Germany: Management Labour & Employment
Management labour and employment lawyers are busy regardless of the state of the economy and those we spoke to reported that redundancies and M&A activity among companies has provided a significant number of restructuring cases over the last year. Furthermore, legislative changes to the finance and insurance sector bonus systems has generated advisory work on implementing new remuneration schemes. In this busy and dynamic sector we recognise 35 industry experts.
Gleiss Lutz fields the largest contingent of lawyers with five lawyers earning recognition for their expertise in management labour and employment. Jobst-Hubertus Bauer is a “leading lawyer” and specialises in negotiations with works councils and unions in addition to the termination of contracts with top level executives. Martin Diller is an “excellent lawyer” with a particular focus on company pensions. Burkard Göpfert is “highly regarded” for his employment expertise in restructurings and for his experience working with eastern European countries. Doris-Maria Schuster advises clients on national and international matters and is “vastly experienced” in complex industrial relations proceedings, collective redundancies and employee benefits. Gerhard Röder focuses on corporate transactions and restructurings as well as advising clients on negotiations with works councils and trade unions.
CMS Hasche Sigle is well represented with four “leading lawyers” selected for inclusion. Chair of the firm’s German employment law practice, Björn Gaul is “vastly experienced” in a range of employment matters including remuneration structures, outsourcing and company pension plans. Gerlind Wisskirchen is the most “highly nominated” individual in our research and is praised for her “top tier” work advising multinational corporations on restructuring and local labour issues and compliance. Christopher Jordan focuses on collective bargaining issues and negotiations with works councils and unions and is “top notch” when it comes to advice on employee data protection. Dieter Straub is a “trusted” advisor according to sources, with knowledge of collective bargaining employment law and in particular reconciliation of interests and social plan negotiations.
At Kliemt & Vollstädt, Michael Kliemt is a “revered practitioner” who provides national and international companies with employment support for transactions and restructurings as well as being “vastly knowledgeable” in the field of pensions. Alongside him, Oliver Vollstädt is “well regarded” for his practice, which includes advising on restructurings and on the negotiation of social plans.
At Allen & Overy LLP, two lawyers are selected for inclusion, including the chair of the firm’s German employment practice Thomas Ubber. Ubber is a “distinguished lawyer” in the field with expertise covering the employment aspects of acquisitions, reorganisations and restructurings and is “well known” for helping clients to avert threatened industrial action. Hans-Peter Loew regularly represents companies before the labour courts and he is “greatly valued” by clients.
Klaus-Stefan Hohenstatt at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, is “highly recommended” by peers and his expertise on senior executive compensation and pensions arrangements is “second to none”. Based in Düsseldorf, Heinz Josef Willemsen specialises in the reorganisation, merger and transfer of business units, providing clients with “high quality” advice on boardroom matters and negotiations with works councils and unions.
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek fields two leading practitioners. Regina Glaser focuses on employment support for M&A and restructuring and Wilhelm Moll is a labour law specialist praised for his expertise.
Founding member Klaus-Dietrich Küttner of Küttner Rechtsanwälte has extensive experience in providing counsel for restructuring, mergers and collective bargaining. Also at the firm, Tim Wißmann is a “prominent” practitioner in the field with expertise in concluding and terminating executive service agreements and restructuring.
A “leading light” in employment law matters, Tobias Pusch of Pusch Wahlig Legal is a “brilliant lawyer” according to our research. Hans-Joachim Liebers at Hengeler Mueller is “excellent” for collective bargaining and company pensions advice.
Based in Berlin, Anja Mengel at Altenburg Fachanwälte für Arbeitsrecht is a “terrific advocate” with a “wealth of expertise”. Mark Lembke at Greenfort Rechtsanwälte is named as a “definite inclusion” by one interviewee and he specialises in restructuring projects and transactions as well as designing remuneration schemes.
At Latham & Watkins LLP, Stefan Lunk heads the firm’s European labour law practice group where he specialises in advising on codetermination and consultation rights of works councils, with an emphasis on negotiating social compensation plans.
Alexius Leuchten at Beiten Burkhardt Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH is “simply superb” and is an experienced litigator and arbitrator. Georg Jaeger is a “major player” at Schilling Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwalts AG, praised for his depth of expertise.
At Baker & McKenzie, Günther Heckelmann advises companies on all their employment-related matters and his notable work includes handling the major restructurings of the European operations of Kraft Foods.
Thomas Griebe at Taylor Wessing is described as a “sharp lawyer” in our research and his practice covers employment matters pertaining to outsourcing, restructuring and transaction projects, with a particular focus on advising US companies.
Georg Annuß of Noerr is “great” for negotiating collective bargaining agreements, settlement of differences of interest and redundancy programs.
Ulrich Tschöpe of Tschöpe Schipp Clemenz is one of Germany’s first employment law specialists and has long been regarded as a “pre-eminent” lawyer in the field.
At Schlütter Bornheim Seitz, Thomas Kania has a “very strong practice” in labour law. Werner Mues at CBH Rechtsanwälte is knowledgeable in both national and international employment law and his practice focuses on works councils, restructuring and the rights of dismissal.
Bernt Gach is head of the German employment law group at Clifford Chance LLP and a “skilful practitioner”. He advises companies on preparing and implementing corporate reorganisation and restructuring measures.
Co-founder of Neef Schrader Straube, Peter Schrader is praised for his “strategic advice” and Katrin Stamer at Gragert Stamer specialises in collective and individual labour law and is a “fine lawyer” according to our research.