Baker McKenzie has advised Palfinger on establishing its European Works Council. Babic & Partners, Djingov Gouginski Kyutchukov & Velichkov, Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen, and Jadek & Pensa advised Palfinger on Croatian, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Slovenian law-related matters, respectively. Bech-Bruun, Arntzen de Besche, and PBBR reportedly advised on Danish, Norwegian, and Portuguese law-related matters.
According to Baker McKenzie, during the first week of May 2022, 22 delegates from 16 countries met in Salzburg, Austria, reaching an agreement to establish the EWC.
"The legal challenge in establishing the EWC lay primarily in sending delegates from 16 different jurisdictions to the special negotiating body," Baker McKenzie Partner Philipp Maier commented. "Austrian laws had to be combined with the provisions of all countries involved. The reason for this was that the delegates' secondment process was governed by the respective national laws of the countries involved, even if Austrian law was primarily applicable to the establishment of the EWC."
Palfinger is a Vienna Stock Exchange-listed technology and mechanical engineering company producing crane and lifting solutions. The establishment of its Europe-wide employee representation makes Palfinger compliant with an EU directive that affects companies with more than 1,000 employees and several European locations, according to a company press statement.
"Especially in these challenging times, it is important to have competent and widely recognized discussion partners," Palfinger CEO Andreas Klauser added. "I am pleased that, in the future, Palfinger employees will speak with one voice throughout Europe."
The Baker McKenzie team was led by Maier and included Associates Silvia Samek and Andrea Haiden.
Babic & Partners' team was led by Partner Marija Gregoric and included Senior Associates Lovro Klepac and Ivona Vidovic.
The DGKV team was led by Partner Youliana Naoumova and Senior Associate Rusalena Angelova.
The NNDKP team included Partner Roxana Abrasu and Associate Daniel Stancescu.
The Jadek & Pensa team included Associate Nina Bakovnik and Junior Associates Eva Milosic and Nejc Humar.
The Palfinger in-house team was led by Corporate Legal Counsel Mateja Pepic.
