CMS' sizeable and thematically broad employment practice covers the whole array of individual and collective employment law. Domestic and foreign corporations, DAX companies and governing bodies can rely on teams from a total of eight German locations that frequently act in cross-border matters; as does Gerlind Wisskirchen, who specialises in advising international corporations. Key themes include restructuring and associated business transfers, staff reductions as well as reconciliation of interests and social plan negotiations, while collective bargaining law, corporate co-determination, outsourcing, transformations and advising executives also form part of its core offering. The group acts with a sectoral focus on the automotive, energy, technology, real estate and life sciences industries and is jointly led by restructuring expert Daniel Ludwig and Amelie Schäfer, who is experienced in compliance and the use of external personnel. The latter recently took over co-practice group management from Martina Hidalgo (restructuring and transaction support), who will remain with the team. Alexander Bissels is a key contact for external personnel deployment issues, which saw an uptick in instructions in the recent past; he is part of the core team alongside Björn Gaul (restructuring, outsourcing and more flexible personnel deployment), counsel Saskia Pitzer (restructuring, contracts, termination disputes) and senior associate Kai Roters (company agreements, reconciliation of interests and social plans). In January 2023, Benedikt Forschner (design and implementation of sustainable compensation systems) made partner, while Eckhard Schmid (board and managing director consulting; compensation systems) retired in the summer of 2023.

Gleiss Lutz is one of the top addresses for German employment law and demonstrates particular strengths in assisting with restructurings and reorganisations, company pensions schemes as well as in advising executives of large German and international corporations. Transaction-related employment advice represents another mainstay, while practice head Thomas Winzer, among other matters, covers the insolvency law interface and applies his relevant expertise in restructuring and reorganisations. Here, he is further supported by Steffen Krieger, who also represents employers in disputes with employees, works and staff councils as well as with unions. The team regularly demonstrates its expertise in out-of-court and in-court disputes in landmark proceedings. The key team also features litigation lawyer Rut Steinhauser in Berlin, who specialises in technology and digital issues, and Christian Arnold in Stuttgart, who is experienced in executive compensation (according to ARUG II). Jens Günther in Munich covers issues pertaining to works constitution and collective bargaining law and places a further focus on the digitalisation of working life. In October 2023, Matthias Böglmüller (company pension provision, compliance, transaction support) joined Seitz Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater.

Noerr impresses with expertise in restructuring, transactions, collective agreement negotiations and operational changes, including reconciliation of interests and social plan negotiations, as well as in pension obligations and co-determination issues. In the contentious and preventive sphere, the practice advises on employment law compliance and associated internal investigations and assists with court and conciliation board proceedings that are based on management separations, among other matters. Competences in outsourcing, data protection, the use of external personnel and company pension schemes complement the group's offering; Stefan Schwab and Benjamin Jahn are among the key contacts for the latter, although both are also experienced in transactional support. Practice head Andreas Butz in Düsseldorf and Patrick Mückl focus on restructuring and reorganisation, while Mückl also handles insolvency-related issues. Boris Blunck (regulated remuneration, termination of employment and service relationships with managers and board members) made partner in January 2024.

Employment law boutique Pusch Wahlig Workplace Law, which operates from six German locations, offers comprehensive advice on all individual and collective employment issues and hereby focuses on the financial services, IT, healthcare, energy, logistics, manufacturing and service industries; in addition to established companies, the group also advises start-ups. Verena Braeckeler-Kogel is among the key contacts for players in the financial services and insurance sectors, while Jan Rudolph is experienced in supporting automotive and chemical companies. The practice's thematical range is similarly broad and includes company pension schemes and co-determination management as well as HR compliance, restructuring, collective agreements, data protection and company agreements. Name partner Thomas Wahlig is an experienced advisor for transaction-related employment issues and practice head Tobias Pusch is adept in advising executives, while Jochen Keilich as well as of counsel Georg Annuß have deep expertise in assisting governing bodies. Thorben Klopp, who is experienced in restructuring and company constitution issues, joined the team in March 2023 from vangard | Littler.

