You have your own contact person your contact person has a whole team of specialists

We are advisors partners and confidants to our clients

Schweibert on Schweibert: Take responsibility: financially, commercially and personally.

From 1995 to 2012, Dr. Ulrike Schweibert worked as an attorney (since 1999 as partner) in the employment law practice at Bruckhaus Westrick Stegemann (now Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) in Frankfurt am Main. Prior to that, she gained international experience at a commercial law firm in New York. She specializes in "stand alone" employment law business, i.e., advising clients in the context of restructurings, corporate downsizing, outsourcing, changes in terms and conditions of employment and pension commitments, etc. Ulrike’s clients include financial institutions, DAX companies, manufacturers and big as well as small and medium-sized service companies. Her experience also includes extensive forensic activity and representation of board members, directors and senior executives.


Schweibert on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: A small, flexible unit simply better suits the market's needs as well as those of my own

According to JUVE Handbuch, since several years Ulrike Schweibert is one of the Leading Senior Partners in Employment Law. Handelsblatt honored her repeatedly as one of the lawyers of the year. What's more, WirtschaftsWoche, Focus-Spezial Top-Business Lawyers in Germany, Legal Media Group’s Expert Guides - Women in Business Law, Who is Who Legal Germany and Chambers Europe rank Ulrike Schweibert again among Germany's foremost employment lawyers. As a member of the employment law committee of the German Bar Association (DAV) and European affairs officer, she promotes the development of employment law in Germany. She is co-editor and author of a highly respected reference work on restructurings (Umstrukturierungshandbuch Willemsen/Hohenstatt/Schweibert/Seibt), currently in its fifth edition. Since 2016 she is a member of the supervisory board of Amadeus Fire AG.

Here the client is not „The lawyers client“, but rather the firm's client

Leßmann on Leßmann: It's easier to understand businessmen when you yourself are one.

After completing his university studies and earning his doctorate (under Prof. Peter Hanau), Dr. Jochen Leßmann began his legal career in 1993 in the Berlin office of Bruckhaus Westrick Stegemann (now Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer); he became partner in 1997. In the mid 1990s, he spent six months working at a commercial law firm in London. In 2006, he relocated to the Frankfurt office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

During his more than 20-year career as an attorney in employment law practice, Jochen has advised and represented both German and international companies as well as public-law entities in all areas of employment law. He regularly advises and represents board members, directors and senior executives in negotiations as well as forensic proceedings. He is also an occasional contributor to professional journals on issues of employment law.

Jochen is married with three children and a wide variety of interests.


Leßmann on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: The employment law boutique firm allows a broader clientele without excluding transactional work in employment law.

Together with other lawyers of SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN, Jochen has advised on a variety of projects over the past years, including employment law issues in conjunction with the initial public offerings of GSW Immobilien AG and NORMA Group AG; the sale of ARRIVA Deutschland GmbH for German Railways (Deutsche Bahn AG); the sale of the retail client business of SEB AG to Santander Consumer Bank AG and on employment law issues surrounding the acquisition of the Kabel Baden-Württemberg Group for Liberty Global Inc. and the Unitymedia Group.

According to  JUVE Handbook, Handelsblatt and “Best Lawyers”,WirtschaftsWoche, Focus-Spezial Top-Business Lawyers in Germany, Who is Who Legal Germany and Chambers Europe Jochen has been one of the leading employment lawyers in Germany for several years.

The driving forces are advisory work and teamwork but it should never be all work and no play

Hopfe on Hopfe: I'll take real personalities over walking stereotypes anytime.

Dr. Rüdiger Hopfe is a founding partner of SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN. After completing his legal studies, which included legal English training in Munster, Germany, he began working part time at the law firm of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Frankfurt am Main in 2002 while pursuing his doctorate. During his legal clerkship, he spent three months at both the London and New York offices. In January 2007, he joined Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer . He is married with two children.

Rüdiger has many years of experience in national and international transactions. Recently, he has furthermore been heavily involved in advising corporates in the financial sector on issues surrounding compensation schemes for employees and board members and on matters involving corporate retirement pensions.


Hopfe on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: Employment lawyers must always keep one eye on the bigger picture.

