Advanced Negotiation: Transactions

Catalog description

Advanced Negotiation takes students beyond the two-party, lawyer-client negotiations that were the focus of the Negotiation Seminar. The negotiation simulations are more complex, difficult and nuanced, and preparation time is significant. You will work as an individual lawyer or businessperson, in a lawyer-client pairing, or on a business negotiation team. You may be negotiating on behalf of corporate entities large and small, national governments, municipalities, unions and NGOs. Simulations may include critical-path supply agreements, founder/VC deals, cross-cultural medical device joint ventures, airline reorganization, big pharma global distribution deals, or multi-party private sector/government negotiations. The goals of the class emanate from developing your designer's mindset and a lawyer's instinct for effective, self-interested negotiation: from intense preparation for client counseling, to in-the-moment tactics; adroit response to changing scenarios; deeper work on persuasion, listening, question & answer management; structural design & process control and, ultimately, creating an intact confidence--competence feedback loop for the student qua professional negotiator. Special Instructions: Attendance and participation in all simulations and debriefing sessions are required, absent approved absence (rarely given) with ample advance notice to the instructor. A "Pass" grade is dependent upon this active participation, and a series of short papers and/or in-class presentations. Prerequisite: Negotiation Seminar or its substantial equivalent, as assessed by the instructor. This class is limited to 20 students, 16 from SLS selected by lottery with room for 4 non-law students by consent of instructor.