Helena Haapio

Helena Haapio

LL.M. (Master of Laws), MQ (Master of Quality)
DSc (Doctor of Science (Econ.))
Contract Strategist
helena.haapio @ lexpert.com

I am a pioneer of Proactive Law and contract design, a practitioner by day and an author and editor by night. Based in Helsinki, Finland, I work as a Contract Strategist at Lexpert Ltd. I am currently also an Associate Professor of Business Law at the University of Vaasa, and a Professor of Practice and a Docent of Proactive Law and Contract Design at the University of Lapland.

After completing legal studies at the University of Turku, Finland, and Cambridge University, England, I served for several years as in-house Legal Counsel in Europe and the United States. My articles have appeared in several business and professional publications. My recently co-edited books include two titles published by Edward Elgar, Legal Design and Research Handbook on Contract Design. I have co-authored two books with Prof. George Siedel, A Short Guide to Contract Risk (Gower 2013) and Proactive Law for Managers: A Hidden Source of Competitive Advantage (Gower 2011).

My work on contract design and simplification has been recognized internationally: I was nominated as one of the “European Women of Legal Tech” in the category Academia & Education in 2020, and I have also been awarded a honorary Fellowship by WorldCC, World Commerce & Contracting (formerly IACCM, the International Association for Contract and Commercial Management). Together with Stefania Passera, we created their Contract Design Pattern Library. I have been actively involved in the development of the Nordic School of Proactive Law and of the ProActive ThinkTank. I acted as Expert to the European Economic and Social Committee in preparing its Opinion on The proactive law approach published in the Official Journal of the EU in 2009. I am also a co-founder of the Legal Design Alliance and a co-author of its Legal Design Manifesto.

I have conducted in-house and public workshops in various parts of the world on topics related to cross-border contracting, contract design, and contractual risk management, and have been nominated “Export Educator of the Year” by the Finnish Institute of Export.

Since my doctoral dissertation Next Generation Contracts: A Paradigm Shift (Lexpert 2013) my multi-disciplinary research focuses on ways to enhance the quality – especially functionality and usability – of contracts. Through a proactive approach, information design and visualization, I seek to fundamentally change the way contracts are designed, communicated, perceived, and taught.

For Helena Haapio’s Publications, see Resources.
Helena Haapio on LinkedIn.

Latest News

See our recent media coverage, conference publications, and our forthcoming and latest events.