CMS' employment team is one of the absolute frontrunners and provides comprehensive advice on all aspects of individual and collective employment law. The firm operates from a total of eight German locations and routinely cooperates with other locations of its international firm network on cross-border issues. Amelie Schäfer (compliance, use of external personnel) and Daniel Ludwig, who is experienced in operational changes and restructuring, jointly lead the team, whose sector expertise includes energy, automotive, technology, real estate and life sciences. Core competencies span restructuring, associated negotiations on reconciliation of interests and social plans, as well as corporate co-determination, collective bargaining law and outsourcing, although advice to board members and managers represents another strength; in the latter context, the group recently assisted with council remuneration among other matters. Björn Gaul complements the advice repertoire with expertise in compensation structure adjustments as well as in matters pertaining to flexible working hours and compliance, while Gerlind Wisskirchen frequently advises globally active corporations on restructuring. Counsel Saskia Pitzer and senior associate Kai Roters, who is experienced in dismissal protection proceedings, are key contacts for litigation and arbitration.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'An extremely skilled and dedicated team.'
'Very large team with individual and very distinct strengths. The practice shows its great interest and effort in knowing the client inside and out in order to be able to provide targeted advice when it matters.'
Key clients
- Airbus SE
- Carl Zeiss AG
Work highlights
- Advice to Rhenus LMS GmbH on FORD's planned closure of automobile production in Saarlouis. Support included the preparation of negotiations on the reconciliation of interests and social plan due to the expected closure of Rhenus's operations; support of the negotiations with IG Metall with regard to the union's demands for the conclusion of a social collective agreement, a collective agreement on site security and a collective agreement on the investor search process; and the successful defense of a 'never-ending works meeting' planned by the works council as a means of industrial action by means of interim injunction proceedings before the Saarbrücken Labor Court.
- Advising IKEA Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG on digitalisation projects and associated participation rights of the works council and their limits.