Employment law for Executive management
and supervisory boards
Labor law advice at management level.
Managing directors, members of management boards, and supervisory boards operate under special legal frameworks. Protection against dismissal, co-determination, and liability are structured differently than in a classic employment relationship – as are questions of contract drafting, compensation, and the termination of service relationships.
We advise with these particular structures in mind. In doing so, we take into account the close link between employment law questions, corporate responsibility, and personal liability.
Our advice begins where employment law decisions are strategically significant. We support clients in contract negotiations, compensation and liability matters, status changes, and separation and dispute situations. We work discreetly, in a structured way, and with a clear understanding of decision-making processes at executive level. The goal is to assess legal risks and enable well-founded decisions.
You will find our specific areas of focus in the practice areas below.
Top management advice
Employment law advice for managing directors and board members
Managing directors and board members require individualized and highly specialized advice. With a strong understanding of business and a strategic approach, addworx legal advises exclusively managing directors of GmbHs and members of the management board of an AG or SE on entering into, structuring, negotiating, and terminating their service agreements. Our long-standing experience and deep understanding of corporate structures protect your interests – discreetly, strategically, and effectively.
Our services at a glance
We advise corporate officers at all stages of their career – from drafting agreements to ending the service relationship. Our team supports you not only legally: we also strengthen your position strategically and assist in key negotiations – often discreetly in the background.
Typical questions from our clients:
- Contract drafting when joining the company (compensation, bonuses, liability)
- Advice on status changes and their impact on protection against dismissal
- Support with contract terminations, releases from duties, and separation agreements
- Defense against damages claims and allegations of breach of duty
- Advice on D&O insurance
Negotiation experience and empathy
We speak the language of management and understand complex corporate decision-making paths. We combine comprehensive expertise with genuine empathy and strategic negotiation skill – for solutions that optimally serve your personal and professional interests.
Why addworx legal?
- Many years of experience advising top management and corporate officers
- Discreet preparation and support for critical negotiations
- Specialization in complex separation and liability scenarios
- Individual strategies instead of standard solutions
Occupational pension schemes
Design occupational pension models with legal certainty
Occupational pension schemes strengthen employee retention – while presenting companies with legal, commercial, and organizational challenges. addworx legal supports employers on all issues relating to pension commitments: from introduction and adjustment to outsourcing. Our advice is clearly structured, legally sound, and aligned with your business objectives.
Our services at a glance
We advise companies at all stages of occupational pensions – both on initial implementation and on further development or realignment of existing arrangements. A particular focus is legally sound risk reduction, for example, in restructurings, transactions, or financial distress.
Typical advisory fields:
- Introducing occupational pension models
- Drafting and revising pension plan rules
- Adjusting ongoing pension benefits in cases of economic distress and within corporate groups
- Closing occupational pensions for future hires
- Outsourcing obligations, e.g., to retiree entities or via a Contractual Trust Arrangement (CTA)
- Advice on insolvency protection and funding
- Support in acquisitions, especially reducing pension provisions and pension due diligence
- Litigation in pension disputes
Structure pension commitments strategically
Pension commitments extend far beyond employment law – they affect the balance sheet, liquidity, and corporate flexibility. With long-standing obligations in particular, the question often arises how they can be structured in an economically and legally sustainable way – without losing reliability vis-à-vis the workforce.
One possible approach is to outsource existing commitments away from the operating business. In practice, two models are especially common:
- Retiree entities assume only the administration of existing pension obligations and relieve the core business.
- A Contractual Trust Arrangement (CTA) enables funding of these obligations through a legally protected off-balance-sheet trust fund – providing additional insolvency protection.
We advise you on selecting the appropriate structure, funding issues, and legally sound implementation – as well as on internal communication and in the context of restructurings and transactions.
Why addworx legal?
- Many years of experience in occupational pensions and adjacent fields
- Combination of employment law precision and commercial understanding
- Advice in complex group and transaction structures
- Clear focus on commercially sustainable solutions
Compliance
Employment law compliance advice with practical relevance
Legal requirements and public expectations regarding employment law due diligence are steadily increasing. addworx legal advises companies on building effective compliance structures, implementing the German Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG), and responding to internal reports in a legally sound way – for example, in cases of discrimination, misconduct, or other employment law-related indications. Our advice is practical, robust, and aligned with operational processes.
Our services at a glance
We support companies in implementing legal obligations in the compliance area – with processes and measures that are legally robust and operationally workable. Our goal: meet requirements, avoid risks, and run procedures efficiently.
Typical advisory fields:
- Implementing and reviewing employment law compliance systems
- Implementing the German Whistleblower Protection Act (whistleblowing systems)
- Advice in suspected cases (discrimination, sexual harassment, fraud)
- Training for managers and HR professionals
- Drafting internal policies and procedural guidelines
- Supporting internal investigations and employment law measures
Compliance that truly works
We know that an effective compliance system must fit the company – in substance, structure, and operations. Our advice is designed to connect legal requirements with practical solutions. We help you identify risks, define procedures clearly, and assign responsibilities with legal certainty – without unnecessary formalism or overregulation.
Why addworx legal?
- Many years of experience advising on employment law compliance
- Comprehensive support from risk analysis to implementation
- Practice-oriented concepts instead of complex one-size-fits-all programs
- Clear recommendations that can be implemented in day-to-day operations