Raphael Lugowski

Memberships

• German Bar Association (DAV)
• Hamburg Bar Association (HAV) eV
• Working Group on Labor Law in the DAV

Raphael Lugowski is a specialist lawyer for employment law and founder of Smart Employment Law and the Works Council Law Firm. He specialized in employment law early on and has been advising clients in all key areas of individual and collective employment law since 2016. He represents, in particular, employees, works councils, and staff councils in employment disputes, legal proceedings, and conciliation boards, and advises on legally and strategically complex issues.

His work focuses on areas such as dismissal protection law, termination agreements and severance payments, as well as advising on complex separation situations. He also specializes in works constitution law. Raphael Lugowski has particular expertise in operational changes, especially in connection with restructurings and the negotiation of reconciliation of interests and social plans.

Another focus of his work lies at the intersection of labor law, co-determination, digitalization, and artificial intelligence. He advises on issues of IT co-determination, employee data protection, and the labor law requirements for the use of digital systems and AI in the workplace. His in-depth understanding of software development also proves invaluable in this area.

In addition to his legal practice, Raphael Lugowski works as a consultant for works councils, including for the Institute for Works Councils. He also publishes regularly in legal journals and is the author of books on labor law topics related to digitalization and co-determination.

With GremiumHub, Raphael Lugowski has also co-founded a company that develops digital solutions for works councils and staff councils. This activity complements his legal work, particularly in the areas of the digital workplace, co-determination, and company practice, and strengthens his focus on the practical implementation of labor law requirements in companies.

His work is characterized by specialization, many years of experience in labor law and an understanding of the practical requirements of operational changes and labor law conflicts.

Publications

• Protecting employees from liability risks, Computer and Work (CuA), Issue 02/2026, pages 18 – 21
• 7 questions on the use of AI in the workplace, Computer and Work (CuA), issue 01/2026, pages 19–21
• The use of AI in the workplace, Bund Verlag, 1st edition 2025
• Co-determination in the use of AI, computers and work (CuA), issue 02/2025, pages 23 – 24
• Federal Labour Court (BAG) on the data protection concept of the works council, Computer and Work (CuA), issue 02/2024, pages 15 – 18
• 10 Questions on Time Recording, Computers and Work (CuA), Issue 12/2023, pages 24 – 26
• Vacation forfeiture in the event of long-term illness, Occupational Safety and Health in Law and Practice (ARP), Issue 11/2023, 348 – 349
• What now applies to data exchange with the USA?, Computer and Work (CuA), Issue 10/2023, pages 14 – 16
• Data protection in company agreements, Computer and Work (CuA), issue 10/2023, pages 22 – 24
• Rail travel times for new vehicle transfers as working hours according to the ArbZG, Occupational Safety and Health in Law and Practice (ARP), issue 9/2023, pages 284 – 286.
• What applies to co-determination under the HinSchG, Computer and Work (CuA), Issue 8-9/2023, pages 24 – 26
• Microsoft 365 and the rights of the works council, Computer and Work (CuA), Issue 7/2023, pages 8 – 11
• Key points of a works agreement (on MS 365), Computers and Work (CuA), issue 7/2023, page 12
• Statute of limitations and forfeiture of vacation in the context of employers' obligations to cooperate: News from Europe, Occupational Safety and Health in Law and Practice (ARP), Issue 7/2023, 197 – 202

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