According to JUVE Handbook 2021/2022 Rüdiger Hopfe is one of Germany's foremost employment lawyers (special mention “leading partners 41-50”). His expertise is again recognized in 2022 by Best Lawyers / Handelsblatt, WirtschaftsWoche and FOCUS. He is a contributor to professional journals on issues of employment law and acts a lecturer for trainings and seminars.

Having an organization with flat hierarchies is the best foundation for true teamwork

Herrmann on Herrmann: For me, employment law advice is largely about making decisions in a responsible manner and never letting the practical consequences out of sight.

Dr. Christoph Herrmann is an attorney at SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN since October 2012, partner since January 2019. After completing his legal studies at the Universities of Bayreuth, Lausanne (Switzerland) and Frankfurt am Main, he was awarded a doctoral degree from the University of Frankfurt am Main in 2010. He completed his legal clerkship in Frankfurt am Main and New York City (USA). After earning his doctorate and during his legal clerkship he worked for the employment law practice at the Frankfurt office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.


Herrmann on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: We serve clients with solution-oriented advice at the highest level.

Christoph is a certified specialist for employment law and advises national and international companies with respect to all issues of employment and labor law. His experience includes in particular advising clients in the context of restructurings, transactions, works constitution law, the deployment of external staff / leased employees and an extensive forensic activity (including collective dismissals and court proceedings before the Federal Labour Court). In addition, he represents individuals from top management. He is co-author of a reference book on employment law published by Nomos and a contributor to professional journals on issues of employment and labor law. In addition, he occasionally holds lectures in the context of seminars or conferences. Related professional publications (JUVE Handbook, Legal 500) regularly highlight his practice. Christoph is married and has two children.

Our team is more than the sum of its parts.

Kühnast on Kühnast: From my corporate experience, I know that when it comes to employment law advice, the practicability and sustainability of a solution are just as important as its legal accuracy.

Dr. Simone Kühnast joined SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN as counsel in December 2018 and became a partner in January 2021. She studied law at the Free University of Berlin where she earned her doctorate in the area of collective bargaining law. From 2003 to 2006 she worked in the employment law practice group at the Berlin office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Thereafter she spent six years working as in-house counsel for an association for employers and business of a major corporation after which she worked from 2012 to 2016 as head of Employment law, Co-determination and Social in the same corporation. Before joining SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN she spent two years working as an attorney in the employment law team of a Berlin-based commercial law firm.


Kühnast on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: We rise to the occasion of any legal challenge and offer clients the combined forces of our expert employment law team.

Dr. Kühnast is a certified specialist for employment law and advises both German and international firms on issues spanning the entire spectrum of employment and labor law. One focus is providing ongoing employment law advice to companies, particularly in the area of industrial relations law. She also has extensive forensic experience (including appellate practice up to the Federal Labor Court). She gives lectures occasionally in the context of training courses and seminars.

Fast, efficient, effective: We enjoy the benefits of our small team and pass these on to our clients each and every day

Ries on Ries: For me, providing optimal advice means working with my clients to actively assist them in shaping and implementing their entrepreneurial ideas efficiently.

Priscilla Ries joined SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN as Counsel in 2015. After completing her legal studies with additional qualifications in European, international and foreign law in Freiburg and spending six months working in Kenya, she joined the employment law team at Clifford Chance, where she worked as an attorney from 2007 to 2015. Prior to that, she had worked at the London office of Clifford Chance during her legal clerkship.


Ries on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: The best minds for the biggest challenges – and a reliable, efficient and cost-conscious structure to boot.

Priscilla has long-standing experience in advising on national and international M&A transactions, including negotiations as well as the integration of acquired businesses and operations into the existing entity and its organizational structures. She advises and represents clients with respect to all issues of employment and labor law, including restructurings, business transfers and complex issues relating to co-determination. She also has many years of experience in employment law litigation and settlement negotiations.

The collective expertise of the team benefits each individual

Pfeiffer on Pfeiffer: Employment law is a dynamic field of the law that continually confronts practitioners with new challenges, which I enjoy meeting.

Alexander Pfeiffer started as an attorney at SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN in January 2015 and is Counsel since January 2023. He completed his legal studies at Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz and began his legal clerkship in Rhineland-Palatinate in 2012 and worked as research assistant in the employment law practice of an international commercial law firm. As part of his legal clerkship he also worked in the legal department of a major automobile manufacturer in Munich and spent the elective phase already at SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN.