Under the leadership of Markus Künzel, ADVANT Beiten's employment team advises on the full spectrum of individual and collective employment issues with a focus on restructuring and reorganisation as well as transactions and collective bargaining issues. While Mark Zimmer (transaction support, employment compliance) joined from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in October 2023 and Andreas Imping from Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner in early 2024, the reporting period was marked by numerous departures: in October 2022, Andreas Reuther (restructuring, transaction support, business transfers) joined POELLATH, followed by the departure of a team of more than twenty lawyers at the beginning of 2023 to Seitz Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater, including Christopher Melms (works constitution law, collective bargaining law, industrial dispute rights), Wolfgang Lipinski (restructuring, transformation, remuneration and working time models), Daniel Hund (restructuring, transformation, deployment of external personnel), Stefan Lochner (restructuring, collective bargaining law, collective employment law), Kathrin Bürger (collective bargaining law, working time and remuneration models) and Christina Kamppeter (restructuring, transformation, compliance, litigation).

Allen & Overy LLP extensively assists with individual and collective employment matters and is also experienced in employment litigation. Advice focuses on temporary employment, collective bargaining and industrial disputes, regulated remuneration, employee data protection and company co-determination as well as transactional support. Recently, the group has also been frequently instructed to assist with working time laws and whistleblower issues. Restructuring expert Markulf Behrendt in Hamburg leads the team, which also includes Thomas Ubber, who is experienced in collective bargaining as well as in averting strike action. Peter Wehner complements the practice with longstanding experience in company pension schemes, particularly in the structuring of pension systems within a transactional context.

Baker McKenzie demonstrates special expertise at the corporate interface and thus in employment matters pertaining to transactions and post-merger integrations as well as to restructuring and reorganisations. In this context, advice on personnel costs, staff reductions and pension law issues was increasingly called upon in the recent past. The practice has further expertise in data protection, digitalisation, the use of external personnel and compliance, including internal investigations, for which Bernhard Trappehl and Steffen Scheuer rank among the key contacts; Scheuer jointly heads the team with Christian Reichel, who is adept at works council and union negotiations, as is Alexander Wolff. The significance of outsourcing advice was underlined with the promotion of Katja Häferer  (also transactional support) to the partnership in the summer of 2022. Christian Koops (restructuring, mass layoffs, use of external workers) made partner at the same time.

vangard | Littler covers all individual and collective employment issues, including restructuring, the introduction of IT systems and associated data protection issues, remuneration, working time recording and occupational health and safety as well as compliance issues. Due to its international network, the practice is also well positioned to assist with cross-border matters such as global mobility. Skills in the contentious sphere range from separation and conflict management to mediation; Thomas Griebe specialises in the latter. The practice acts with a sectoral focus on pharmaceuticals, transport, insurance and telecommunications, while it recently also assisted companies from the consumer goods sector with forensic issues. Key contacts include Jan-Ove Becker and Dagmar Lessnau (both restructuring, co-determination and works constitution law) and Dennis Lüers (restructuring projects, especially in the automotive sector). Matthias Pallentin (occupational safety, compliance, mediation) and Christoph Kaul (restructuring, works constitution law, separation and conflict management) made salary partners in January 2023. In March 2023, Thorben Klopp (restructuring, works constitution law) joined Pusch Wahlig Workplace Law.

At ARQIS, transformation and restructuring projects, including outsourcing and staff reduction measures, represent a central area of ​​expertise, also for practice head Andrea Panzer-Heemeier, who places a further focus on works council remuneration. This central pillar is complemented by experience in employment matters relating to IT, data protection and compliance; here, Lisa-Marie Niklas and Tobias Neufeld, who is also adept at company pension schemes, are among the key contacts. The client base includes medium-sized companies and DAX companies, which also recently sought advice on compensation issues. Counsel Anja Mehrtens is also part of the core team and often applies her knowledge of pension schemes and employment law compliance within a transactional context.

GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB's expertise covers both restructuring and reorganisation, including the conception and negotiation of reconciliation of interests and social plans, as well as classic areas of employment law. However, alongside its transactional support, the group's advice on temporary employment as well as collective bargaining and works constitution law form part of its core competencies. Thomas Bezani, Dirk Freihube and practice head Ulrich Fülbier are also experienced in litigation; Fülbier is increasingly applying his forensic skills in connection with compliance violations. This offering is complemented by expertise in advising governing bodies, company pension schemes as well as insolvency-related issues and social security law. In May 2023 Alexander Insam (mediation, remuneration) joined as equity partner and Martin Hörtz (compliance, deployment of external personnel) as local partner from GSK Stockmann.

Greenfort advises national and international companies as well as high-ranking managers on the whole array of employment issues This includes in-court and out-of-court representation as well as restructuring and reorganisations, including staff reductions, business transfers, social plan and reconciliation of interests negotiations, and transactional support. Expertise in works constitution law, company co-determination and the drafting and negotiation of collective agreements complement the offering, which also mirrors the focus of practice heads Mark Lembke and Jens-Wilhelm Oberwinter.

Cologne-based employment boutique Küttner Rechtsanwälte covers all facets of employment law. Central areas of expertise include restructuring and reorganisation, which are frequently handled by Thomas Niklas - who is also experienced in the outsourcing sector -,  company pension schemes as well as collective bargaining and works constitution law; matters related to New Work and AI as well as working time recording and the Whistleblower Protection Act represent additional areas of expertise, while data protection issues are handled by Thomas Faas, among others. Associate Maren Henseler is experienced in implementing compliance and whistleblower systems as well as conducting internal investigations. Thomas Köllmann (New Work, use of AI in working life) and Michel Hoffmann (advice to public sector employers) made partners in January 2023.

Schweibert Leßmann & Partner covers the entire spectrum of employment law: transactions are often accompanied by Christoph Herrmann and Rüdiger Hopfe, while Ulrike Schweibert and Simone Kühnast are among the key contacts for large reorganisation projects and restructurings; this usually involves the design and negotiation of collective agreements, advice on company transfers and staff reduction measures, the design and amendment of employment and service contracts as well as co-determination rights and remuneration issues. Contentious competencies span the representation before employment and civil courts as well as in arbitration and mediation proceedings. Expertise in employee data protection, company pension schemes and board consulting complement the advice portfolio. Elif Hoffmann-Remy (restructuring, works council compensation) joined Seitz Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater in October 2023.

Hengeler Mueller's employment practice focuses on reorganisations and restructuring as well as transaction-related advice; this includes temporary pay cuts and remuneration matters as well as issues relating to staff reductions, short-time work, corporate co-determination and company pension schemes. The latter two subjects form part of Christian Hoefs' advice offering, who jointly leads the practice with Hendrik Bockenheimer, who is experienced in structuring, planning and implementing employment law projects as well as in advising governing bodies. The group also has forensic skills which it applies in internal investigations. Christian Häumer (restructuring, transaction support) joined KLIEMT.Arbeitsrecht in September 2023.

Heuking covers a wide range of individual and collective employment law matters, which encompass transactional support, restructurings and reorganisations, including mergers and business transfers, as well as advising on personnel downsizing in the event of site closures. Practice heads Astrid Reich and Bernd Weller, who are further experienced in ​​compliance and works constitution law, also focus on these topics. Clients additionally benefit from the firm's external whistleblower protection system, which is used to analyse reported violations. In January 2023, Torsten Groß (data protection law, works constitution law) made salary partner, while Alexander Bork (restructuring and reorganisation, advice on executives contracts) and Volker Voth (restructuring, board advice) were promoted to the equity partnership.

