What is a compliance ombudsperson?
On this website, “ombudsman” means an external attorney serving as a confidential compliance reporting contact: a lawyer who receives and assesses reports of possible violations of laws and rules.
A legal reporting contact outside the organization
We listen, ask questions, and assess whether a report is plausible and legally relevant. We then support the agreed sharing of information with the appropriate office. This gives the organization information it can use to investigate and address misconduct.
The organization engages and pays the ombudsperson. The attorney remains independent in the practice of law. Contacting us does not automatically make the reporting person our client; their interests in confidentiality are expressly addressed in the ombuds engagement.
From the traditional ombuds model to the HinSchG
The attorney-led ombuds model developed long before Germany’s Whistleblower Protection Act, with Rainer Buchert among those who helped shape it. At its core is a reliable person to speak with, combined with legal assessment and confidentiality governed by contract.
Since 2023, the HinSchG has supplemented this model with statutory requirements for reporting offices, procedures, and whistleblower protection. An outside law firm can perform the functions of an internal reporting office. In that context, “external” describes its position outside the company, not a government external reporting office. Our responsibilities are defined separately for each organization.
Other ombuds services have different roles
The insurance ombudsman resolves disputes between insurance companies and consumers. Parliamentary ombuds offices, patient advocates, and complaints offices under Germany’s General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG) and Supply Chain Due Diligence Act also follow their own rules. Our work concerns compliance reports involving the organizations we serve. We do not decide insurance claims or serve as a general dispute resolution body.
Trust requires clearly defined roles
A compliance ombudsperson, corporate defense counsel, an internal investigator, and a whistleblower’s personal attorney have different responsibilities. We clarify authority, confidentiality, and potential conflicts of interest before taking further steps. The responsible organization decides on and implements action to remedy a violation.