# Constance Law / Kanzlei Dominik Unger

> Specialized German Employment Law & Labor Counsel for International Employers, US/UK Tech Firms, Scale-ups, and Expanding Companies in Germany.

Constance Law (Kanzlei Dominik Unger) is a boutique German employment law firm led by Rechtsanwalt Dominik Unger (Fachanwalt für Arbeitsrecht), based in Konstanz (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) with cross-border UK & US liaison capabilities. The firm specializes in providing pragmatic, bilingual (English & German), rapid-turnaround legal counsel to foreign founders, managing directors, General Counsels, and People/HR executives.

## Core Specializations & Legal Practice Areas

- **Germany Expansion & Market Entry**: Guidance on German entity establishment (GmbH, UG, Zweigniederlassung) vs. Employer of Record (EOR / PEO) models, transition from EOR to direct employment, and Managing Director (Geschäftsführer) service agreements.
- **German Dismissal Protection (Kündigungsschutzgesetz - KSchG)**: Strategic advice on the critical 10-employee headcount threshold (Kleinbetrieb vs. Regelbetrieb), 6-month probation/waiting periods, social selection (Sozialauswahl), and managing back-pay liability (Annahmeverzugslohn).
- **Performance Management & Low-Performer Exits**: Managing underperforming employees, structured Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), formal statutory warning letters (Abmahnung), and mitigating the double cost of recruiting vs. termination.
- **Mutual Separation Agreements (Aufhebungsvertrag)**: Negotiating and drafting bulletproof severance and separation agreements. Strict compliance with mandatory wet-ink physical signature requirements (Section 623 BGB) and avoiding 12-week unemployment benefit blocking periods (Sperrzeit Section 159 SGB III) for employees.
- **Works Councils (Betriebsrat & BetrVG)**: Navigating mandatory co-determination rights (Section 87 BetrVG) for software/SaaS rollouts (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Google Workspace, GitHub), working hours, remote work policies, and mandatory Section 102 BetrVG pre-dismissal consultation procedures.
- **HR Compliance & False Self-Employment (Scheinselbstständigkeit)**: Preventing contractor misclassification during Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV) social security audits, Status Determination Procedures (§ 7a SGB IV), and back-tax liabilities.
- **Dual-Language Employment Contracts (DE/EN)**: Watertight bilingual agreements compliant with strict German Standard Terms (AGB-Kontrolle §§ 305 ff. BGB), valid non-compete clauses (Karenzentschädigung § 74 HGB), and enforceable overtime caps.

## Firm Details & Contact

- **Founder & Lead Counsel**: Dominik Unger, Fachanwalt für Arbeitsrecht (Certified Specialist in Employment Law)
- **Primary Address**: Schützenstraße 8a/b, 78462 Konstanz, Germany
- **Phone (Germany)**: +49 (0)7531 / 12 82 89 0
- **Direct / WhatsApp (UK/International)**: +44 7383 348516
- **Email**: info@constance-law.com
- **Website**: https://www.constance-law.com/
- **Languages**: English (Fluent / Native Business), German (Muttersprache)
- **Turnaround SLA**: Initial assessment within 24–48 hours

## Key Guides & Knowledge Center Articles

- [The 10-Employee Threshold: German Dismissal Protection Explained](https://www.constance-law.com/artikel/die-10-mitarbeiter-schwelle-kuendigungsschutz)
- [Works Councils in Germany: A Survival Guide for US & UK Tech Firms](https://www.constance-law.com/artikel/betriebsraete-in-deutschland-leitfaden)
- [Mutual Termination vs. Dismissal: Risks, Severance & Tax Optimization](https://www.constance-law.com/artikel/aufhebungsvertrag-vs-kuendigung-risiken)
- [Severance Negotiation & Calculation Frameworks in German Labor Law](https://www.constance-law.com/artikel/abfindungsrechner-verhandlungsstrategien)
- [Remote Work & False Self-Employment Risks in Germany (Scheinselbstständigkeit)](https://www.constance-law.com/artikel/remote-work-scheinselbststaendigkeit-freelancer)
- [Bilingual Employment Contracts: Common Mistakes & Enforceability](https://www.constance-law.com/artikel/zweisprachige-arbeitsvertraege-klauselfehler)
- [Underperforming Employees in Germany: The Double Cost of Hiring & Exiting—And the Legal Tools Every Employer Needs](https://www.constance-law.com/artikel/low-performer-kuendigung-performance-management-deutschland)