Pfeiffer on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: Quick integration into all the mandates, close teamwork and an open-door policy allow young lawyers to learn their craft quickly, which benefits clients as well.

Alexander is a certified specialist for employment law and advises national as well as international companies in the areas of individual and collective employment law. One focus of his work is providing ongoing advice to clients on employment law, the structuring of employment relationships as well as employment law advice in the context of complex national and international M&A transactions. He has many years of experience in labor court proceedings and settlement negotiations. Alexander is also forensically active and co-author of a commentary on employment law published by Nomos Verlag. He is married and father of two daughters.

Dr. Elena Heimann

Heimann on Heimann: Implementing entrepreneurial ideas with empathy and an eye for the essential. That’s what motivates me every single day.

Dr. Elena Heimann was admitted to the bar in 2015 and is a certified specialist for employment law since 2021. She began her legal career in the employment law team of Beiten Burkhardt and spent the last few years in the employment law boutique Bluedex, where she was most recently an Associated Partner. In Juli 2022, she joined the team of SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN as counsel.

Elena Heimann studied law at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main and at the University of Leeds, England. She completed her doctorate with a thesis in the field of European collective labor law with Prof. Dr. Dres. h. c. Manfred Weiss. Elena Heimann completed her legal clerkship – also with a focus on employment law – at the District Court of Frankfurt am Main (including a phase at the Labor Court of Frankfurt am Main).

Elena Heimann advises clients on issues spanning the entire spectrum of employment and labor law. In particular, she advises and represents national and international clients in matters of works constitution law, the structuring of employment relationships and in the context of complex restructuring projects. She has many years of experience in the management of labor court proceedings and settlement negotiations as well as in the support of conciliation boards. She regularly gives expert lectures on employment law topics. Elena Heimann is married and has two children.


Heimann on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: Here, each individual stands for the highest technical standards, legal professionalism and human cohesion.

Andreas Reisner

Reisner on Reisner: Providing legal advice to my clients and promoting their interests with passion and personal commitment is my guiding principle.

Andreas Reisner has been an associate attorney at SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN since July 2022. After completing his law studies at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, he began his legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main in 2016 and completed stations at a renowned commercial law firm and in the employment law department of an automotive group in Stuttgart, among others. Before joining SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN, he worked as an attorney in the employment law team of CMS Hasche Sigle in Frankfurt am Main. He is married and has one daughter.


Reisner on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: At SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN you meet outstanding personalities and real team spirit.

Reisner advises national and international companies in all issues of individual and collective employment law.

Simon Kuse

Kuse on Kuse: The dynamics and versatility of employment law make legal advice challenging and exciting.

Simon Kuse has been an associate attorney with SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN since July 2020. After completing his law studies at the Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg and the Université de Lorraine (Nancy, France), Mr. Kuse worked as a research assistant for a commercial law firm in the employment law practice. In 2017, he started his legal clerkship at the District Court of Heidelberg. Mr. Kuse completed parts of his legal clerkship in the employment law practice at a commercial law firm at Heidelberg and the Berlin office of an international law firm.


Kuse on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: An experienced and highly specialized team.

Yvonne Ahlfeldt

Ahlfeldt on Ahlfeldt: In my work as a lawyer, I am fascinated by the dynamic range of employment law. I am passionate about defending the interests of our clients.

Yvonne Ahlfeldt has been an associate attorney with SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN since March 2023. After completing her studies at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Ms. Ahlfeldt worked as a research attorney for an international commercial law firm in the employment law practice. She completed parts of her legal clerkship at a renowned labor law firm as well as at the labor court of Frankfurt am Main.


Ahlfeldt on SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN: SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN stands for professional excellence and strategic consulting at the highest level.

After initially joining the firm as a research attorney in 2022, she was taken on as a lawyer at SCHWEIBERT LESSMANN. Since May 2023, she has been studying for a part-time Master's degree in employment law at the University of Münster, graduating with an LL.M. Ms. Ahlfeldt advises both national and international companies in all areas of individual and collective employment and labor law.

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