Hans Georg Laimer

“Hans Georg Laimer is revered for his “in-depth knowledge of labour law” and his “client-oriented and highly professional approach in and out of court”.”
Who is Who Legal 2020
Hans Georg Laimer

Hans G. Laimer is partner with our firm and is a dedicated specialist in all areas of employment (including benefits, service inventions and pension issues) and industrial relations law.

Hans’ practice encompasses both contentious and non-contentious matters and his client base ranges from small firms to listed multi-national companies across all sectors. His expertise comprises, amongst others, advice on restructuring of businesses and transfers of undertakings, working-time issues, white-collar crime, data protection matters, maternity and paternity issues as well as service inventions and post-termination restrictive covenants.

He regularly assists employers in drafting employment and management contracts, ensuring that the contracts and reward packages offered to employees are designed to incentivise employees in line with the business objectives. Together with his clients, Hans develops industrial relations strategies and defends employers against claims by works council members or employees. He frequently supports his clients in drafting and amending shop agreements and advises his clients on relevant issues in connection with works councils.

Hans is a seasoned litigator and regularly represents clients before Austrian courts, before the Ombuds for Equal Treatment / Disabled Employees and before conciliation boards. He successfully defended employers before employment tribunals in unfair dismissal claims, in discrimination cases and, as well, in connection with requests for re-instatement and wage-and-hour cases.

Hans supports his clients with in-house training in the form of in-house seminars and workshops on all labour law topics, from equal treatment issues, to dealing with the works council for managers, to (better) termination management.

A graduate of the University of Vienna (Mag.iur. 2000; Dr.iur. 2002) and the London School of Economics (LL.M. Labour Law, 2003), Hans is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on labour and employment law. Additionally, he is a lecturer on HR issues at the University of Applied Science BFI Vienna, and author of numerous publications in the field.

Prior to co-founding zeiler.partners in 2014, Hans acted as the employment partner for a major international Vienna-based law firm.

Hans works in English (fluent) and German (native).

Latest - Hans Georg Laimer

Hans Georg Laimer
Dr.iur., LL.M. (LSE)
Partner -
Vienna

Focus

Restructuring & Insolvency, Employment, Benefits & Pensions, Industrial Relations, Litigation & Asset Recovery

Admission

  • Attorney at Law (Vienna)

Highlights of Hans’ work include the following:

  • Assisting an Austrian lottery company in a restructuring process including the drafting and negotiation of a social plan.
  • Representing a leading Austrian construction company in four parallel court proceedings against company’s former manager inter alia on the issue of wrongful employment termination and claims for overtime payments (Austrian courts; Committee for Disabled Employees).
  • Assisting a world leading chemical company (one of our long-standing clients) in all operative day-to-day employment, industrial relations and pension issues. Supporting the company in all employment related aspects of a recent M&A deal (TUPE). Advising on timeline for meeting the information and consultation requirements towards the works council and the protection afforded to employees in the course of a transfer of undertakings situation.
  • Supporting a French multinational engineering and technology consulting group in setting up their European Works Council.
  • Advising an Austrian Gambling Corporation in a personnel restructuring process including the negotiations of a social plan and drawing up of a new minimum salary scheme.
  • Assisting a leading Austrian construction company during the COVID-19 pandemic on the full range of employment and industrial relations issues, including interpretation of government relief schemes, facilitating changes of the workforce, drafting and adjustment of home-office arrangements and reductions in force.
  • Assisting a leading Spanish producer of sanitary ceramics with a strong position in Switzerland and Austria in restructuring their Austrian entity. Advising the company on all employment matters, conducting negotiations with the trade unions and the works council on a social plan, preparation of notices of termination and planning of overall reduction in force.
  • Representation of an international cash handling company in the proceedings against company’s former managing director regarding the lawfulness of his employment termination for cause (Austrian employment courts).
  • Supporting a leading global human proteins manufacturer (one of our long-standing clients) in every aspect of their employment and industrial relations issues.
    Representing the company in court proceedings against its works council and individual employees regarding the employee’s classification in the company’s overall salary scheme (Austrian courts).
    Representing the company in court proceedings against its works council with regard to the
    potential change of the current working time schedule in the company’s various production lines(special conciliation board at the Austrian courts).
  • Supporting a leading German multinational home improvement supplies retailing company in all employment related matters, including assistance in drawing-up a data-protection law compliant HR system and its implementation, in line with the respective requirements under Austrian employment law, for about 3,500 employees in Austria.
    Assisting the company in defending their current working time schemes against claims of numerous employees and the works council for introduction of a 4-day working week, based on the newly introduced collective bargaining agreement.
    Representing the company in court proceedings against one of its former employees claiming re-instatement of her employment based on allegedly socially unfair notice of termination and discriminatory treatment in connection with employment termination (Austrian courts).

Interested in specific aspects of Hans’ recent work? Contact vienna@zeilerfloydzad.com for further reference cases.

