providing compliance advice with regard to social security law, in particular, assisting during audits by pension insurers 
  • Advising on whether an activity is subject to or exempt from mandatory social security contributions, in particular, carrying out proceedings to determine a person’s status for social security purposes
  • Providing structuring advice (at national and international levels) and drafting contracts
  • Advising employers on contributions and benefits law, in particular, on unemployment benefits, wage subsidy allowances during short-time work and pensions
  • Advising on tax and social security issues in connection with personnel-related measures (outplacements, volunteering, social compensation schemes)
  • Representing clients before public authorities and social courts
Key Contact
Newsroom Employment Law
Team Employment Law
Hans-Christian Ackermann

Hans-Christian Ackermann

Partner

Dusseldorf

Dr Marco Arteaga

Dr Marco Arteaga

Partner

Frankfurt a.M.

Volker von Alvensleben

Volker von Alvensleben

Of Counsel

Hamburg

Cyrielle Therese Ax

Cyrielle Therese Ax

Senior Associate

Frankfurt a.M.

Achim Braner

Achim Braner

Partner

Frankfurt a.M.

Axel Braun

Axel Braun

Partner

Cologne

Kerstin Belovitzer-Franz

Kerstin Belovitzer-Franz

Counsel

Stuttgart

Susanne Burkert-Vavilova

Susanne Burkert-Vavilova

Counsel

Essen

Leif Born

Leif Born

Senior Associate

Essen

Kevin Brinkmann, LL.M.

Kevin Brinkmann, LL.M.

Senior Associate

Hamburg

Lena Barry, LL.M.

Lena Barry, LL.M.

Senior Legal Consultant

Leipzig

Nadine Ceruti

Nadine Ceruti

Counsel

Frankfurt a.M.

Dr Christoph Corzelius

Dr Christoph Corzelius

Senior Associate

Cologne

May Linda Chhor

May Linda Chhor

Associate

Essen

Christian Dworschak

Christian Dworschak

Partner

Munich

Charlotte Elsner, LL.M. (Edinburgh)

Charlotte Elsner, LL.M. (Edinburgh)

Associate

Dusseldorf

Barbara Enderle, LL.M (Amsterdam)

Barbara Enderle, LL.M (Amsterdam)

Associate

Dusseldorf

Sebastian Fedder

Sebastian Fedder

Of Counsel

Hamburg

Capucine Falgareiro Douchet

Capucine Falgareiro Douchet

Managing Associate

Luxembourg

Dr. Dorothea Fleckner, LL.M.

Dr. Dorothea Fleckner, LL.M.

Associate

Hamburg

Dr Paul Gooren, LL.M. (Chicago)

Dr Paul Gooren, LL.M. (Chicago)

Partner

Berlin

Kerstin Gröne

Kerstin Gröne

Partner

Cologne

Daniel Greger

Daniel Greger

Senior Associate

Hamburg

Kristina Gutzke

Kristina Gutzke

Associate

Hamburg

Jan Hansen

Jan Hansen

Senior Associate

Cologne

Sophie Haeberlein

Sophie Haeberlein

Associate

Leipzig

Dr Jan-Moritz M. Hahn

Dr Jan-Moritz M. Hahn

Associate

Leipzig

Leon Halbritter

Leon Halbritter

Associate

Frankfurt a.M.

Su Su Htike

Su Su Htike

Associate

Yangon

Dr Jan Hufert

Dr Jan Hufert

Associate

Hamburg

Dr Jan-David Jäger

Dr Jan-David Jäger

Senior Associate

Leipzig

Kathy Just

Kathy Just

Senior Associate

Frankfurt a.M.

Ann-Marie Jüttner

Ann-Marie Jüttner

Senior Associate

Stuttgart

Dr Delia Jusciak

Dr Delia Jusciak

Associate

Leipzig

Dr Maximilian Kressner, M.Jur. (Oxford)

Dr Maximilian Kressner, M.Jur. (Oxford)

Partner

Singapore

Shi Yin Khoo, M.A. (Cantab)

Shi Yin Khoo, M.A. (Cantab)

Senior Associate

Kuala Lumpur

Dr Lisa Kraayvanger

Dr Lisa Kraayvanger

Senior Associate

Hanover

Johannes Klink

Johannes Klink

Associate

Munich

Gina Susann Kriwat

Gina Susann Kriwat

Associate

Cologne

Paula Sophie Kurth

Paula Sophie Kurth

Associate

Berlin

Fabian Lorenz, M.A.

Fabian Lorenz, M.A.

Partner

Bangkok

Dominik Ledwon, LL.M. (Norwich)

Dominik Ledwon, LL.M. (Norwich)

Senior Associate

Cologne

Anton Lehnen

Anton Lehnen

Associate

Yangon

Katharina Müller-Ehrlichmann, LL.M. oec.

Katharina Müller-Ehrlichmann, LL.M. oec.

