Rechtsanwälte

Focus in this edition: Employment and Corporate Law

aclanz

 Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten An der Hauptwache 11 (Alemanniahaus), 60313 Frankfurt am Main Tel.: +49 (0)69 / 2 97 28 73 – 0, Fax: +49 (0)69 / 2 97 28 73 – 10 E-Mail: 

info@aclanz.de

, Web: 
www.aclanz.de

Focus in this edition: Employment and Corporate Law

aclanz

Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB An der Hauptwache 11 (Alemanniahaus), 60313 Frankfurt am Main Tel.: +49 (0)69 / 2 97 28 73 - 0, Fax: +49 (0)69 / 2 97 28 73 - 10 E-Mail: info@aclanz.de, Web:

preview.aclanz.de

1. 

Does the Working Hours Act apply on Works Council Work?

Works Council activities are not considered as working hours according to the
Arbeitszeitgesetz
/ German Working Hours Act (
Landesarbeitsgericht
/ State Labor Court Hamm, February 20, 2015 – 13 Sa 1386/14;
Landesarbeitsgericht
/ State Labor Court Niedersachsen, April 4, 2014 – 12 TaBV 76/14). Therefore, protection policies of the Working Hours Act are generally not applicable. The office of Works Council is an honorary office. The employer has no influence over the extent and duration of the activities for the Works Council and is not liable for it in return. The

Bundesarbeitsgericht /
Federal Labor Court has not decided on the underlying legal principles, yet.
 

2. Termination Letter signed by one Director of a UK Ltd invalid?

According to Section 174 BGB
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch /
German Civil Code, a termination letter may be invalid if it is signed by only one of the Directors of the Board of Directors but not by all Directors of a UK Ltd., if the recipient objects to it immediately on the grounds that a written power of attorney has not been satisfactorily shown to him already upon receipt of the termination letter (

Landesarbeitsgericht
/ State Labor Court Berlin-Brandenburg, April 29, 2015 – 19 Sa 1298/14). The Court argues that a UK Ltd. is represented by the Board of Directors as a whole according to UK Law. A specific power of attorney would not be required upon receipt of a termination letter only in the event that the articles of association and bylaws provide for single representation. However, in the case at hand the UK Ltd. could not prove that it had actually included such provisions in its articles of association and bylaws beforehand.

 

3. Co-Determination: Also Employees of foreign Subsidiaries count

According to the
Mitbestimmungsgesetz
/ German Co-Determination Act the Supervisory Board of corporations with more than 2.000 employees (threshold) must be staffed equally with representatives of the shareholders and representatives of the employees. Employees of foreign subsidiaries also count for the threshold according to the

Landgericht /
Regional Court Frankfurt/M., February 16, 2015 – 3-16 O 1/14. The Court argues that the Co-Determination Act does not mention a specific definition of the legal term “affiliated companies”. Therefore, it refers to its general definition according to Section 18 (1)

Aktiengesetz
/ German Stock Corporation Act. The latter would also include foreign subsidiaries. Furthermore, not taking into consideration the employees of foreign subsidiaries may contravene the EU principles of non-discrimination. The Court is entering unchartered waters. Confirmation of its decision by higher courts remains to be seen.

4. Procuring a Member of the Management Board via Interims-Management Agreement

 
Not the Management Board but rather the Supervisory Board of an
Aktiengesellschaft (AG)
/ German Stock Corporation is empowered to sign the Interims-Management Agreement with a consulting company procuring the services of an interim manager acting as Member of the Management Board but being paid by the consulting company itself (

Bundesgerichtshof
/ German Federal Court, April 28, 2015 – II ZR 63/14). According to the Court it does not matter that the services had been described as consulting services and that also consulting services of other employees of the consulting company had been included in the Interims-Management Agreement. Hence, also the Member of the Management Board will have to consider liability claims against himself by the AG for not having sought approval of the Supervisory Board for the agreement with the consulting company. However, the Court has still given him the chance to prove that he had sought prior legal advice by an independent and competent professional who may have given contradicting advice that could have seemed plausible to him.

