"American Exceptionalism" vs. Germany's "Third Way" - A Discussion on Comparative Labor & Employment Law Developments

Inhalt

The political and economic system in the United Stated of America is often referred to "American Exceptionalism". It is based on liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, republicanism, democracy, and laissez-faire economics. While Germany’s system is based on many of those principles as well, it is said to contain at the same time more elements of collectivism and governmental interventions – which is why it is sometimes referred to a "Third Way" between a free market economy on the one hand and systems where the government is by far the most important player on the market on the other hand. As every political and economic system is always reflected in their respective laws, not least labor and employment laws, the speakers will compare essential labor and employment laws as well as recent developments in America and Germany, making them tangible to and to understand whether the discrepancies are greater than the similarities.

Gliederung

1. Essential labor and employment law aspects in the US
1. Federal Law and Common Law / state law
2. The framework for unionization, and how it works in progress
3. Employment at will and what it means in practice
4. Anti-discrimination laws both on the federal and state level
5. Enforcement of labor and employment laws, procedure
2. Comparison to Germany
3. Discussion / Conclusions

Kurzprofil Professor Estreicher

• Born in Bergen-Belsen (Germany) in 1948
• Columbia College, Artium Baccalaureus (1966 -1970)
• Cornell University, Master of Sciences in Industrial Relations & Labor History (1970-1972)
• Columbia University Law School, Juris Doctor, editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review (1972-1975)
• Clerkship for Harold Leventhal of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit (1975-1976)
• Lawyer with a union-side law firm (1976-1977)
• Clerkship for Lewis F. Powell Jr. of the United States Supreme Court (1977-1978)
• Professor at New York University School of Law (1978-present)
• Visiting Professor of Law, Columbia University School of Law (1983-84)
• Faculty Director, Institute of Judicial Administration at NYU School of Law (Oct. 1991 - present; Co-Executive Director from Sept. 2000 - May 2022)
• Faculty Director, Center for Labor and Employment Law at NYU School of Law (Feb. 1996 - present) (also convener of the NYU Annual Conference of Labor)
• Chief Reporter, American Law Institute, Restatement of Employment Law (2015)
• Distinguished External Jurist, United Nations Internal Justice Council (4-year term as of November 13, 2016)- 2020
• Former Of Counsel to various major international law firms, including Jones Day, Paul Hastings and Morgan Lewis)

Kurzprofil Dr. Hund

Daniel Hund berät Unternehmen arbeitsrechtlich vor allem bei Restrukturierungen und Transformationsprozessen sowie bei Fremdpersonaleinsatz und grenzüberschreitenden Sachverhalten. Er verfügt über hohe Expertise bei der arbeitsrechtlichen Begleitung interner Ermittlungen und sich anschließenden Prozessen. Zudem vertritt er unsere Mandanten bundesweit auch vor betriebsverfassungsrechtlichen Einigungsstellen und in Tarifverhandlungen.

Nach seiner Ausbildung zum Bankkaufmann studierte Daniel Hund in Heidelberg und an der New York University (Master of Laws). Ferner wurde er von der Universität Heidelberg mit einer Dissertation zum Betriebsverfassungsrecht promoviert.

JUVE listet Daniel Hund als führenden Berater im Arbeitsrecht und führt ihn als häufig empfohlenen Anwalt. Er wird von der Wirtschaftswoche als „TOP Anwalt“ im Arbeitsrecht geführt und in The Legal 500 Deutschland & The Legal 500 EMEA empfohlen. The Best Lawyers und das Handelsblatt haben ihn als einen der Besten seines Fachs anerkannt. Who‘s Who Legal hat Daniel Hund im Guide Labour and Employment 2024 für Deutschland als besonders erfolgreich gelistet.