Employment & Pensions
Noerr is a leader in the employment law market. As one of the largest employment law teams specialising in the different aspects of employment law and various business sectors, we will solve your employment-related issues and contribute to the success of your projects.
We are familiar with economic and legal developments, set trends and advise on strategically significant decisions. We work in close cooperation with Noerr’s other practice groups and meet the highest expectations with excellence and passion.
As your partner, we manage and support national and international (high-end) projects. Taking advantage of our international networks, we realise your projects worldwide.
Our services
Restructuring
- Structuring and project management (where appropriate, in cooperation with Noerr Consulting and any interim management)
- Adjusting and harmonising working and employment conditions
- Optimising the structures of enterprises and their individual business establishments
- Planning strategic restructuring measures (conversion to an SE, optimising processes for employee co-determination in individual establishments or at company level)
- Planning or avoiding transfers of undertakings
- Structuring business transformation processes (change management)
- Dealing with crisis management and crisis communications (in collaboration with an external PR agency, where appropriate)
- Conducting negotiations with works councils/unions (e.g. reconcilement of interests/(collective) social redundancy plans, conciliation boards)
- Representing you in litigation and mass actions
Employment compliance
- Drafting compliance rules, e.g. regarding whistleblowers, employee data protection, ethics rules, codes of conduct and ESG compliance
- Carrying out internal investigations
- Ensuring external staff compliance (temporary agency workers, freelancers, consultants)
- Ensuring workplace health and safety compliance
- Assisting you with social security compliance and company audits
- Ensuring compliance with works constitution law
For further information see Compliance & Investigations. Compliance And Investigations
Works constitution and collective bargaining law
- Drafting works and (internal) collective bargaining agreements
- Conducting collective bargaining negotiations with works council/unions (e.g. reconcilement of interests/social redundancy plans/collective social redundancy plans)
- Representing you in litigation, especially conciliation board and employment court proceedings
- Changing to a different collective bargaining agreement or rescinding one
Company pension schemes
- Introducing, adjusting and closing company pension schemes
- Performing risk analyses of existing company pension schemes
- Handling liability cases involving company pensions and disputes
- Analysing and implementing adjustment reviews for pension schemes
- Advising on external funding of company pension schemes (e.g. CTA models)
- Advising on outsourcing and transferring existing pension commitments, e.g. liquidation insurance policies, special German pension buy-out companies, de-risking vehicles, pension funds
- Transferring and harmonising pension systems in transactions
- Winding up pension schemes in the context of insolvencies
For further information see Tax and Insurance & Reinsurance.
Global mobility and internationalisation
- Organising international employee assignments (including preparation and structuring)
- Assisting you with secondments and drafting the related contracts
- Optimising the tax and social security law aspects of contractual relationships
- Assisting you with work and residence permits
- Advising on outsourcing and subsidies
- Advising on entering markets in foreign jurisdictions
- Engaging in cross-border restructuring
For further information see Tax.
Transactions, M&A and post-merger integration
- Performing employment due diligences
- Drafting contracts for the sale of companies and individual establishments from an employment perspective
- Structuring or avoiding transfers of undertakings
- Adjusting and harmonising working conditions and terms and conditions of employment
- Integrating groups of staff members
- Structuring working conditions and terms and conditions of employment
For further information see Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions.
“New work” and structuring employment relationships
- Designing flexible working models (remote work, part-time work, standard and lifetime working time accounts, sabbaticals, semi-retirement)
- Advising on use of outside staff (structuring, risk management)
- Developing and implementing flexible/performance-related remuneration systems and short- and long-term plans
- Devising employee stock option plans and shadow share/virtual stock option schemes
- Advising on performance management
Contracts for management, board members and directors
- Advising on and drafting contracts with managing directors and management boards (e.g. variable remuneration systems, non-competes and pension commitments)
- Advising on and drafting contracts with consultants or members of advisory or supervisory boards
- Providing assistance when parting from employees (including outplacements)
Selected projects
Companies are faced with specific challenges involving employment law, and they need reliable and trustworthy legal advice. In addition to our work for clients, we actively influence the market and public opinion with our publications, webinars and lectures. We would be happy to present selected advisory services and reference projects to you – feel free to contact us about this.
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“This frequently recommended employment practice is one of the major practices in Germany. […], outstanding employment law expertise, especially in transactions involving restructuring and insolvency.”
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Alle anzeigen“The Noerr team has very good resources in terms of skill sets and personnel. Their response times are very fast, and they are very flexible when necessary.”
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