He was a controversial figure due to his close association with his complicit work with Nazi government from 1933, his membership of the Academy for German Law, and his work to systematise Nazi labour laws through his commentaries with Alfred Hueck.
His work represented the conservative wing of labour law practice, joining criticism of Hugo Sinzheimer's early texts.
He and Alfred Hueck wrote commentaries for the new Nazi labour laws, which had abolished trade unions and codetermination from 1934 onwards.
After the Second World War, Nipperdey rejoined the mainstream, and continued his work as a legal academic.
In 1954 he was appointed by the conservative CDU government to become the president of the Federal Labour Court.