E-learning | Client Academy

The EU’s Whistleblower Directive (2019/1937) was transposed into national law in Germany by the Whistleblower Protection Act (Hin­weis­ge­ber­s­chutzge­setz, HinSchG). The Whistleblower Protection Act came into effect on 2 July 2023. We have developed an e-learning course for your employees that answers the essential legal and organisational questions relating to the whistleblower protection provided by having a reporting system in place. The course also explains how a whistleblowing system works and encourages staff to report potential issues internally rather than contacting the relevant external reporting office.

Our e-learning course on dealing with competitors provides our clients with a sound basis for training their employees. This e-learning course guides through the correct conduct under competition law when in contact with competitors.

This e-learning course teaches the basics of open source compliance. The aim of the course is to raise awareness of the advantages as well as the risks and pitfalls of open source software in all these levels of the company. At the end of the course, solutions to identify risks and avoid them as best as possible through appropriate processes are shown. The e-learning course is aimed at everyone in companies who comes into contact with open source software. This includes not only management but also the IT and development department, purchasing, sales and product management.

This e-learning course was developed specifically for employees and suppliers. It is intended to raise awareness of what must be observed legally to successfully prevent money laundering. As the addressees of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Geld­wäschege­setz, GwG), companies are obliged to take precautions against their own abuse for money laundering purposes or financing terrorists. The e-learning course takes into account the special position of goods traders in money laundering prevention and can be individually supplemented and modified with regard to the specific risk exposure (especially business activities with high-risk countries, dealing with deviating payers or conspicuous drop shipments).

In a business context, benefits such as gifts and invitations are mainly intended to promote and maintain business relationships. However, using excessive benefits to influence business decisions is not allowed. There is often uncertainty about what is "allowed" and what is "banned" in the business world. Our basic training on corruption prevention educates your employees and provides practical guidance for everyday business that complies with legal requirements.

Munich – The committee chairs of German broadcaster ARD have agreed on a framework policy for members of supervisory bodies. This specifies in more detail the requirements under the relevant interstate treaties and establishes the basis for a common compliance culture across the individual broadcasting councils and administration councils. The policy includes standards of conduct for committee members and rules on dealing with possible conflicts of interest. For greater transparency, members of ARD supervisory bodies are also urged to share information on the Internet about their other roles before and during membership of broadcasting councils and administration councils. The onus is now on the broadcasting councils and administration councils of the ARD stations to implement the recommendations of the ARD Conference of Committee Chairs. They also need to check on a case-by-case basis whether additions need to be made as a result of existing statutory regulations or aspects specific to the particular committee.A CMS team including Dr Harald Potinecke and Laura Posch advised the Conference of Committee Chairs and a working party comprising committee members of all stations on all legal aspects of developing the framework compliance policy. Contacts at CMS Germany Dr Harald Potinecke, Partner Laura Posch, Senior Associate, both CompliancePress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com