Hiring a first General Counsel is one of the most significant milestones for any growing business. For technology companies in Berlin, finding a legal leader with the right blend of commercial judgement, leadership and international experience can be particularly challenging.

Many businesses begin by advertising the role themselves. While this often generates a healthy number of applications, identifying candidates with the right combination of legal expertise, commercial judgement and leadership capability is far more challenging.

In this General Counsel Recruitment Berlin case study, we explore how Deep Blue Recruitment partnered with a fast-growing Berlin-based language learning company after it had struggled to recruit its first General Counsel through direct advertising. Following the successful appointment, our relationship continued as we later helped the business recruit its second in-house lawyer, demonstrating the value of long-term recruitment partnerships.

The Challenge

Like many high-growth businesses in Berlin, the company initially managed the recruitment process internally.

The General Counsel position attracted applications from technically strong lawyers, but very few candidates possessed the wider commercial mindset, leadership skills and strategic thinking required for a first General Counsel appointment.

This was far more than a traditional legal role.

The successful candidate would be expected to advise senior leadership, build the legal function from scratch, establish governance processes and support an international business operating in a fast-moving technology environment.

For the hiring team, the challenge wasn't attracting lawyers - it was identifying someone who could combine legal expertise with commercial judgement and become a genuine business partner.

That's when Deep Blue Recruitment was asked to support the search.

Why Hiring a First General Counsel Is Different

Recruiting a first General Counsel is fundamentally different from hiring into an established legal department.

Rather than joining an existing team, the successful candidate is responsible for building the legal function from the ground up.

They need to establish legal processes, decide which work should remain with external counsel, build relationships across the organisation and provide commercially focused advice that supports business growth. At the same time, they're often expected to manage the day-to-day legal demands of a fast-growing business - balancing strategic projects with the constant stream of commercial, employment and regulatory issues that inevitably arise.

Our Approach

We worked closely with the internal Talent Acquisition team to refine what success actually looked like. Beyond technical legal expertise, the business needed someone who could operate comfortably alongside senior leadership, make commercially balanced decisions and build credibility across a growing international organisation.

Rather than starting from scratch, we were able to draw upon our existing network of General Counsel and senior in-house legal leaders across Germany. As specialist legal recruiters, we're continually meeting experienced General Counsel, Heads of Legal and senior lawyers who are preparing for their first General Counsel appointment, giving us an established understanding of the market long before a search begins.

That meant we could quickly identify lawyers whose experience and ambitions aligned with the opportunity, including individuals who weren't actively applying for roles but were open to a confidential conversations for suitable openings.

The Outcome

The search resulted in the successful appointment of the company's first General Counsel.

Following the hire, we remained involved throughout onboarding to help ensure a smooth transition into the business.

As the company continued to grow, the General Counsel established legal frameworks, introduced greater structure across the organisation and became a trusted adviser to the executive leadership team.

The appointment provided the foundations for a scalable legal function capable of supporting the company's continued international growth.

From One Hire to a Long-Term Partnership

The most successful executive search assignments don't end when a contract is signed.

After the General Counsel had established the legal function and embedded new processes across the business, the company reached another stage of growth and decided to expand its legal team.

Having experienced the search first-hand, both the newly appointed General Counsel and the internal Talent Acquisition team already understood how we worked. We'd built a collaborative relationship throughout the original appointment, and were pleased to be invited back to support the next stage of the team's growth.

This time, the search focused on recruiting the company's second in-house lawyer.

Because we had already developed a strong understanding of the business, its culture and the legal function the General Counsel was building, we were able to move quickly while continuing to prioritise long-term fit over simply filling the vacancy.

For us, the second appointment reflected the value of delivering a positive hiring experience for both clients and candidates. When a search is handled well, it often becomes the foundation for a long-term partnership rather than a one-off assignment.

Conclusion

Hiring a first General Counsel is rarely about finding the lawyer with the strongest technical credentials. It's about identifying someone who can build a legal function, influence decision-making and grow alongside the business.

For this Berlin-based technology company, the successful appointment became the foundation of its in-house legal team. Just as importantly, the positive experience for both the General Counsel and the internal Talent Acquisition team led to an ongoing partnership, with Deep Blue Recruitment later supporting the hire of the company's second in-house lawyer.

For us, this case study highlights the importance of understanding not just the role, but the business behind it. Taking the time to build lasting relationships with both clients and candidates means we're often able to support organisations well beyond their first legal hire.

Whether you're hiring your first General Counsel or expanding an established legal team, the most successful appointments begin with a clear understanding of the business, the challenges ahead and the type of legal leader who will help shape its future.