Employment boutique JUSTEM Rechtsanwälte covers the entire range of individual and collective employment advice, with particular emphasis on restructuring and reorganisation, compliance, data protection and internal investigations. Among other matters, Thilo Mahnhold assists with HR compliance issues pertaining to the use of external personnel and, alongside sports employment lawyer Daniel Klösel, is also experienced in data protection law; Klösel further represents clients in contentious separation scenarios. Henning Reitz and Caroline Bitsch are among the key contacts for advising banks and securities institutions; Reitz often assists with employment and regulatory issues, while Bitsch is well versed in compensation systems.

At Linklaters, restructuring, transaction-related employment issues, crisis management, compliance and company pension schemes stand at the heart of its practice; in the latter area, ongoing advice plays as much a role as disputes and transaction-related issues pertaining to pension buyouts. Financial services industry expert and practice head Matthew Devey advises on carve-outs, outsourcing transactions, business transfers and company pension issues and is thereby increasingly active in cross-border matters. He is supported, among others, by Timon Grau, who is experienced in litigation and advising governing bodies. Peter Gumnior (advising financial services players on contract drafting and compensation issues) joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in February 2024.

Oppenhoff's employment expertise covers all individual and collective law issues, with a focus on restructuring, transactions and reorganisations. This is complemented by competencies in out-of-court and in-court settlement of disputes with employees, works councils and unions which also mirrors the skills ​​of Jörn Kuhn, who, alongside restructuring and reorganisations, further handles collective arbitration proceedings and proceedings before company conciliation boards as well as company pension schemes issues.

Employment boutique SCHRAMM MEYER KUHNKE applies its expertise in projects as well as in ongoing advice, while cross-border matters are handled with the help of a best friends network. In the project sphere, Michael Kuhnke oversees mergers, takeovers, outsourcing and corporate restructuring, while Holger Meyer is experienced in assisting with related negotiations on collective bargaining, reconciliation of interests and social plans with unions and works councils. Insolvency-related issues are handled by Matthias Lodemann, while Nils Schramm is experienced in litigation. The importance of its employment disputes practice was underlined with Nina Tholuck's promotion to the partnership in January 2023.

Watson Farley & Williams LLP's employment team focuses on restructuring and reorganisation advice and therefore routinely assists with staff reduction measures, negotiations on interest and social plan agreements, the introduction of new group structures and associated works council structure adjustments; Andreas Wiegreffe and practice head Nikolaus Krienke usually lead here. Expertise in the representation before conciliation bodies complements its service offering. Philipp Byers (compliance, employee data protection) joined Dentons in May 2023.

With a focus on medium-sized businesses, act AC Tischendorf Rechtsanwälte assists with the whole array of individual and collective employment law issues and makes use of a European law firm network for cross-border matters. Central pillars consist of restructuring and transactions on one hand, and ongoing advice as well as New Work and compliance on the other. Furthermore, the group has an employment criminal law expert in Thomas Block. Name partner Sven Tischendorf often acts in restructuring and transaction matters, including distressed ones, and jointly leads the practice with Stephan Schwilden, who is experienced in the reorganisation of company pension systems.

Employment boutique Altenburg Fachanwälte für Arbeitsrecht, which exclusively specialises in employer advice, operates from three German locations and assists with individual and collective employment issues; cross-border matters are handled via an international network. Key contacts include Charlotte Beck, who is experienced in works constitution law, company pension schemes and co-determination issues, and Axel Schmädicke, who focuses on restructuring and reorganisation as well as on associated staff reductions and company transfers.

In close cooperation with its corporate and M&A practice groups, Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner's employment practice focuses on restructuring, reorganisations and transactions, while ongoing employment law advice represents another mainstay. From three locations, the group focuses on different areas: Sabine Schröter's team in Frankfurt is adept in assisting hospitals and medical care centres with outsourcing and restructuring measures; In Freiburg, under the leadership of Christoph Fingerle and Stefan Daub, the practice primarily advises medium-sized companies in the context of transactions and restructuring; and in Cologne, under the leadership of Sven Köhnen, the team is experienced in nationwide employment court proceedings; he previously co-led the office with Andreas Imping, who joined ADVANT Beiten as local partner in early 2024.