Partner

Cologne

Dr Anna Mayr

Dr Anna Mayr

Senior Associate

Hamburg

Rosanna Mongelli

Rosanna Mongelli

Senior Associate

Luxembourg

Denis Miller-Smechowski

Denis Miller-Smechowski

Associate

Berlin

Diem Nguyen

Diem Nguyen

Associate

Ho Chi Minh City

Dr Paulina Noppeney

Dr Paulina Noppeney

Associate

Berlin

Ly Nguyen

Ly Nguyen

Tax Advisor

Ho Chi Minh City

Janina Ott

Janina Ott

Senior Associate

Stuttgart

Robert Pacholski

Robert Pacholski

Partner

Leipzig

Lukas Paetzold

Lukas Paetzold

Senior Associate

Dusseldorf

Roberto Pirschel

Roberto Pirschel

Senior Associate

Delhi-Gurugram

Jutta Pehle, LL.M.

Jutta Pehle, LL.M.

Associate

Cologne

Quy Le, LL.M.

Quy Le, LL.M.

Counsel

Ho Chi Minh City

Dr Eva Maria K. Rütz, LL.M.

Dr Eva Maria K. Rütz, LL.M.

Partner

Dusseldorf, Cologne

Michael Rinke

Michael Rinke

Of Counsel

Cologne

Caroline Risse

Caroline Risse

Senior Associate

Berlin

Amelie Räpple, LL.M. (Berkeley)

Amelie Räpple, LL.M. (Berkeley)

Associate

Hamburg

Sabrina Rosbroj

Sabrina Rosbroj

Associate

Singapore

Raphaël Schindler

Raphaël Schindler

Partner

Luxembourg

Dr Astrid Schnabel, LL.M. (Emory)

Dr Astrid Schnabel, LL.M. (Emory)

Partner

Hamburg

Dr Volker Schneider

Dr Volker Schneider

Partner

Hamburg

Paul Schreiner

Paul Schreiner

Partner

Cologne, Essen

Sandra Sfinis

Sandra Sfinis

Partner

Hamburg

Prof. Dr Robert von Steinau-Steinrück

Prof. Dr Robert von Steinau-Steinrück

Partner

Berlin

Dr Isabel Schäfer

Dr Isabel Schäfer

Counsel

Hamburg

Leif Dustin Schneider

Leif Dustin Schneider

Counsel

Ho Chi Minh City

Nina Stephan

Nina Stephan

Counsel

Essen

Andre Schüttauf

Andre Schüttauf

Senior Associate

Essen

Hannah-Laura Schütte

Hannah-Laura Schütte

Senior Associate

Stuttgart, Dusseldorf

Dr Elisabeth Sechtem

Dr Elisabeth Sechtem

Senior Associate

Munich

Julie Schwarz, LL.M. (Georgetown)

Julie Schwarz, LL.M. (Georgetown)

Associate

Kuala Lumpur

Melina Stamm, LL.M. (Paris)

Melina Stamm, LL.M. (Paris)

Associate

Frankfurt a.M.

Klaus Thönißen, LL.M. (San Francisco)

Klaus Thönißen, LL.M. (San Francisco)

Partner

Essen

Thorsten Tilch

Thorsten Tilch

Senior Associate

Leipzig

Elaine Tolksdorf

Elaine Tolksdorf

Associate

Hamburg

Tanja Treib

Tanja Treib

Associate

Hamburg

Prof. Dr Annekatrin Veit

Prof. Dr Annekatrin Veit

Partner

Munich

Jana Anna Voigt

Jana Anna Voigt

Counsel

Dusseldorf

Pia Analena Wieberneit

Pia Analena Wieberneit

Senior Associate

Essen

Daniel Zintl

Daniel Zintl

Partner

Leipzig

Martina Ziffels

Martina Ziffels

Counsel

Hamburg

Jan Zimmer

Jan Zimmer

Senior Associate

Singapore

Awards
Legal500 Top Tier 2026
Chambers Europe 2025
Legal500 Top Kanzlei 2025
The Lawyer European Awards 2024 - Law Firm of the Year: Germany
Juve Awards 2024 - "Law Firm of the Year Regulatory Law"
Chambers Europe 2024
Legal500 Top Kanzlei 2024
Legal500 Green Guide EMEA 2024
Juve Awards 2023 - "Law Firm of the Year Public Procurement"
Juve Awards 2023 - "Law Firm of the Year Distribution, Trade & Logistics"
Chambers Europe 2023
Legal500 Top Tier 2023
Juve Award 2022 - "Kanzlei des Jahres Südwesten"
azur Award 2022
Chambers Europe 2022
Legal500 Top Tier 2022
European Law Firm of the Year
Chambers EUR 2021
Legal 500 Top Tier 2021
PMN Management Awards 2020
PMN Management Awards 2020
Chambers EUR 2020
Legal Tech Kanzlei
Legal 500
Juve Award 2019 - "Law Firm of the Year 2019"
PMN Management Awards 2019