Björn Gaul has extensive experience in advising German and international companies on corporate restructurings, business outsourcings, changes of collective bargaining agreements, flexible staff deployment and staff cuts. He also advises on the introduction of IT systems and more flexible working hours, salary structure adjustments as well as setting up and developing compliance and whistleblowing policies.
Björn is a trusted advisor for management and advisory boards, working with them on employee participation, European Works Councils and on the foundation and modification of European companies (SE, SCE). Alongside his advisory work, he also chairs the supervisory board of a logistics company.
German law firm guide JUVE German Commercial Law Firms (GCLF) regularly lists Björn among the “Leading Partners in Employment Law”, and Who’s Who Legal (2015) names him among the “most highly regarded” practitioners. Chambers, 2013 stresses that “interviewees consistently name Björn Gaul as one of the leading employment lawyers in the German market”. In 2011, Who’s Who Legal named him “Employment Lawyer of the Year Germany” and in 2014 he received the same accolade from employment-lawexperts.com. In 2015, Who’s Who Legal described him as the “go-to-lawyer” for restructurings and outstanding work and as a lawyer particularly recognised for his “practical and solutions-oriented advice”. The Legal 500 EMEA, 2014 quotes a client saying that his work is “in every respect outstanding”. Both clients and competitors describe him as “skilled, demanding standards” (JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2016 (GCLF)), “practical, accessible, flexible” (JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2013 (GCLF)), “thoroughly reliable, senses the mood” (JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2015 (GCLF)), “brilliant mind, top quality, very friendly” (JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2014 (GCLF)), “figurehead in labour law” (The Legal 500 EMEA, 2015). Who's Who Legal 2016 describes Björn as “highly sought after”, a “font of knowledge in all areas of practice, especially collective bargaining agreement negotiations and restructuring“. Chambers Europe, 2015 states that “he is especially visible advising on corporate restructurings and business outsourcings. He also assists clients with collective bargaining agreements, personnel adjustment measures and remuneration structures”. Plus: “Interviewees describe top-ranked Björn Gaul as a ‘genius in employment law’”. Chambers, 2014 stresses that he “has an excellent reputation for collective bargaining and restructuring matters”.
Energy suppliers, automotive, technology and telecoms companies, financial service providers as well as companies with public shareholders rely on Björn’s expertise when it comes to restructurings and other collective changes. He takes care of the strategic preparation of negotiations on collective bargaining agreements, reconciliation of interests, severance schemes and interim agreements and negotiates with unions and works councils.
Björn is a certified specialist lawyer for labor and employment law and has been a partner since 2000. He heads an employment law working group for human resource executives for more than 25 years and is also a member of the German Bar Association’s employment law committee. He is regularly invited to speak at German and international conferences that are attended by HR decision makers and also advises on such events. Furthermore, he is an officer of the Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA) as well as a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and the European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA). He also lectures at the University of Cologne as an adjunct professor with the authority to teach labour and employment law as well as civil and commercial law.
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