CMS' sizeable employment practice, which not least impresses with its high proportion of female lawyers, is present across eight German locations and advises on all aspects of individual and collective employment law at national and international level. The impressive client base includes DAX companies, corporations and executive bodies, often from the energy, technology, life sciences, real estate and automotive sectors. Recently, the group saw a particular demand for advice on integration processes, industrial constitution and co-determination rights, collective bargaining negotiations, company agreements and personnel transfers. In addition, clients have access to the team's extensive expertise in transactions, restructuring and reorganization; practice heads Martina Hidalgo and Daniel Ludwig are regularly in charge of these matters. The team is also well versed in post-merger employment advice, which is also mirrored by the partner promotions of Anja Naumann (focus on business transfers and conversions) and Boris Alles (restructuring) in January 2022. Alongside negotiation assistance with trade unions and works councils, the practice further covers social security-related issues. Other current themes include digitization and transformation topics such as outsourcing and mobile working, which are covered by Gerlind Wisskirchen as well as employment law compliance; Sören Seidel is a key contact for the latter area. Björn Gaul complements the digital range with expertise in IT and whistleblower systems.

Gleiss Lutz' employment experts are among Germany's market leaders and, in addition to providing straightforward employment advice, also handle transaction-related issues and litigation. Recent sought-after advice frequently related to crowdworking, company pensions in connection with pension funds, employee data protection and mobile working abroad as well as temporary employment, digitization issues including corresponding transformation projects, trade union and works council negotiations, co-determination rights and executive liability issues. Restructuring expert and practice head Thomas Winzer is supported by Steffen Krieger , among others, in restructuring, reorganization and insolvency-related issues; in addition, Krieger is experienced in dispute resolution, while Christian Arnold specializes in advising on the conclusion and termination of service contracts with board members and managing directors. Rut Steinhauser is a key contact for transactions in the technology sector; she also focuses on the digital economy and venture capital-related matters. Another key contact is Jens Günther, who is experienced in industrial constitution and collective bargaining law, employment law 4.0 and company pension schemes. The wide-ranging offer is complemented by intersecting expertise in antitrust law and compliance. Stefan Lingemann (labour and social security law) and Ulrich Baeck (banking sector) retired in quick succession at the turn of the year 2021/2022.

Baker McKenzie's employment advice contains strong notes of the firm's global orientation, resulting in frequent activity in the context of national and international M&A transactions, corporate reorganizations (including staff reduction measures) and post-merger integration. This is complemented by pension and tax law expertise; a range of topics that co-practice head Christian Reichel is also dedicated to, while current issues such as new work and digitization continue to contribute to the team's workload as well. For matters related to compliance and the use of external staff, the practice often cooperates with the firm's compliance and internal investigations experts; co-practice head Steffen Scheuer regularly acts at this interface, but also advises on employee data protection. Günther Heckelmann retired in December 2021.

vangard | Littler assists a wide range of clients with all individual and collective employment law issues. Recently, the practice applied its expertise particularly often in the restructuring context as well as in downsizing, new work, new economy and company pension schemes matters; Hamburg-based litigator Tobias Berdesinski is a key contact for the latter. In Düsseldorf, Corinna Verhoek is an experienced contact for negotiations with works councils and staff reduction measures, while Rajko Herrmann in Berlin is well versed in co-determination law and often advises clients from the aviation, logistics, IT, software and media sectors. In June 2022, the digital consulting wing was strengthened by the salary partner appointment of Esther Dehmel, who is well versed in the IT and start-up sectors, while the appointments of Dagmar Lessnau (also co-determination and works constitution law) and Stephanie Koch five months prior enhanced the salary partner presence in transaction-related employment matters and day-to-day employment issues respectively. Further equity partner promotions in January 2023 included Julia Viohl (drafting contracts, separation processes under employment law, restructuring) and Matthias Sandmaier (restructuring, works constitution law, negotiations with employee representatives). Thanks to its integration into global employment boutique Littler Mendelson, P.C., the firm is also well equipped for cross-border issues such as international recruiting, whistleblowing, data protection, mediation and entering the German market; Jan-Ove Becker in Hamburg is a key contact for US clients.

