Fieldfisher strengthens employment law team further

Dr Sebastian Buder has joined the European law firm Fieldfisher as a partner, effective from 1 September 2026. His extensive experience will bolster the firm’s capabilities in employment law, particularly regarding restructuring and essential HR integration following mergers. Alongside Buder, counsel Jan-Mathias Pfleging and associate Fabio Almurtada will also be part of the initiative to expand the employment law practice at Fieldfisher’s Berlin office.

Buder has advised both national and international companies on various aspects of employment law. His core expertise lies in managing restructuring processes, particularly in areas like transfers of undertakings and outsourcing. He is adept at merging varying HR and organisational structures after transactions and routinely negotiates with works councils and trade unions. Buder also represents employers in various labour court cases, including those brought before the Federal Labour Court.

A key aspect of Buder’s work focuses on flexible staffing models. He provides advice to staffing agencies regarding labour law, social security law, and civil law issues, ensuring companies implement compliant and viable employment arrangements. These may include employment through freelancers, temporary agency work, and interim management.

Buder’s expertise significantly enhances Fieldfisher’s existing employment law teams based in Düsseldorf and Munich, particularly concerning transactions, restructurings, and cross-border projects. His appointment reinforces the firm’s European People & Work practice group, empowering it to tackle complex workforce issues across jurisdictions, emphasizing transformation and labour compliance.

In response to his new role, Buder commented, “For me, the move to Fieldfisher is a deliberate step into a phase of growth. The firm has developed impressively in recent years and boasts a strong international platform, particularly in the UK. This environment offers ideal conditions for providing comprehensive support to clients, especially when it comes to cross-border employment law issues and complex HR models. I am very much looking forward to further developing the practice together with my team and our new colleagues.”

Dr Fabian Reissinger, Head of the Employment Law Practice Group, also expressed enthusiasm about the new appointments stating, “I am delighted that Sebastian Buder, Jan-Mathias Pfleging and Fabio Almurtada are strengthening our German employment law practice. In particular, we now have a strong team in Berlin as well. At the same time, Sebastian’s key areas of advice and his clients are an excellent fit for Fieldfisher’s European People & Work practice group.”

Fieldfisher's expansion in Germany continues, with Buder’s appointment coinciding with the addition of life sciences expert Franziska Katterbach as a partner in Frankfurt. Recently, the firm also welcomed Eric Romba (Digital Finance) and Dr Benny Wünschmann (Litigation) to its Berlin office, enhancing its practice across various sectors including life sciences, technology, and hospitality.