Professional Experience

  • Partner, Zeiler Floyd Zadkovich,Vienna/Austria (since 2020)
  • Partner, zeiler.partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH, Vienna/Austria (2014-2020)
  • Lecturer, University of Applied Science BFI Vienna, Vienna/Austria (since 2018)
  • Partner (Attorney, Associate), Schönherr Rechtsanwälte GmbH, Vienna/Austria (2005-2014)
  • Court Clerkship, Vienna/Austria (2004-2005)
  • Researcher, Incomes Data Services, IDS Brief, London/England (2003-2004)
  • Associate, Griesser Gerlach Gahleitner, Vienna/Austria (2001-2002)

Education

  • Austrian Bar Exam, Vienna/Austria (2007)
  • LL.M. (Labor Law), London School of Economics and Political Science, London/UK (2003)
  • Doctor of Law, University of Vienna, Vienna/Austria (2002)
  • Magister Iuris, University of Vienna, Vienna/Austria (2000)
  • Diploma in International Trade Law, University of Turku, Turku/Finland (1999)

Chambers Europe 2014

  • "Clients praise Hans Georg Laimer's employment and data protection law capabilities. Market commentators describe him as "an excellent legal adviser.""

Chambers Global 2016

  • "Clients praise Hans Georg Laimer of zeiler.partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH as "very structured, with a good understanding of our views and needs.""

Chambers Europe 2017

  • Leading Individual 2017 (Band 4, Employment)
    "Hans Georg Laimer has a lot of integrity, he is very exact, he doesn't mess around and he is very solution-oriented."

TREND Anwaltsranking 2018

  • Top 10 Austrian Employment Law Experts 2018

Who’s Who Legal 2018

  • "The "fantastic" Hans Georg Laimer is a labour and employment law specialist with a leading expertise in industrial relations matters."

TREND Anwaltsranking 2019

  • Top 10 Austrian Employment Law Experts 2019

Who's Who Legal 2019

  • "Hans Georg Laimer is 'one of the most respected and responsive lawyers in the field' and a 'highly professional and competent individual' whose 'advice can be fully counted on'."

TREND Anwaltsranking 2020

  • Top 10 Austrian Employment Law Experts 2020

Who’s Who Legal 2020

  • Thought Leader - Labour & Employment 2020
  • Austria: Labour, Employment and Benefits 2020
    Hans Georg Laimer is revered for his “in-depth knowledge of labour law” and his “client-oriented and highly professional approach in and out of court”.
  • Austria: Thought Leader in Labour & Employment 2020
    “Hans Georg Laimer is revered for his “in-depth knowledge of labour law” and his “client-oriented and highly professional approach in and out of court”.”

Who's Who Legal 2021

TREND Anwaltsranking 2021

  • Leading Employment Practitioner

Legal 500 2020

  • Recommended lawyer 2020

Legal 500 2014

  • "Hans Laimer is diligent, knowledgeable and practical."

Handelsblatt 2019

  • Arbeitsrecht 2019

Chambers Europe 2019

  • "Hans Georg Laimer counts a number of prominent companies among his client base and acts in both contentious and non-contentious employment issues, ranging from pensions to disputed terminations. "He is reliable, solution-oriented and helpful,"" reports a satisfied client.”

Handelsblatt 2020

  • Arbeitsrecht 2020

Chambers Europe 2020

  • Employment: Austria 2020 - Band 4
    “He has excellent communication skills and always offers the best advice and service, due to his in-depth knowledge and years of experience," notes an appreciative source.”

Legal 500 2021

  • Practice Head - Employment (Austria: Tier 4)

Chambers Europe 2021

  • Employment (Austria: Band 4)

Best Lawyers 2021

  • Labour and Employment Law 2021

Leaders League 2022

Best Lawyers 2022

  • Labour & Employment 2022

TREND Anwaltsranking 2022

  • Leading Employment Practitioner

Legal 500 2022

  • Practice Head - Employment (Austria: Tier 4)
    "Mr. Laimer can present issues very briefly and in a striking manner. He is extremely flexible. The special and very complex legal issues in the construction industry are very quickly brought to the point by him."

Who's Who Legal 2022

  • Global Leader - Labour & Employment 2022
    "Hans Georg is very hands-on and his explanations are always practical and solution-oriented", "He's an agile thinker and a very creative solution finder"
  • Thought Leader - Labour & Employment 2022
    Hans Georg Laimer is “a go-to Austrian employment lawyer” for clients, thanks to his “excellent employment practice” and “dedication and knowledge”.

Chambers Europe 2022

  • Employment (Austria: Band 3)
    Hans Georg Laimer rises in the rankings following strong market support. He advises on a plethora of employment law issues ranging from government relief schemes and pensions issues to restructurings and M&A-related advice. Additionally, Hans Georg Laimer is also visible in labour law litigation including termination proceedings. One client enthuses: "He summarises the most important topics well and is easily accessible and provides quick feedback. He is also structured, solution-oriented and close to practice. You can tell that he is very experienced in his field."

Best Lawyers 2023

  • Labor & Employment Law