Arqis Rechtsanwälte focuses on employment law advice related to compliance and data protection and is particularly experienced in the life sciences and telecommunications sectors. Company pension schemes advice represents another mainstay for the practice which has established a task force assisting with topics related to de-risking and pension buy-outs; here, practice co-head Tobias Neufeld is one of the key contacts who is also adept in regulated remuneration and HR compliance. This offering is complemented by expertise in transaction- and transformation-related employment law. Practice co-head Andrea Panzer-Heemeier also routinely acts in employment matters pertaining to corporate and stock corporation law, an area that was further strengthened with the arrival of Anja Markworth (previously at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ) as special counsel in December 2021; she specializes in employment advice in the M&A and venture capital sphere.

Greenfort handles all facets of individual and collective employment law, including in- and out-of-court representation in contentious proceedings, while its non-contentious advice focuses on transactions and reorganization measures such as restructuring, downsizing and transfers of business. This advice spectrum is provided by practice heads Mark Lembke and Jens-Wilhelm Oberwinter among others and, in accordance with the firm's internal orientation, also includes social plan and reconciliation negotiations as well as remuneration and incentive programs matters, works constitution law, corporate co-determination and collective bargaining law. While the practice primarily acts for companies, it recently also saw an increase in instructions from executives.

Specializing in employment law, the Cologne-based Küttner Rechtsanwälte covers a wide range of topics and mainly acts for clients from the automotive, finance, transport, life sciences and consumer goods industries, but recently also experienced an increase in instructions from the public sector. The practice focuses on corporate transactions and restructuring, work 4.0, company pension schemes, works constitution law and compliance as well as employment law investigations, data protection and the use of external staff. In addition to employer support, the team is also experienced in advising executives. Key contacts include restructuring specialist Thomas Niklas, Tim Wißmann, who is experienced in the automotive sector, and data protection expert Thomas Faas, who is also adept at insolvency-related matters. Jürgen Röller (individual and collective employment law) retired recently but will remain with the team as of counsel.

Schweibert Leßmann & Partner focuses its employment expertise on restructuring support, where name partner Ulrike Schweibert is also experienced; she also represents clients before the Federal Labour Court and the ECJ. Advice includes all related issues such as staff reduction measures, business transfers, negotiations on the reconciliation of interests and social plans, as well as company pension schemes and the harmonization of pension schemes after transactions. Recently, the practice also demonstrated its know-how in employee data protection, co-determination, collective bargaining and industrial action law. Elena Heimann, who specializes in restructuring projects and works constitution law, joined from Bluedex as counsel in July 2022, while Anja Mengel (ongoing management consulting, protection against dismissal and works constitution law as well as court proceedings) became self-employed in January 2023.

In 2021 and 2022, Taylor Wessing put a strong focus on pandemic-driven issues such as downsizing, temporary employment and recruiting, while its other mainstays also include restructuring, employee data protection, HR compliance and the German market entry of international clients. Kilian Friemel leads the team and is experienced in the development of concepts for making personnel, pay and working hours more flexible. The team's core competence in mobile work advice was underlined with the appointment of Michael Beer as salary partner in May 2021, while Janine Krupa-Soltane joined as salary partner from DLA Piper in November 2021 and focuses on employee data protection and co-determination in the IT industry. Nico Jänicke (focus on employee participation programs) made equity partner in May 2022.

Acquisition assistance represents the central pillar of Hengeler Mueller's employment law practice, which is not least a result of the close cooperation with the firm's corporate and M&A teams and the specialization of its practice heads Hendrik Bockenheimer and Christian Hoefs. Other frequent matters include restructuring and reorganization, including downsizing and negotiations with employee representatives, while the practice also saw an uptick in instructions relating to short-time work and temporary renumeration reductions. Expertise in board matters, company pensions, co-determination and company pension schemes complement the advice offering.

As a firm specializing in employment law JUSTEM Rechtsanwälte covers a wide range of individual and collective employment matters. In addition to data protection and contractor compliance related to the use of external personnel – matters which are frequently handled by Daniel Klösel who also possesses expertise in employment matters in the professional sports industry – the case load includes restructuring, new work , working time models as well as assistance with separation scenarios and subsequent disputes. Separation processes are often handled by Henning Reitz, who further focuses on ongoing works constitution advice. Caroline Bitsch focuses on remuneration systems and regulatory requirements in the banking sector, while Thilo Mahnhold demonstrates strength in advising on matrix structures, restructuring and compliance issues.

