14 Best Employment Lawyers in Hamburg

Its strength lies in the end of an employment relationship and nothing else. The firm by the Rathausmarkt works only on dismissals, termination agreements and severance negotiations, with a team that advises managers, senior staff and employees. An initial assessment by phone is free when the firm has capacity to take the case, and enquiries sent during office hours usually get a call back the same working day. Advice is available in English as well as German.

Its strength lies in settling disputes before they reach the labour court, an approach the firm says saves time and money for both sides. The Fachanwälte on Eppendorfer Baum have worked in employment law for 30 years and represent employees, employers, works and staff councils, managers and the self-employed. The first consultation is paid and usually costs 190 euros plus VAT, which the firm states upfront. Its site also has a severance calculator.

Senior staff negotiating an exit package will find a lawyer here who spent years on the employer side. Dr. Mareike Curtze, a Fachanwältin für Arbeitsrecht, advises and represents employees, senior employees and executives on dismissals, termination agreements and severance. The practice covers all areas of employment law and refers other questions to colleagues in its network. A first consultation costs at most 190 euros plus VAT and is credited against later fees.

Convenient for employees who would rather meet near home than in the city centre. Dr. Seume, a Fachanwalt für Arbeitsrecht, and his colleagues in a shared office are based in Barmbek and also see clients in the Innenstadt, Ottensen and Wilhelmsburg. They act for employees, senior staff and works councils after a dismissal or a termination agreement. The first assessment is free, and the team can either file a dismissal protection claim or negotiate a settlement.

Suits people who want a frank first opinion before deciding whether to go to court. Gordon Neumann has practised for more than 18 years and has held the Fachanwalt title for employment law since November 2011. He advises both employees and employers, and the first consultation by phone is free. His site explains in plain language who pays court and lawyer fees at the labour court, and he can request cover from a legal expenses insurer on the client's behalf.

Handy for anyone living around Eppendorf or Hoheluft who wants an employment lawyer nearby. The employment team at Clayston on Lehmweg concentrates on dismissals, warnings, termination agreements and settlement agreements. It is made up of Pascal Nagorny, Christoph Bienwald and Mercedes Budziak, a Fachanwältin für Arbeitsrecht, each reachable on a direct phone line. Employees and executives are among its clients, and the team also advises people outside Hamburg remotely.

A practical choice for parents and disabled employees dealing with workplace rights, topics the firm covers in depth. The practice on Max-Brauer-Allee in Altona works only in employment law and represents employees, employers and works councils. Its guides deal with refused part-time and parental part-time requests, protection during pregnancy and parental leave, and discrimination claims. A free initial assessment is given within 24 hours, and the website is available in English.

Professional athletes have an unusual option here, as the firm advises players on contract extensions, club transfers and the employment terms that come with them. Day to day, K/7 handles employment law for both employees and employers, an approach it values because it sees both sides of a dispute. It supports works councils in their work and helps staff set up a council and run its first election. The office is on Rütersbarg in Lokstedt.

A natural fit for works councils, staff councils and disability representatives, who make up a large part of the client base here. The team of lawyers and Fachanwälte für Arbeitsrecht advises on council elections, co-determination, works agreements, social plans and conciliation board proceedings. Individual employees, freelancers and employers are represented as well. The firm also runs training sessions for councils, held in-house at the workplace or in its own seminar room.

Suits employees who have just been dismissed or handed a termination agreement and want a firm that never sits on the employer's side. The office on Poststraße is the headquarters of a practice that represents only employees and works councils. Founder Tim Fink previously ran a legal department at the IG Metall union and served as a lay judge at the labour court. The first consultation on a dismissal is free and can be held in person, by phone or by video.

A sensible choice when you want a lawyer who knows how employers think, because the firm acts for both employees and employers. Heiko Hecht holds the Fachanwalt title for employment law, and the practice covers individual disputes, collective labour law and the contracts of managing directors and board members. Besides this office on Neuer Wall, appointments are possible at the head office on the Elbchaussee and in Süderelbe. The site has English pages and offers a free initial assessment after a dismissal.

Managers and managing directors facing an exit are the focus here, and the firm never acts for employers. Axel Pöppel has worked as a Fachanwalt für Arbeitsrecht for more than 25 years and represents employees, executives and managers only. The office on Rothenbaumchaussee promises an appointment within one working day after a dismissal. A short first assessment by phone is free for dismissals and termination agreements, and the firm says openly whether a case is worth pursuing.

Companies looking for an employment law adviser near the Gänsemarkt will find a two-partner boutique built around that work. Jörn Fuhrken and Olaf C. Sauer both hold the Fachanwalt title for employment law and advise employers on dismissals, staff management, working time, temporary agency work and social security. Employees are represented too, often in termination agreement talks. A page in English invites English speakers to get in touch and summarises the German rules on dismissal.

Worth a call for staff of churches and church-run institutions, since Rechtsanwalt Kohnen handles church employment law alongside ordinary cases. He holds the Fachanwalt title for employment law and limits his own practice to employment and traffic law. His main topics are dismissal protection, termination agreements and severance, with further pages on senior staff and holiday pay. The office sits between Jungfernstieg and the Rathaus and takes calls on weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.