03 / BUSINESS PLANNING
Counsel from someone who has built a business.
Formation, contracts, M&A, and ongoing counsel for Missouri businesses — from someone who founded a technology startup before practicing law. I have signed customer contracts, negotiated with vendors, dealt with HR issues, and wound down a company. The legal questions are familiar because I have lived them.
~15
Years in Missouri legal practice
20+
Years business experience pre-law
100%
Founder-friendly counsel
WHY IT MATTERS
Bad structure costs more than good counsel.
Get the structure right
A $300 LLC form often costs $30,000 to fix later when a partner sues, a deal blows up, or you sell the business. We draft operating agreements that match how you and your partners actually intend to run the business.
Contracts that protect you
Most disputes trace back to ambiguous contracts. We draft contracts that say what they mean and mean what they say — including the unpleasant clauses your competitors will use against you.
Avoid expensive surprises
Acquisition diligence reveals hidden liability. Compliance gaps trigger regulatory action. Founder disputes destroy companies. We help you see these before they become problems.
Real exit planning
Whether you’re building to sell or planning succession, the structure decisions you make today determine what you can do at exit. We plan backward from the goal.
THE FOUNDER PERSPECTIVE
I built a startup before I practiced law.
Before founding Haake Law Group, I co-founded Campus Shift — a technology startup where I built both the consumer-facing application and the backend infrastructure, while also handling the company’s legal work: formation, contracts, IP, compliance. I know what running a small business actually feels like.
That perspective shapes how I counsel business clients. Founders are not legal-issue-generating machines. They are people running businesses with cash flow worries, partnership tensions, and moments when ‘do it right’ and ‘do it now’ pull in opposite directions. I help you understand what matters, what doesn’t, and what the actual tradeoffs are.
WHAT WE HANDLE
Full-cycle business counsel.
01
Entity Formation
LLCs, corporations, partnerships, professional entities. We discuss the tax, liability, and operational tradeoffs and recommend the right structure for your specific situation.
02
Operating Agreements & Bylaws
Drafted to fit your actual business, not pulled from boilerplate. Every operating agreement is a future dispute prevention document — we draft it that way.
03
Contracts
Customer agreements, vendor contracts, MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, IP assignments, employment agreements. Drafted clearly. Reviewed honestly. Negotiated strategically.
04
Mergers & Acquisitions
Buy-side and sell-side representation for Missouri small and mid-market deals. Asset vs stock purchase analysis. Letters of intent. Diligence. Definitive agreements. Closing.
05
Outside General Counsel
Monthly retainer arrangements that give you predictable access to counsel for routine questions, contract reviews, and emerging issues — without ad-hoc billing surprises.
06
Founder & Partner Issues
Equity allocation, vesting, exit terms, partner disputes, buyouts. The questions founders are most afraid to ask out loud. We answer them directly.
HOW WE ENGAGE
Three engagement models. We use the right one for your matter.
1
Project work
Discrete matters — formations, contract drafts, transactions — handled as flat-fee projects with clear scope. You know the cost before we begin.
2
Outside general counsel
Monthly retainer for ongoing client relationships. You stop avoiding legal questions because the meter is running. Routine matters covered, complex ones discussed.
3
Hourly engagement
For litigation, complex M&A, or matters where scope is genuinely unclear. Rates disclosed in writing before engagement. Detailed time records. No surprises.
WHY HAAKE LAW GROUP
Built around your situation, not our office hours.
Founded a startup pre-law
I know what it feels like to run a business — the legal questions, the cash flow worries, the partner conversations. That perspective shapes every engagement.
Technology fluency
For technology businesses and SaaS contracts, I bring 15+ years of pre-law technology experience. I read your contracts the way your engineers read your code.
Honest scoping
Founders need to know whether something is a $500 fix or a $50,000 fix. We tell you that up front. Some matters genuinely don’t need an attorney — we’ll tell you that too.
Virtual-first practice
Most business matters move faster handled virtually. We use modern tools and reduce overhead — which keeps your legal fees in proportion to your business.
MEET DEREK HAAKE
Real legal work. Modern delivery.
I have been a licensed Missouri attorney since September 27, 2011. Before law school, I spent more than a decade in telecommunications and technology — including leading the acquisition of Corning Cable Systems’ fiber optic monitoring division, and helping create Valor Telecom, which became part of Windstream Communications.
After law school, I spent years as an Estate Settlement Officer at Bank of America, administering taxable estates including a single estate exceeding $100 million in value. That experience — actually settling estates and working in technology before that — is what I bring to every matter today.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
Outcomes for Missouri clients.
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COMMON QUESTIONS
What clients ask before they hire us.
LLC or corporation?+
For most Missouri small businesses, LLC. For businesses planning to raise venture capital or go public, Delaware C-corp. For some specific tax situations, S-corp election. We walk through your situation and recommend.
Do I really need an attorney just to form an LLC?+
Technically, no. Practically, the operating agreement is where every future dispute gets resolved, and a $300 form-driven LLC often costs $30,000 to fix later. We draft operating agreements that match how you and your partners actually intend to run the business.
We are a two-person company. Are we too small?+
No. We routinely work with one- and two-person businesses, especially in technology and professional services. Smaller engagements often benefit most from clear early structure.
Can you handle our M&A transaction?+
For most Missouri small and mid-market deals, yes. For very large or specialized deals, we either co-counsel with a transaction-focused firm or refer out — we tell you honestly which makes sense for your matter.
How does the monthly retainer work?+
Flat monthly fee covers routine matters — contract reviews, general questions, emerging issues. Complex projects or litigation are scoped separately. You get predictable access to counsel without ad-hoc billing surprises.
What if our matter falls outside your expertise?+
We tell you. Some matters need specialists (large M&A, complex tax planning, securities work) and we refer to attorneys we trust. Honest scoping is part of the engagement.
READY TO START?
Get serious counsel for your business.
From formation to exit, from contracts to M&A. Schedule a consultation and we’ll tell you what’s actually needed — not what generates a bigger fee.