Latham & Watkins LLP focuses on employment advice on restructuring and reorganizations, including insolvency-related restructuring, and is also well versed in transactional employment advice thanks to the cross-practice cooperation with its private equity and M&A teams as well as its international ties; reflecting the sectoral expertise of practice head Tobias Leder , this experience is often applied for clients in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. In addition to his advisory work, the practice lead is also experienced in representing clients in disputes before employment and civil courts. Expertise in employment law compliance and data protection completes the group's offering. Anne Kleffmann (financial sector experience) joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in April 2022.

Linklaters is frequenly instructed by financial institutions, DAX companies and other global players to advise on international transactions and restructuring; Matthew Devey, who handed over the practice management to Timon Grau in May 2022, is also committed to this topic. Grau's client work also corresponds with the practice focus and further includes compliance and data protection issues as well as litigation and internal investigations. He also assists with board and managing director matters and compensation issues. René Döring's expertise is drawn upon by clients seeking advice on company pension schemes and pension disputes. YukikoWärmelberger-Kijima made counsel in November 2021 and underpins the practice's approach with expertise in business transitions, outsourcing projects and pension issues.

Oppenhoff's consulting portfolio includes all individual and collective employment issues with a focus on supporting restructuring, reorganizations and transactions, while recently also experiencing an increase in instructions on contentious issues. This corresponds with practice head Jörn Kuhn's wealth of experience: in addition to restructuring, he is well versed in in- and out-of-court disputes with employees, works councils and trade unions, but also advises on company pension matters, particularly in the context of transactions. In addition to collective employment law, Kathrin Vossen is further adept at individual employment law and focuses on illness-related dismissals, operational integration as well as health management and employment law for severely disabled people. These technical skills are complemented by sector expertise in the automotive, IT, retail and consumer goods, insurance and aerospace industries.

Hamburg-based employment law boutique offering SCHRAMM MEYER KUHNKE offers companies assistance with a wide range of employment matters. In addition to ongoing advice it is project support that ensures a heavy caseload consisting of restructuring, outsourcing and M&A transactions. Cross-jurisdictional issues are handled in cooperation with a network of best friends firms. Key contacts include name partners Nils Schramm (restructuring and company takeovers), Holger Meyer (restructuring and outsourcing projects) and Michael Kuhnke (M&A and outsourcing transactions, transfers of operations and restructuring; also advice to board members and managing directors).

Watson Farley & Williams LLP's employment advice focuses on restructuring and reorganizations on one hand and on employee data protection on the other, but also includes employment law compliance and litigation; this regularly involves staff reduction measures, reconciliation of interests and social plan negotiations, negotiations with works councils on working time models and short-time work, and the introduction of new IT systems. Practice head Nikolaus Krienke also provides employment advice in relation to transformation processes and large-scale projects and is further well versed in assisting with compliance investigations and subsequent court proceedings.

act AC Tischendorf Rechtsanwälte's employment practice is geared towards the needs of German medium-sized companies, while Europe-wide advice is facilitated through its integration into an international law firm association. Key themes include restructuring, work 4.0, compliance and company pension schemes. Stephan Schwilden is active in the latter and often accompanies the reorganization of company pension schemes for private equity companies. Name partner Sven Tischendorf acts at the intersection of employment law, restructuring and (distressed) M&A. In July 2022, Nina Honstetter made partner; she advises on the whole array of individual and collective employment matters with litigation representing another focus.

From its three German offices, Altenburg Fachanwälte für Arbeitsrecht predominantly advises medium-sized companies on individual and collective employment issues. The practice also assists with international matters via a law firm network and focuses on acquisition-related advice, company pension schemes, restructuring and compliance. Other frequent instructions concern works constitution and co-determination rights as well as representation before employment courts. Name partner Stephan Altenburg assists with reorganization and restructuring, an area that gained further clout with the arrival of Marc Spielberger in September 2022; he joined from Deloitte Legal Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, where he previously led the Munich team.

Bird & Bird advises companies, managing directors and supervisory board members, often from the consumer goods, health, IT and telecommunications sectors, on individual and collective employment issues. Collective bargaining expert Martin Nebeling and Barbara Geck, who impresses with her expertise in reorganizations and co-determination, jointly head the team. Due to its integration into an international law firm network, the group also often assists with international projects and restructurings which corresponds with Nebling and Geck's mainstays. Core competencies further include the negotiation of company agreements, reconciliation of interests and social plans with works councils as well as negotiations with trade unions.

