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Dr Jens Kirchner

Partner

High qualification and excellent sense for practice-oriented solutions.

Client, JUVE Handbook (2021/2022)
About

Dr Jens Kirchner advises national and foreign companies on all aspects of collective and individual employment law with a focus on national and cross-border restructurings, acquisitions and outsourcing measures.

He has extensive experience in negotiations with employee representatives on co-determination rights and on enforcing operational changes requiring a balance of interests and social compensation plans. Furthermore, he also has experience with complex transfers of business, codes of conducts, issues of employee data protection, and with the secondment of employees to foreign countries.

Other areas of focus are HR compliance and workplace investigations, for example implementation of whistleblowing policies in Europe or internal investigations in multijurisdictional situations.

Jens advises in particular companies in the technology, metal, pharmaceutical, medical, automotive, telecommunication and aviation industries as well as in the banking and insurance sector.

Jens is editor of the book "Key Aspects of German Employment and Labour Law", second edition 2018. He is also editor of the book "Transfer of Business and Acquired Employee Rights: A Practical Guide for Europe and Across the Globe" covering 27 countries, first edition 2016.

Professional QualificationsRechtsanwalt admitted with Rechtsanwaltskammer Frankfurt am Main

EXPERIENCE

  • Leading the global project for the HR end of a divestiture of a business unit of German technology company, including negotiations with German Labour union for a house tariff agreement.
  • Advising a global technology company regarding a compliance investigation covering 15 countries.
  • Advising a German chemical company on restructuring including negotiation of balance of interest and social plan under special consideration of collective agreements.
  • Advising a Norwegian automotive supplier on the closure of an operating unit including negotiating the balance of interest and social plan with interim employment company.
  • Leading the negotiations for a financial services provider regading their house tariff agreement with the Labour union.
  • Advising an international airline within an outsourcing measure on European level, including negotiating the operational change in Germany.
  • Advising of an American automotive supplier re several European policies to improve their HR compliance structure, including national implementations.
  • Advising an Indian technology group on partial closure of operations and relocation to UK, including negotiation of balance of interest, social plan with interim employment company as well as the necessary company collective agreement.
  • Advising a US technology company on the reorganisation of European management structures focusing on Germany, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Languages
  • German
  • English
Education
  • Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, First State Examination and Ph.D.
  • Court of Appeal Frankfurt, Second State Examination

Awards & Recognitions

  • JUVE Handbook 2023/2024: Frequently recommended for employment law: advising companies
  • Legal 500 Germany 2023: Recommended for employment law; “Jens Kirchner and the team are outstanding in picking up the concrete situation, putting themselves in the respective situation and also pointing out alternatives or situations that are not specifically requested.”
  • Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2023/2024: Recommended for labor and employment law

Publications

  • "Key Aspects of German Employment and Labour Law", second edition 2018
  • "Transfer of Business and Acquired Employee Rights", published by Springer 2016
  • 2012 "German Employment and Labour Law - An Overview", issued together with Association of Foreign Banks in Germany (Verband der Auslandsbanken)
  • Personalwirtschaft, March 2011, article on German HR issues that are difficult to understand for foreign decision makers
  • "Key Aspects of German Employment and Labour Law", published by Springer 2010

Prior Experience

Jens joined DLA Piper in 2005. He has previously worked for several other law firms.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • European Academy of Law, Trier
  • European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA)

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