Legal Services
Employment law advice for companies, employers and employees in Hamburg and Ahrensburg. Clear, pragmatic and focused on solutions that hold up both legally and commercially.
Overview
Decisions in employment law are never purely legal questions. When it comes to dismissals, contract amendments, personnel decisions and workplace disputes, what matters is which solution is legally sound – and which can actually be put into practice in the business and in day-to-day working life.
Hannekum & Partner advises companies, employers and executives as well as employees – out of court and before the German labor courts. We do so at our main office in Ahrensburg, at our Hamburg office and throughout Germany by telephone and video conference.
Services
01
We draft and review employment contracts, contract templates and supplementary agreements – from remuneration and working hours to fixed terms, probationary periods and post-contractual obligations. For employers, we prepare the contractual framework; for employees, we review a contract before it is signed.
02
We review dismissals with regard to form, notice period, grounds and consultation of the works council, prepare them on behalf of employers and represent dismissed employees in proceedings for protection against dismissal. We also advise on the first steps after a notice of termination has been received and on the separation agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag) as an alternative to dismissal.
03
From hiring to separation: contract documentation, ongoing personnel matters, works council consultations, works agreements and the preparation of dismissals – including a review of what needs to be examined before notice is given. If desired, we act as a permanent point of contact for management and the HR department.
04
For employers, we draft formal warnings (Abmahnungen) capable of supporting a subsequent dismissal; for employees, we assess whether a warning is justified and how best to respond to it. Where conflicts arise in the workplace, we look for solutions that do not place unnecessary strain on the employment relationship.
05
Service agreements, remuneration arrangements, removal from office and separation: managing directors are subject to rules of their own, because as a general rule they are not employees. We advise executives and companies when such agreements are concluded and when they are brought to an end, including separation agreements for managing directors.
06
We represent employers and employees before the labor courts – in proceedings for protection against dismissal, in actions for payment or for an employment reference, and in works constitution proceedings (Beschlussverfahren). Where a settlement makes sense, we negotiate it; where it does not, we conduct the proceedings.
Both sides of the employment relationship
We support employers in their employment law decisions, from contract drafting and ongoing personnel matters through to the termination of employment relationships.
We advise employees in particular on dismissals, separation agreements, formal warnings and questions concerning existing employment contracts.
Dismissal
Dismissal is the most frequent reason clients turn to us in employment law – as employees who have been given notice and want to know what to do next, and as employers who wish to prepare a separation on a sound legal footing. For employees, one point matters above all: as a rule, an action for protection against dismissal can only be brought within three weeks of receipt of the notice of termination.
Our advice covers every aspect of dismissal and protection against dismissal under German law. The topics below outline the questions that typically arise – from dismissal during the probationary period and the course of court proceedings to severance payments.
The first steps after a notice of termination has been received: the deadline, the documents and registration with the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit).
Which notice period applies, whether grounds are required and when a dismissal is invalid – for employers and employees.
Types of dismissal, statutory protection against dismissal, formal warnings and the works council: what employers should examine before giving notice.
From filing the action through the conciliation hearing (Gütetermin) to the hearing before the full chamber (Kammertermin): what to expect before the labor court.
A dismissal does not automatically give rise to a claim to severance pay – when severance comes into consideration and what its amount depends on.
What should be examined before signing: severance, release from work duties, the employment reference and the risk of a suspension period for unemployment benefits (Sperrzeit).
Employment contracts
An employment contract governs far more than duties and salary: working hours and overtime, fixed terms and the probationary period, secondary employment, confidentiality and notice periods. For employers, we draft and update contract templates that remain workable in everyday practice and meet the statutory requirements; for employees, we review which clauses call for a critical look before signing.
We also advise on the particulars employers are required to document under the German Act on Notification of Conditions Governing an Employment Relationship (Nachweisgesetz), on the cases in which text form has been sufficient since 2025 – for example, an employment contract concluded by email – and on the agreements that continue to require written form.
Legally precise. Commercially minded.
Employment law decisions often have consequences that reach beyond the dispute at hand. In dismissals, contract amendments and conflicts, we therefore consider not only the legal position but also costs, timing and practical implementation within the company.
Personal advice
Rechtsanwalt
Florian Leander Ziegler is responsible for employment law at our firm. He is a member of the Employment Law Working Group of the German Bar Association (DAV) and, in March 2026, passed the theoretical part of the specialist-lawyer course in employment law. View profile
Hamburg & Ahrensburg
Hannekum & Partner advises clients on employment law at its offices in Ahrensburg and Hamburg and throughout Germany by telephone and video conference. We advise employers, companies, executives and employees on employment law matters and represent clients out of court and before the labor courts.
Main office & notarial office
Hamburg office (legal services)
Process
01
Give us a brief outline of your matter. In the case of a dismissal, please let us know in particular when the notice of termination reached you.
02
We review the initial position, any deadlines that are running and the possible next steps.
03
We then discuss with you which course of action fits your legal and economic situation.
Questions and answers
Promptly. As a rule, an action for protection against dismissal must be received by the labor court within three weeks of receipt of the written notice of termination (Section 4 of the German Protection Against Dismissal Act, KSchG). If the deadline is missed, the dismissal is generally deemed to have been valid from the outset – regardless of whether it was justified. Please therefore contact us as soon as possible after receiving the notice and let us know when it reached you.
Yes. We advise companies and employers on contract drafting, ongoing personnel matters, formal warnings, dismissals and separation agreements as well as on dealings with the works council, and we represent them before the labor courts. If desired, we provide ongoing employment law support for management and the HR department.
Yes. In addition to meetings in Ahrensburg and Hamburg, we advise clients throughout Germany by telephone and video conference. Documents such as the notice of termination, the employment contract or a formal warning can be sent to us by email in advance.
The costs depend on the scope and complexity of the matter. Before you instruct us, we inform you of the anticipated costs and clarify whether legal expenses insurance will provide cover. In proceedings before the labor court, each party bears its own attorney’s fees at first instance – irrespective of the outcome.
All documents relating to the matter: the employment contract including any amendments, the notice of termination or formal warning together with its envelope, pay slips, the correspondence with the other side and – if you have one – your legal expenses insurance policy. In the case of a dismissal, the date of receipt is particularly important. Employers should additionally bring earlier formal warnings, notes of meetings and any works council consultation.
The duration of labor court proceedings depends on the competent court, the subject matter and how the case develops. In proceedings for protection against dismissal, a conciliation hearing is ordinarily held first. If no settlement is reached there, a further hearing before the full chamber may follow.
Contact
Do you need support with an employment law matter? Give us a brief outline of your concern. We will review the initial position and discuss the next steps with you.
