Employment

From employment contracts law to executive agreements, dismissal procedures to relocation agreements, our team works with you to customise the contracts most appropriate to the business relationship and most advantageous to you.

Whether you need advice on senior appointments (in-country and cross-border), on drafting and reviewing employee contracts to comply with local government requirements, or on evaluating contracts in restructuring situations, you can rely on our team’s expertise in contractual agreement law. We share your business goals and work to help you meet them efficiently.

The breadth of our reach across the region makes it easier for us to provide you with added value whenever you look to implement organisational changes. We are always thinking across borders, which means that we can help you implement part-time work models, remuneration structures and overtime models in several countries simultaneously. Our team is structured for efficiency: for us, collaboration between our experts in corporate, dispute resolution, regulatory and tax law is the rule, not the exception.

Our lawyers can help you reorganise your pension and benefit structure while maintaining your corporate structure. We know the ins and outs of pension law in Europe, including stock option plans, pension fund agreements, and fringe benefits, and can help you create multi-jurisdictional stock option programmes for senior managers, appoint employees as board members in regional subsidiaries, and implement long-term incentive plans in CEE/SEE subsidiaries.

Our team with expertise in pension law also monitors pension law changes and can leverage the other areas of expertise at Wolf Theiss to help you meet your goals. Our tax experts, for example, can advise you on the tax aspects of employee stock ownership, deferred compensation plans and other tax optimisation strategies.

When you decide to implement changes that can result in outsourcing, off-shoring, restructuring, downsizing or merging, we will make sure that your business needs are protected during what can be a period of uncertainty for you and your business.

We understand the complexities involved and help you make strategic decisions that protect your interests in the long run. We will use our strong networks across 13 countries in CEE/SEE to best position you in your sector.

Fewer things are trickier than employment law litigation and conciliation. We have experience in this specialised area and know how to navigate the legal complexities, assess risks and communicate our advice to you in plain language.

As an expert employment litigation law firm, we constantly monitor newly implemented or upcoming changes to legislation throughout the CEE/SEE region so we can provide your business with the best strategic advice when drafting legal documents or preparing for negotiations with works councils and trade unions.

We are there for you, even for the less glamorous but no less important tasks of day-to-day employment matters. If you need advice – or even direct representation – in dealing with collective labour laws, working hours, or social security, we will assist you in managing your daily business.

We use the built-in cross-practice network of Wolf Theiss to combine our expertise and to provide advice on employment issues that apply to all industries and sectors. For example, we ensure that employment matters are fully compliant with data protection or privacy laws, as well as bank regulations.

We will keep you up-to-date on changes in the constantly shifting landscape of employment-related legislation on topics that are relevant specifically to your business.

In today’s globalised world, immigration and mobility are often one of the key elements of a business strategy. Our team guides clients through their internal reorganisation processes, advises them on the relocation of employees, and assists with regard to cultural and structural changes.

Our lawyers have special expertise in the fields of business immigration and employment of foreign managers and key experts throughout the CEE/SEE region. With compliance at the forefront of our services, we have a deep knowledge of local regulations and principles, and experience with international agreements that govern foreign workers. We advise clients on hiring employees from other EU countries and from third countries, dealing with various immigration issues such as worker’s residence requirements, work visas and residence permits, and the preparation of relevant policies and contracts. Our lawyers can also advise on procedures related to obtaining investor visas. In addition to legal and tax advice around employee mobility, we provide practical solutions to all emerging issues and represent clients before national immigration authorities if required.