Düsseldorf-based boutique offering Fringspartners specialises in advising companies and bodies as well as their representatives. Board members of large German and international corporations frequently instruct the practice with the conclusion or termination of employment relationships. The team also handles collective employment law matters, including negotiations with employee representatives in the context of restructuring, which are often led by Michael Bogati. Ulrich Wahlers complements this with expertise in litigation and works constitution law.

GvW Graf von Westphalen covers the whole array of individual and collective employment issues; on the collective level, the group recently experienced an increase in instructions related to restructuring, also pertaining to negotiations before conciliation bodies. Expertise further includes banking employment law and advice to public bodies. This mirrors the expertise of practice head Philipp Wiesenecker, whose team was strengthened by the arrival of equity partner Thomas G.-E. Müller (employee data protection, executive consulting) and salary partner Andreas Kössel (individual and collective employment law, litigation) in November 2023, who both came from LUTZ | ABEL RECHTSANWALTS PARTG MBB. Additionally, Hans Georg Helwig (collective employment law, employee data protection, compliance) joined from Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein in January 2024.

Hoffmann Liebs applies its individual and collective employment skills within restructuring and reorganisation contexts, including advice on social plan and reconciliation of interest negotiations, collective bargaining, compliance and insolvency-related topics. This also represents the focus of practice heads Heiko Langer and Jörg Podehl, while Langer has further expertise in works constitution law and termination scenarios, including mass layoffs, and Podehl is experienced in supporting companies and managers in contract negotiations. Michael Klipp (downsizing measures, false self-employment, international employment law) returned to PETERS Rechtsanwälte in March 2023.

Latham & Watkins LLP's employment practice has restructuring measures, including insolvency-related restructuring, at its heart, which is not least due to the close cooperation with its M&A and private equity teams. In addition to cross-practice cooperation, its employment advice is often characterised by cross-location and cross-border support. Practice head Tobias Leder usually leads on these matter, and also represents companies in litigation before employment and civil courts. The industry focus lies on healthcare and life sciences.

Employment boutique MAINWERK Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB's dual focus spans ongoing employment law advice on one hand and restructuring support on the other. This includes, among other matters, negotiations with works councils and unions as well as management separation. Henning Wiehe, who is experienced in international transactions and restructurings, financial sector expert Ulla Rupp, Kai Golücke (works constitution law, restructuring, IT codetermination, data protection), Oliver Driver-Polke (restructuring) and litigator Kerstin Panhorst are among the key contacts.

Orth Kluth Rechtsanwälte's advice portfolio spans the entire spectrum of individual and collective employment law with a focus on restructuring, IT system implementation, company pension schemes and the use of external personnel. The practice is led by Guido Matthey (additional expertise in board advice and litigation) and Simon Grosse-Brockhoff (focus on restructuring and works constitution law), both of whom are extensively active in employment matters. Lukas Stähler (individual and collective employment law, litigation) joined STUDIO LEGAL Rechtsanwälte in May 2023.

With a sector focus on energy, technology and life sciences, the employment team at Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB recently handled numerous matters pertaining to mobile work and employee data protection, including the negotiation of company agreements for cloud-based software, as well as company agreements, internal investigations and cross-border restructuring. The global head of its employment practice Manfred Schmid also leads the German team and complements the group's competencies with expertise in know-how protection and the handling of employment and criminal law violations.

Competencies of Flick Gocke Schaumburg's employment practice span unions and works councils negotiations, transaction-related employment matters, individual personnel measures, litigation in connection with staff reduction measures and works constitution disputes. Tobias Nießen, who is extensively experienced in individual and collective employment law, heads the practice.