The Legal 500

Allen & Overy Luxembourg displays ‘very good quality’, mainly in advising employers in the banking, retail and industrial sectors. It recently advised Lombard International Assurance on preparing and negotiating a social plan, including resolving disputes with unions. Other clients include Swedbank, Custom House Fund Services and HSH Nordbank Securities. André Marc is ‘a very good lawyer: he is flexible and reacts rapidly’. Recently promoted counsel Anne Lambé is also recommended.

Arendt & Medernach’s employment law, pensions and benefits practice remains a market leader. It has recently advised numerous finance, insurance and industry companies on restructuring projects as well as staff changes resulting from M&A. Other work includes collective dismissals, the negotiation of a social plan, and defending clients against disputed dismissals in both the labour and administrative courts. Louis Berns and Carine Feipel are the main contacts.

Labour and employment law specialist Castegnaro, member of Ius Laboris is praised for its ‘excellent response times, knowledge and huge know-how’, as well as reasonable fees. It is assisting a Luxembourg subsidiary of an international group with renegotiating its collective bargaining agreement, and advising a subsidiary of a retail group on a merger process. Guy Castegnaro is ‘excellent in negotiating and in pleading the trickiest cases’, and recently promoted partner Ariane Claverie has ‘huge knowledge of local practise and case law’.

Clifford Chance provides ‘outstanding’ service and ‘treats all matters with a sense of urgency’. The team recently advised a bank on collective redundancy involving 60 employees, and acted for another bank against a moral harassment claim. Albert Moro is ‘one of the most experienced and analytical labour lawyers in Luxembourg’, and counsel Isabelle Comhaire has ‘very solid Luxembourg labour law knowledge’.

Elvinger, Hoss & Prussen advises on employment law in transfers of undertakings, as well as individual redundancies and social security. Clients include Citibank, Amazon, Vodafone, and Banque de Luxembourg. Pierre Elvinger and Léon Gloden are highly regarded. Counsel Caroline Lootvoet is also recommended.

Kleyr Grasso Associes’ Christian Jungers is ‘one of the best labour law lawyers in Luxembourg’. Recent work includes advising a client on the negotiation of an employment safeguard plan; and the establishment of a social plan regarding the redundancy of 140 staff. The firm has invested in the practice by hiring senior associates from Allen & Overy Luxembourg and Linklaters LLP in the past two years.

René Diederich’s employment and incentives practice at Linklaters LLP specialises in transactional work, in particular advising on cross-border employment, incentives and pensions issues. Work highlights include advising ITT Corporation on its split into three independently listed groups. Other clients include HSBC, Banco Espirito Santo and Citibank International.

MNKS’ dedicated practice is praised for its ‘very high level of service – in particular its high quality, quick reaction times, pragmatic approach, and great availability of the partners’. Expertise includes employment and social security litigation, and particularly individual and collective dismissals. Marielle Stevenot is recommended.

Adam & Bleser is ‘the best and only reference regarding representation for the employee side of disputes’ in Luxembourg. Romain Adam and Claude Bleser are highly recommended.

Bauler & Lutgen represents employees and civil servants in labour and employment litigation. Jean-Marie Bauler is ‘very charismatic, aggressive in a professional way, and defends his clients with energy. He wins a lot of cases for employees’.

Bonn Steichen & Partners advises on drafting employment contracts, terminations, consultation procedures, collective bargaining agreements and social plans. It also represents employees and corporate employers in disputes. Anne Morel is the key contact.

Loyens & Loeff’s commercial litigation lawyers advise on labour and employment issues. It acted for a client on liquidation and redundancies, and advised on the establishment of Luxembourg entities by a large Canadian company and the subsequent secondment of employees from Canada to Luxembourg. Véronique Hoffeld is the key figure.

Molitor Avocats à la Cour is well known for advising senior directors of companies as well as corporate clients. The team recently advised one director who was accused of sexual harassment, and another with regard to transfer of employment issues. Nadine Bogelmann is recommended.

Thewes & Reuter’s growing practice assists with contentious and non-contentious labour and employment issues. It recently advised a client which had withdrawn from its collective bargaining agreement, and assisted a construction group with transfer of employment issues. Pierre Reuter is recommended.

Brucher Thieltgen & Partners advises employees and employers, and is advising a US group on a contract termination. It is also assisting a female employee who claims to have suffered moral harassment. Nicolas Thieltgen is recommended.

DSM Di Stefano Moyse Avocats à la Cour advises on employment law, social security and employee benefits. Mario Di Stefano is recommended for his ‘professionalism, quality of work and response time’.

Decker & Braun assists employees with labour and social security law. Andrée Braun is the main contact.