 

5. Voidness of Non-Soliciting Clause for GmbH-Shareholders for a Period longer than 2 Years

 
A clause prohibiting a shareholder of a
GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung
/ German Limited Liability Company) from soliciting of customers of the GmbH for a period of more than two years after having given up his shares is void (

Bundesgerichtshof
/ German Federal Court, January 20, 2015 – II ZR 369/13). According to the Court such clauses infringe the freedom of profession just like any other non-competition clause. Therefore, such a clause is only justified as far as it can be considered to be necessary in order to protect the other party from any disloyal exploitation of its work (in that case the established customer relationship). Such clauses have to be limited with regard to their effect in time, region and object. As far as the time limit is concerned, the Court sees a limit of 2 years at the most.

 

6. Downsizing of the Management Board does not justify the Revocation from Office of a Member of the Management Board

A Member of the Management Board of an
AG
(
Aktiengesellschaft
/ German Stock Corporation) cannot simply be dismissed for the reason that the Management Board should be downsized. Such a goal cannot be considered as a good cause in the sense of Section 84 (3)

Aktiengesetz
/ German Stock Corporation Act according to the
Oberlandesgericht
/ Court of Appeals Frankfurt/M., February 17, 2015 – 5 U 111/14. The Supervisory Board has no discretionary margin in this regard. Whereas such a dismissal would generally not require any kind of culpable conduct of the Member of the Management Board, the arguments of the Supervisory Board were not convincing in the case at hand as it argued: Since our company is downsizing its whole staff, it would appear doubtful that our Management Board would not be affected from such measures as well. The Court pointed out that the regular term of office would end in two years so that the company would not save any money by its approach 10px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px image="7447" 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 2% !important;padding-left: 2% !important;}"][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]

JOACHIM HUND-VON HAGEN, D.E.A. (PARIS II) 

Rechtsanwalt, Wirtschaftsmediator Fachanwalt für Handels- und Gesellschaftsrecht Fachanwalt für Steuerrecht
Joachim.HundvHagen@aclanz.de
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DOMINIK HOIDN

Rechtsanwalt
Dominik.Hoidn@aclanz.de
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DR. JOACHIM WICHERT

Rechtsanwalt Fachanwalt für Arbeitsrecht Wirtschaftsmediator
Joachim.Wichert@aclanz.de
50px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;border-top-color: #e0e0e0 !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #e0e0e0 !important;border-bottom-style: solid 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 15px !important;}"]RECHT AKTUELL fasst Rechtsprechung, Gesetzgebung und Rechtsfragen abstrakt zusammen, gibt also keinen Rechtsrat zu einem konkreten Sachverhalt oder Problem. Soweit Urteile dargestellt werden, betrifft die Darstellung immer nur die konkrete Entscheidung des jeweiligen Gerichts, ungeachtet deren späterer Aufhebung oder einer anderweitig eingetretenen Rechtsänderung. Für den Inhalt dieses Schreibens übernehmen wir daher keine Haftung. Für Rückfragen stehen wir Ihnen gerne zur

September 1, 2015

Recent publications of
aclanz
in the German Real Estate Periodical MietRB: ,,
Mietvorvertrag: Reicht Vereinbarung über Mietgegenstand, -höhe und -zins
",
MietRB 9-2015, 265
.
"Mietvorvertrag: Wann ist dem (künftigen) Vermieter die Erfüllung unmöglich?",
MietRB 9-2015, 266
.
"Mieterinsolvenz: Anmeldung des Räumungsanspruchs zur Insolvenztabelle?",
MietRB 9-2015, 269
.

July 7, 2015

Recent publication of
aclanz
in the German Real Estate Periodical MietRB: ,,
Mieterhöhung: Zustimmung zu einem formell unwirksamen Mieterhöhungsverlangen
",
MietRB 7/2015, 199
.

June 10, 2015

Recent publications of
aclanz

in the German Real Estate Periodical MietRB:
,,
Mieterinsolvenz: Wechsel von der Postion des Mietgaranten in die Position des Mieters anfechtbar?
",
MietRB 6/2015, 171
.
,,
Das endgültige Aus für die eigenkapitalersetzende Nutzungsüberlassung
",
MietRB 6/2015, 182
.

May 7, 2015

Recent publications of
aclanz

in the German Real Estate Periodical MietRB:
"
Mieterinsolvenz: Muss an Mietergesellschaft beteiligter Vermieter dem Insolvenzverwalter die Mieträume unentgeltlich überlassen
?",
MietRB 5/2015,
140.

April 30, 2015

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