Three German-qualified lawyers in Bonn. English as our working language. Nationwide representation at every German labor court.
Meet your lawyers
You will always know who is handling your case. Each of us has practiced employment law inside major German firms and corporate legal departments. Click any profile for the full vita.
Philip Bafteh
Rechtsanwalt
Litigation
Fachanwaltslehrgang Arbeitsrecht
Trained at CMS Hasche Sigle (Cologne), Allen & Overy (Frankfurt) and the German Embassy in Tokyo. Has been Syndikusrechtsanwalt in a media-sector group since 2021 while running his own employment-law practice. Lecturer at IU International University and the ADG Business School. Author of 10+ case notes in Betriebs-Berater, MMR, ZD and ArbRB.
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Frauke Schönbrunn
Rechtsanwältin
Settlements & Severance
Reference Letters
Fachanwaltslehrgang Arbeitsrecht
Trained five years (research assistant → trainee → associate) at Seitz Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater in Cologne, a labor-law boutique. Referendariat stations included the Bundeswehr and the Bundeskanzleramt in Berlin. Has been in-house counsel in the employment-law team of Germany’s largest DIY retail group since 2023.
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Christian Schmidt
Rechtsanwalt
Employment Law
Contract Enforcement
Studied at Gießen and Bonn, with Referendariat stations at the Landgericht Bonn, the Bundesnetzagentur, and a mid-sized tax practice. Worked 2022–2024 in the legal department of the BVfK e.V. (Federal Association of Independent Car Dealers). Brings a civil-litigation background to wage claims, contract review, and unfair dismissal cases.
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How we work
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Same-day first response
Free initial assessment via email, WhatsApp, or phone — on every enquiry, within one business day. You learn the deadline, the realistic range of outcomes, and the expected fee before you instruct us.
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Transparent, RVG-based fees
We bill under the German Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz or via a written fixed-fee agreement. If you have legal-protection insurance, we deal directly with your insurer on cost coverage. Full fee schedule.
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English as a working language
All correspondence, calls, and meetings happen in English. We file the German court documents on your behalf and translate every key step for you.
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Nationwide labor-court reach
Our office is in Bonn; we represent clients in front of every German Arbeitsgericht. Most labor-court hearings can be attended by us alone — you don’t need to fly back to Germany for the Gütetermin.
About BSvH
BSvH Rechtsanwälte is a Bürogemeinschaft — three independent lawyers who share an office, infrastructure, and a name in Bonn. Each lawyer keeps their own client base and their own files; we are not jointly liable as a partnership would be. This setup gives you the depth of a small firm with the focus of an individual practitioner.
Why we built this site
Most German employment-law resources online are written in German for German-speaking employees. That leaves expat professionals — often with the highest salaries and the most to lose — relying on second-hand advice or generic English summaries that do not reflect current law.
Dismissal Germany is our answer. Every article on this site is written by us; every case is handled by one of us; every call is answered in English by a German-qualified lawyer.