Alexander Willemsen is a partner at Oppenhoff and specialist lawyer for employment law. He studied law at the Bucerius Law School in Hamburg and at Washington University in St. Louis, USA. His further vocational training included internships at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit) and in the employment law department of a major German commercial law firm. In 2009, Alexander Willemsen earned his doctorate (Dr. iur) under Prof. Dr. Ulrich Preis at the University of Cologne on an employment law topic. Alexander Willemsen is a member of the European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA), the German Bar Association (Deutscher Anwaltverein e. V. (DAV)), the Cologne Bar Association (Kölner Anwaltverein e. V. (KAV)) as well as the Employment Law Working Group of the German Bar Association.
Experience
Alexander Willemsen advises and represents German and foreign companies on all questions of individual and collective employment law. His work focuses on the restructuring of companies and businesses as well as the employment law aspects of M&A transactions. He also specialises on advising companies on the drafting and termination of service agreements with board members, managing directors and executive officers, and advises on the employers' side in court disputes with works councils and unions.
Alexander Willemsen is a member of the Automotive & Mobility sector group.
The JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms 2023/2024 names Alexander Willemsen as a frequently recommended advisor and, for the forth time in a row, as „Rising Star of the Year“ in the field of employment law. The Legal 500 Deutschland 2024 names Alexander Willemsen as a key lawyer for employment law. Best Lawyers considers him to be one of the best lawyers in Germany for employment law. Alexander Willemsen was named a Top Lawyer in the field of employment law by WirtschaftsWoche 2023 for the second time. Alexander Willemsen has written a large number of scholarly articles and is the author of legal commentaries, inter alia on the Whistleblower Protection Act.
Education
Dr. Alexander Willemsen
PartnerRechtsanwaltSpecialized Attorney for Employment Law
Languages
German, English
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 23
50668 Cologne
T +49 221 2091 551
M +49 173 6291 635
Articles and Essays
Neue Anforderungen und Möglichkeiten im Teilzeitrecht [New challenges and possibilities in part-time law]
DER BETRIEB dated 28 August 2023, Issue 35, pp. 2051-2055 (in collaboration with Moritz Coché)
Kündigungsschutz für Schwerbehinderte erweitert [Protection against dismissal for the severely disabled extended]
Legal Tribune Online dated 11 February 2022
BAG zur Bestimmtheit des Klageantrags: Gewerkschaft muss Mitglieder nicht beim Namen nennen [Federal Labour Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht - BAG) on the specificity of the statement of claim: Labor union does not have to name members]
Legal Tribune Online dated 14 October 2021
LAG Hessen zur Massenentlassungsanzeige: Aus "Soll" wird "Muss" [Regional Court of Hesse on mass dismissal notification: „should“ becomes „must“]
Legal Tribune Online dated 07 October 2021
Den Bruch verhindert, doch die Trennung gestartet [Although the rupture’s been prevented, the separation has started]
Legal Tribune Online dated 13 January 2021 (in collaboration with Annabelle Marceau and Dr. Wolfgang Kotzur)
Das BAG entwickelt ein "begrenztes" Arbeitsverhältnis [The German Federal Employment Court develops a “limited” employment relationship]
Legal Tribune Online dated 20 November 2019
Nach BAG-Urteil zur Verzugskostenpauschale: Aufstand der Instanzgerichte? [Following the judgement of the German Federal Employment Court on the flat rate for default costs: uprising of the instance courts]
Legal Tribune Online dated 29 October 2019
LAG Berlin-Brandenburg zur Massenentlassung: Wortlaut des Gesetzes reicht nicht [Regional Employment Court of Berlin-Brandenburg on mass dismissals: wording of the law is inadequate]
Legal Tribune Online dated 15 October 2019
Urlaubsrecht des EuGH für die Praxis: Verfallsdatum unbekannt [Practical application of the ECJ’s vacation law: expiry date unknown]
Legal Tribune Online dated 14 November 2018
Fußball-WM im Betrieb – Fragen und Antworten [Football World Cup at work – questions and answers]
Interview with Jörn Kuhn/Alexander Willemsen, DER BETRIEB dated 8 June 2018 page M28
Kein eigenes Recht des Konzernbetriebsrats auf pauschale Freistellung seiner Mitglieder [No own right of the group works council to the general release of its members from their duties]
DER BETRIEB dated 10 March 2017
WM-Tippspiele im Betrieb – Fragen und Antworten [World Cup sweepstakes at work – questions and answers]
Interview with Jörn Kuhn/Alexander Willemsen, DER BETRIEB dated 22 June 2016 page M26
Dauer des Restmandats des Betriebsrats bei Betriebsschließung [Duration of the remaining term of office of the works council in case of a business closure]
DER BETRIEB dated 2016, p. 717
Arbeitsrechtliche Aspekte von Social Engineering Audits [Employment law aspects of social engineering audits]
DER BETRIEB dated 15 January 2016, p. 111 (in collaboration with Jörn Kuhn)
Gestaltungsspielräume bei Tarifsozialplänen [Scope for structuring collective social plans]
NZA dated 2012, p. 593 (in collaboration with Jörn Kuhn)
Books and Legal Commentaries
Social Media und Compliance [Social media and compliance], Chapter "Regelungen zur Nutzung von Social Media für Arbeitnehmer – Guidelines und ihre Grenzen" [Regulations on the use of social media for employees – guidelines and their boundaries]
CH Beck dated 2015
Einführung und Inhaltskontrolle von Ethikrichtlinien [Introduction and review of contents of codes of conduct]
Freiburg 2009; simultaneously Diss. University of Cologne, 2008