Compliance Lawyer in Germany

The Importance of Legal Compliance in Germany

Remaining compliant can be complicated, costly and time-consuming; however, the alternative is even more damaging. Not maintaining compliance can result in legal cases, which are also costly and time-consuming. Sacrificing the need to follow obligations by cutting corners may result in short-term benefits, but it is risky. Not maintaining compliance can also result in reputational damage depending on where the company did not respect its duties. This can result in a loss of customers and partners for future endeavours. It can be difficult for a company to recover from reputational damage depending on the cause of its reputational damage.

From the perspective of a company’s management, availing of outside legal assistance when it comes to compliance requirements is useful for several reasons. Firstly, managers and directors can be found personally liable for their actions in certain cases.  We assist managing directors in their duties and provide the legal protection and support they may need in a demanding work environment.

Outside legal assistance can also be of great value when it comes to planning future projects. Our lawyers can look at the medium- and long-term implications of decisions. On occasion, businesses can fall into the trap of simply responding to short-term problems and not looking at the longer-term issues that may bring. At Schlun & Elseven, our attorneys will be there to make sure your compliance requirements do not get lost in your company’s plans.

Compliance in Employment Law

In Germany employees have strong protections in place to ensure that their employment rights are respected. We have a dedicated team of employment law attorneys who will provide the clear guidance your company may require when it comes to issues in this field. Some issues such as ensuring that anti-discrimination measures are in place and that there is zero tolerance policy in place (and acted upon) when it comes to sexual harassment is very important as cases in these fields can lead to potential reputational damage. There are a number of other areas of employment law where compliance requirements need to be followed. Here are just of the areas we can support and advise on:

• Employment contract terms,
• Employee data protection,
• Work councils and employee representation,
• Fair and unfair dismissal cases,
• Safety at work – occupational safety requirements,
• Company pension schemes,

This is a non-exhaustive list and thus if your company requires further assistance when it comes to compliance in the field of employment law please contact us directly.

Competition and Antitrust Law

Working with our corporate law team will ensure your company’s compliance with German competition law. Our competition law group will ensure that your company is informed about what activities are considered antitrust in Germany and how they are legislated. We will keep you updated on developments in German and European law on this front to ensure that any legal changes do not damage your company. Furthermore, we will advise your company on mergers and acquisitions in Germany and ensure that the actions taken are compliant with the law.

When it comes to representing your company, our German business lawyers will be there to counteract any unfair practices brought forward by your competitors. We will act in your interest when it comes to cases of misleading advertising, product imitation, false labelling and copyright infringement. Our legal support applies both inside and outside of court. Our competition law team will act in your interest on all matters relating to compliance.

Corporate Criminal Law

Compliance also takes the form of ensuring that your company does not come into conflict with German criminal law. Criminal law can play a role in issues around tax offences, money laundering and white-collar crime, as well as in the area of insolvency criminal law. Criminal law cases on these issues can result in reputational damaging and time-consuming court cases. Awareness of legal compliance in these fields will ensure that your business does not find itself in such as situation. We will help your company establish systems whereby employees can take action and report suspected wrongdoing to ensure that the business itself is aware of suspicious actions that may require further investigation. The business should be proactive in preventing corporate criminal offences from occurring and thus protect its reputation from the actions of individual employees or managers.

Our Services

At Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte, our lawyers will not provide legal representation in court for when compliance issues reach that far, but will also help to ensure that compliance is followed throughout. Prevention of wrongdoing is more cost-effective and better governance than having to respond to legal problems as they arise. On this front, we offer a wide range of legal services in this field. Here is a non-exhaustive list of what you can expect from our legal professionals:

• In-house legal training for staff,
• Advice on compliance systems applicable to your business,
• “Whistle-blowing” initiatives and mechanisms,
• Support in carrying out internal reviews,
• Keeping up-to-date on legal developments in a wide variety of fields,
• Counsel regarding risk management,
• Ongoing support for management within the company.

Once our legal team is working on your company’s behalf, we can personalise our services for your company’s requirements.