Integrity and accountability are the cornerstones to sustainable and successful entrepreneurship.

Nicole Willms

Partner

Nicole Willms is partner of Pohlmann & Company since 2014. Since many years she regularly advises German and international clients in the areas of compliance, corporate governance, and general corporate law.

Nicole has distinctive experience in the design, development, implementation and auditing of compliance management systems, particularly in the context of compliance monitorships. She is a recognized subject-matter expert with respect to whistleblower systems, internal investigation and related enforcement processes. She also advises clients in the context of M&A transactions as well as on other corporate matters, in particular in the area of corporate governance and directors’ and officers’ duties and liability (D&O).

Languages: German and English

CV

  • Law studies in Jena
  • 2005 Admitted to the bar in Germany
  • 2005–2014 Attorney at law at various international corporate law firms in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and London
  • Since 2014 Partner at Pohlmann & Company
  • Since 2019 German Chapter Leader of the Woman’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA); member of the global WWCDA Monitor/Receiver Initiative
  • Since 2020 Member and speaker of Wirtschaftsstrafrechtliche Vereinigung e.V. (WisteV)
  • Since winter term 2020/21 Lecturer for Corporate Governance and Compliance at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
  • Since 2021 Member of the Cross-Atlantic Cooperation Committee (CACC) of the International Association of Independent Corporate Monitors (IAICM)
  • Since 2022 Member of the Expert Commission for the Development of Sustainable Governance Principles for SMEs (website)

 

Memberships
  • Gesellschaftsrechtliche Vereinigung (VGR)
  • International Association of Independent Corporate Monitors (IAICM)
  • Wirtschaftsstrafrechtliche Vereinigung e.V. (WisteV)
  • Woman’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA)
Publications

 

Articles

Blog posts

Selected Mandates
  • Executive member of the U.S. Independent Compliance Monitor Team (for the Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) at a Swedish listed, multinational networking and telecommunications company
  • Legal advice and ongoing support during the implementation of a group-wide compliance/risk management system (including internal controls) at a global DAX-40 company
  • Ad-hoc management support and legal advice of a German energy company in connection with a cyber-attack
  • Internal investigation and (legal) advice with regard to corporate governance structures and know-your-customer processes at a technology platform provider in the field of e-commerce
  • Comprehensive advice to an internationally active, family-run group on the establishment and further development of a central compliance management system
  • Conducting of various internal investigations at a global DAX-40 company
  • Executive member of the U.S. Independent Compliance Monitor Team (for the Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) at VEON Ltd.
  • German Counsel to Independent Compliance Monitor of Volkswagen AG , Larry Thompson
  • Review and judicial enforcement of liability claims against former board members for a German energy company
  • Advising a former managing director of a municipal company in the defense of liability claims asserted against him