Dentons advises on all employment law aspects, but is particularly experienced in assisting employers with collective bargaining matters. Core competencies include corporate co-determination, data protection, restructuring, compliance and M&A transactions as well as company pension schemes: Co-practice head Sascha Grosjean advises on the latter alongside others, but also focuses on HR compliance and temporary employment. Co-practice head Markus Diepold is well versed in supporting large-scale restructurings that often entail cross-border aspects.

Fringspartners exclusively provides employment law advice to companies, board representatives and executives; the team's expertise is particularly strong in restructuring-related matters. Michael Bogati frequently advises on collective bargaining law and supports clients in negotiations of in-house collective agreements with trade unions. Litigator Ulrich Wahlers is another key contact; he focuses on works constitution law and is increasingly active in advising on IT-related works agreements such as regulations on new work and desk sharing agreements under collective employment law.

Medium-sized companies can rely on Hoffmann Liebs' comprehensive employment law expertise which the team recently applied in the context of restructuring and reorganization projects (including insolvency-related issues), litigation and compliance matters. Heiko Langer also focuses on assistance with restructuring measures as well as on works constitution matters. He jointly heads the practice with Jörg Podehl, who regularly oversees the negotiation of employment contracts, the establishment and termination of employment relationships as well as restructuring. The team further includes of counsel Wolfgang Bucksch, who is experienced in downsizing measures, and Julia Reinsch, who frequently advises clients from the public sector.

North German employment law boutique Laborius is based in Hanover and offers executives, employers and employee representatives a wide range of advice on individual and collective employment issues. Instructions usually concern collective bargaining matters, representation before employment courts, remuneration systems and staff reduction measures (the latter particularly as part of operational restructurings). Peter Schrader is experienced in providing advice in the context of restructuring; Rhea-Christina Klagges is another key contact and specializes in ecclesiastical employment law as well as in drafting employment contracts and company agreements. Tina Thoms, Jens Siebert and Mathias Pletke (of whom all three are holistic HR management consultants) left the firm at the end of 2022 to found WORK Siebert Thoms Pletke Rechtsanwälte.

Orth Kluth Rechtsanwälte offers comprehensive assistance with all individual and collective employment matters. Most recently, the group's main focus lay on restructuring, the use of external personnel and digitization issues. The importance of the latter, including the development of legaltech tools for employment law, was underlined by the salary partner promotion of Beatrice Kemper in July 2022. In April 2022, the team had already welcomed Lukas Stähler (focus on restructuring, post-merger integration, company pension schemes) from HYAZINTH as a salary partner. Practice heads Guido Matthey and Simon Grosse-Brockhoff, complement the practice's advice portfolio with expertise in works constitution law.

Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB deals with all aspects of individual and collective employment law and is particularly active in the technology and energy sectors. The group regularly advises on digital transformation, compliance and associated employee data protection, as well as on outsourcing, termination scenarios, restructuring and transactions including subsequent negotiations with employee representatives. Practice head Manfred Schmid's expertise in know-how protection as well as employment and criminal aspects of its possible violation completes the team's advice repertoire. EU posting directives expert Kathrin Brügger joined KPMG Law in Germany in the summer of 2022.

Medium-sized companies and corporations rely on the experience of Frankfurt-based employment law boutique Bluedex in classic individual and collective employment matters as well as in transactions and restructuring. This is complemented by interface competencies in data protection, trademark and competition law. The team is headed by Michael Fausel, who specializes in secondment law, and Christian Bitsch , an expert on works constitution law; in July 2022, Elena Heimann (individual and collective employment law) joined Schweibert Leßmann & Partner as counsel.

In addition to ongoing employment law advice, Deloitte Legal Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH also assists with restructuring, SE foundations and transactions; other core competencies include the advice on regulated remuneration systems at the interface to supervisory law. Litigator Klaus Heeke heads the team, which saw Charlotte Sander being promoted to the partnership in June 2022; she focuses on employment law issues in the IT and data protection sphere. Marc Spielberger (restructuring) joined Altenburg Fachanwälte für Arbeitsrecht in autumn 2022.