Skip to main content
Heiko Haak, German-qualified lawyer and founder of Haak Legal
Heiko Haak · Rechtsanwalt · Hamburg

Fractional GC · Interim Legal Leadership · International Business Advisory

Fractional General Counsel for international business.

Senior legal leadership for international companies, private equity environments, transformation projects and regulated business environments — without the overhead of a permanent hire.

Boutique Legal Advisory · Hamburg

A pragmatic, business-oriented advisory practice for complex corporate environments.

Haak Legal is a Hamburg-based boutique advisory focused on fractional and interim general counsel services, international business law and strategic legal leadership for complex corporate environments. Founded by German-qualified lawyer Heiko Haak, the practice combines extensive international in-house leadership experience with a pragmatic, business-oriented advisory approach developed across multinational, regulated and transformation-driven organisations.

Arrange a conversation

GC-level expertise

Senior in-house legal leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.

Flexible & scalable

Engagements scoped to your actual needs — monthly retainer, project or interim.

Embedded advisory

Fast integration into existing business structures and leadership rhythms.

Pragmatic posture

Business-oriented advice tailored to commercial reality, not abstract theory.

Transformation track-record

Strong carve-out, PMI, governance redesign and special-situations experience.

International & regulated

Cross-cultural fluency, deep familiarity with regulated industries and EMEA structures.

Services

Senior legal leadership, scaled to your needs.

01 / Fractional GC

Fractional General Counsel

Ongoing senior legal leadership on a flexible basis — embedded in your business, accessible to your leadership team.

  • Strategic legal leadership
  • Commercial contracting
  • Governance & compliance coordination
  • Board and management support
  • External counsel management
  • Cross-functional stakeholder support
02 / Interim GC

Interim Legal Leadership

Full-time senior coverage for defined periods — bridging permanent hires, parental leave, transformations or carve-out situations.

  • Interim General Counsel
  • Interim Head of Legal
  • Project counsel for defined mandates
  • Carve-out and integration support
  • Crisis and special-situations coverage
03 / Commercial

International Commercial Advisory

Strategic legal advisory for international commercial structures, partnerships, distribution arrangements and cross-border transactions.

  • Commercial agreements (advisory)
  • Distribution and partnership structures
  • International M&A support
  • Governance and group structures
04 / Transformation

Transformation & Special Situations

Senior legal support during transformation, post-merger integration, governance redesign or special situations requiring discretion and judgement.

  • Carve-out and integration legal workstreams
  • Governance and operating-model redesign
  • Compliance programmes and remediation
  • Restructuring legal support

Industry Experience

Deep familiarity with regulated and international corporate environments.

Pharma & Life Sciences

Regulated commercial structures, distribution, governance and cross-border compliance.

MedTech & Healthcare

Commercial agreements, regulatory-adjacent matters, partnerships and product distribution.

Manufacturing & Operations

International supply, manufacturing partnerships, joint ventures and group governance.

Private Equity

Portfolio-company legal support, transformation, integration and exit readiness.

About

Heiko Haak

Rechtsanwalt · Founder

German-qualified lawyer with extensive international in-house experience across regulated industries, multinational organisations and transformation-driven business environments.

Before founding Haak Legal, Heiko held senior international legal leadership positions within global healthcare, MedTech and life sciences organisations — including responsibility for complex cross-border commercial structures, governance frameworks, compliance environments and transformation projects.

Combines legal expertise with a pragmatic, commercially driven advisory style developed alongside executive leadership teams, business units and international headquarters across Europe and the Middle East.

Selected Topics

Perspectives on legal leadership in international business.

Fractional GC

What a Fractional General Counsel actually does — and when it makes sense.

A practical look at the model, its boundaries and where it adds the most value for international businesses.

Read
Transformation

Building legal structures during transformation programmes.

Carve-outs, integrations and governance redesign from a senior counsel’s perspective.

Read
Cross-border

Managing legal complexity in regulated international organisations.

Notes on operating models, external counsel management and stakeholder alignment.

Read

Frequently Asked

Common questions about the practice.

What is a Fractional General Counsel?
A Fractional General Counsel is a senior in-house lawyer engaged on a part-time or flexible basis, providing strategic legal leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. Companies access GC-level expertise scaled to their actual needs, with embedded responsiveness across commercial, governance and compliance matters.
How is a Fractional GC different from an external law firm?
An external law firm typically advises on discrete matters and bills by the hour. A Fractional GC operates as part of the business — integrated into strategic discussions, managing external counsel where needed, coordinating compliance and governance, and acting as a senior in-house partner to leadership.
Which industries does Haak Legal support?
Haak Legal focuses on regulated and international corporate environments — primarily Pharma, MedTech, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Manufacturing, international corporate structures and Private Equity / transformation environments.
Is Heiko Haak admitted as a lawyer in Germany?
Yes. Heiko Haak is admitted as a Rechtsanwalt in Germany and a member of the Hanseatische Rechtsanwaltskammer Hamburg.
How can engagements be structured?
Engagements are typically structured as monthly retainers, project-based mandates, or interim full-time arrangements for defined periods. Each engagement is scoped individually with leadership.

Contact

Discuss a mandate.

For enquiries regarding fractional general counsel services, interim legal leadership or international legal advisory, please get in touch directly or use the form below.

[ Cloudflare Turnstile widget loads here on deployment — sitekey set via env ]