Melina Peer Mag.iur., LL.M. (LSE)

Senior Associate

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+43 664 780 209 46
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[email protected]

Melina Peer is a Senior Associate at ZEILER and focuses on labour and employment law.

Melina advises on all aspects of labour and employment law, in which she specializes in contentious as well as non-contentious matters, pension law and industrial relations law. She also represents clients before the Austrian courts and authorities.

She is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on labour and employment law.

She was admitted to the Austrian bar in 2021. She is a graduate of the University of Vienna (Mag. Iur., 2016) and the London School of Economics (LL.M., 2023).

Melina works in English (fluent) and German (native).

Expertise

Professional Experience

Senior Associate, Zeiler Rechtsanwälte GmbH, Vienna/Austria (since 2023)
Junior Associate, Zeiler Rechtsanwälte GmbH, Vienna/Austria (2020-2023)
Associate, Zeiler Rechtsanwälte GmbH, Vienna/Austria (2018-2020)
Court Clerkship, Lower Austria and Vienna/Austria (2018)
Internship at the Austrian Administrative Court, Vienna/Austria (2017)
Internship at the Austrian Economic Chambers, Brussels/Belgium (2017)
Student Assistant at the Department of Civil Procedure, University of Vienna (2016-2017)
Student Assistant at the Department of Labour Law and Law of Social Security Law, University of Vienna (2015-2016)

Education

LL.M. (Information Technology and Communications Law), London School of Economics and Political Science, London/UK (2023)
Austrian Bar Exam, Vienna/Austria (2021)
Magister Iuris, University of Vienna, Vienna/Austria (2016)

Reference Cases

Assisting an international animal welfare organization with regard to all their Austrian employment law matters.

Assisting a leading Spanish producer of sanitary ceramics with a strong position in Switzerland and Austria in restructuring their Austrian entity. Advising the company on all employment matters, conducting negotiations with the labor union and the works council on a social plan, preparation of notices of termination and planning of overall reduction in force.

Supporting a leading German multinational home improvement supplies retailing company in all employment related matters, including assistance in drawing-up a data-protection law compliant HR system and its implementation, in line with the respective requirements under Austrian employment law, for about 3,500 employees in Austria.

Assisting a company in defending their current working time schemes against claims of numerous employees and the works council for introduction of a 4-day working week, based on the newly introduced collective bargaining agreement.

Representation of numerous companies in court proceedings against employees challenging dismissals on the grounds of alleged social unfairness and discriminatory treatment (Austrian courts).

Assisting a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company with issues involving parental part time arrangements and works-council members, including the adjustment of their contractual roles within the entity.

Supporting a company to duly conduct their works council elections in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.

Supporting a Finish elevator and escalator engineering company about contractual agreements with members of the board for its Austrian subsidiary.

Representation of a UK financial services company in a court case against a former employee regarding alleged claims for damages (Austrian courts).

Ongoing employment law support of the Austrian subsidiary of an international auditing company, including the amendment of the working time scheme.

Advising an Austrian manufacturer of fine-bubble aeration systems, owned by a Japanese company, on the introduction of new working time and flexi-time regulations. Supporting the client in defending the implementation of a surveillance system against to the works council.

Assisting a German airline specialized in charter and medical repatriation flights with regard to contractual relationship with their pilots and medical crew.

Representation of an Austrian building services engineering company in court proceedings initiated by a former employee, challenging the notice of termination due to his status as a disabled person.

Publications