LAWYER PROFILE
Nicole Willms

Nicole Willms

Germany 2026

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Ranked in 1 practice area

About

Provided by Pohlmann & Company

Practice Areas

Compliance Monitorship

Corporate Governance

Internal Investigations

Preventive Compliance Advisory

Career

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

Professional Memberships

International Association of Independent Corporate Monitors (IAICM)

Wirtschaftsstrafrechtliche Vereinigung e.V. (WisteV)

Woman’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA)

Publications

DCGK-Novelle 2022 – Die Rolle des Aufsichtsrats im Transformationsprozess, in: Der Aufsichtsrat 07-08/2022, 104–106 (together with Carola Stark)

Effektive Aufsichtsratsarbeit im Zeitalter zunehmender Compliance-Regularien, in: Der Aufsichtsrat 10/2021, 142-144 (together with Carola Stark)

From apathy to advocacy: Germany’s growing support for compliance programs, in: CEP Magazine October 2021, 8–22

Proven Practice – Praxiserfahrung mit US Compliance Monitorships, in: CCZ 2 (2020), 57-65

“US Compliance Monitorship – Lessons Learned!”, in: Compliance Praxis 40 (2019), 40-43 (together with D. Strieder and T. Baumgartner)

How to Prepare for a Monitorship, in: Pohlmann & Company International Compliance Update 1/2018, 1–10 (together with Clemens Blettgen)

Governance and Compliance Issues Resulting from the Revised Proposal to Amend the Shareholder Rights Directive, in: Pohlmann & Company International Compliance Update 4/2016, 1–4 (together with Christopher Hsu)

New risks of criminal liability in the healthcare sector, in: Pohlmann & Company International Compliance Update 2/2016, 5–7 (together with Dr. Max Erhard)

Better safe than sorry – Obligations of the Supervisory Board of a factually insolvent corporation, in: Pohlmann & Company International Compliance Update 3/2015, 5–6 (together with Andrea Hienzsch)

No management liability for cartel fines imposed on a company (Decision of the Labor Court Dusseldorf on the “international rail cartel”), in: Pohlmann & Company International Compliance Update 2/2015, 3–5

Joint Venture and Russian Roulette, in: Corporate Finance 5/2014, 237–240 (together with Dr. Eike Bicker)

Shoot Out – der wirksame Ausstieg aus einem paritätischen Joint Venture, in: Betriebs-Berater 23/2014, 1347–1352 (together with Dr. Eike Bicker)

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers Germany

Compliance - Germany

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Nicole Willms is particularly known for her work on US DOJ/SEC monitorships, and possesses further expertise in the set-up and restructuring of compliance structures as well as internal investigations and corporate governance.

Indviduelles Editorial

Nicole Willms ist insbesondere für ihre Arbeit im Rahmen von Überwachungsprojekten des US DOJs und SECs bekannt und verfügt darüber hinaus über Expertise im Aufbau und der Umstrukturierung von Compliance-Strukturen sowie in internen Untersuchungen und Corporate Governance.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Her expertise extends beyond domestic matters to complex cross-border investigations, particularly those with a US nexus. She is widely recognised for her strategic insight and practical judgement.

    ComplianceChambers Germany
  • Nicole Willms is very hands-on and knows her topics.

    ComplianceChambers Germany
  • Nicole Willms ist sehr praxisorientiert und kennt sich in ihren Themengebieten bestens aus.
    ComplianceChambers Germany
  • Ihre Expertise reicht über nationale Angelegenheiten hinaus und umfasst komplexe grenzüberschreitende Untersuchungen, insbesondere solche mit Bezug zu den USA. Sie ist weithin für ihren strategischen Weitblick und ihr praktisches Urteilsvermögen anerkannt.

    ComplianceChambers Germany

Ranked Individuals at Pohlmann & Company (2)

Germany

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