dd

Dr Denise Peter

Senior Associate
HamburgFrankfurt
About

Dr. Denise Peter advises national and international companies on all aspects of employment and labour law, with focus on internal investigations and HR compliance. She represents companies in employment and labor law disputes and supports them in strategic communication and negotiations with works councils.

Denise has many years of experience in advising companies in conducting cross-border and national internal investigations. Another focus of her work is providing employment and labour law advice to family businesses, which she supports in introducing and developing customized HR compliance processes.

Areas of FocusEmployment
Professional QualificationsRechtsanwältin admitted with Hanseatische Rechtsanwaltskammer Hamburg

EXPERIENCE

  • Leading and conducting complex internal investigations regarding bribery, corruption, and US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act („FCPA”) issues in various Asian and European countries for a leading global technology family business.
  • Advising a US corporation on the development and implementation of a Europe-wide whistleblower and investigation policy.
  • Supporting numerous companies in setting up and developing external personnel compliance systems – from the legally compliant employment of external personnel to the investigation of possible misconduct.
  • Supporting a company on the implementation of obligations under the German Supply Chain Act (“LkSG”) in employment law structures and processes.
  • Advising the supervisory board of a DAX-40 automobile manufacturer in connection with an internal investigation into diesel emissions.
  • Advising an international corporation in connection with a global FCPA investigation.
  • Conducting an internal investigation for a German bank into share transactions around the dividend record date (cum-ex).
  • Conducting sensitive internal investigations in connection with #MeToo incidents, including support with labor law measures and internal communication.

 

*The above list includes matters completed whilst Denise was in her previous employment.  
Languages
  • German
  • English

Awards

  • Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2025/2026: Recognized as ‘One to Watch in Germany’ for Labour and Employment Law.
Education
  • Dr. iur., Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 2017
  • Higher Regional Court Hamburg, Second State Examination, 2015
  • Friedrich Schiller University Jena, First State Examination, 2009

Publications

  • Commentary on Section 24 Works Constitution Act (termination of membership), in: beck-online.GROSSKOMMENTAR zum Betriebsverfassungsrecht, ed. v. Boemke/Gallner/Gaul/Rudkowski, as of 1 Juli 2025.
  • Labour Law in family businesses, 2018 (Arbeitsrecht in Familienunternehmen – Legitimität und Grenzen eines Sonderarbeitsrechts für Familienunternehmen, 2018).

Seminars

As a speaker, Dr. Peter regularly shares her expertise in practical seminars on topics such as workplace investigations with a special focus on #MeToo cases, internal investigations and labor law, and supply chain compliance.

Prior Experience

  • Since 2021, Lawyer for Employment and Labour Law at DLA Piper
  • 2018–2021, Lawyer for Corporate, Compliance and Internal Investigations at an international law firm
  • 2017, Lawyer for Employment and Labour Law at a German law firm specialising in Employment and Labour Law
  • Prior several years of work as a research assistant and legal trainee in the field of Employment and Labour Law in several international law firms and at the Chair of Civil Law, Labour Law, Civil Procedure Law and Legal Theory at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena

Memberships And Affiliations

  • German Bar Association (Deutscher Anwalt Verein – DAV)
  • German Lawyer Day (Deutscher Juristentag – DJT)

My latest insights

News

DLA Piper appoints seven new counsels in Germany

3 July 2023 .3 minute read

CallvCardLinkedInPrint

Connect

Phone

+49 69 271 33 383
(Work, Frankfurt)
+49 172 469 6169
(Work, Hamburg)
+49 69 271 33 100
(Fax)