Advanced Strategies for Problem-Solving and Decision-Making in Complex Business Negotiations for Lawyers

This course equips lawyers with advanced frameworks and practical tools to navigate complex business negotiations involving multiple interests, high stakes, uncertainty, and power asymmetries. Through expert discussion and real-world negotiation cases, the course focuses on how lawyers can structure problems, make sound decisions, and select the appropriate negotiation strategy—competitive or cooperative—based on context and client objectives.

Delivered through focused sessions, the course examines critical moments in complex negotiations, including preparation, information management, option generation, trade-off design, and decision-making at impasse. Practical examples illustrate how lawyers can shift between value-claiming and value-creating tactics, manage risk, and align legal, commercial, and relational goals.

Key learning objectives:

1. Apply advanced problem-solving frameworks to complex business negotiations.

2. Select the appropriate negotiation strategy (competitive vs. cooperative) based on context, leverage, and client priorities.

3. Improve decision-making under uncertainty, time pressure, and incomplete information.

4. Design and evaluate negotiation options and trade-offs using structured criteria.

5. Manage multi-party dynamics, power imbalances, and internal client decision-making.

6. Recognize cognitive biases and strategic traps affecting negotiation outcomes.

This course offers a practical, case-driven approach to complex negotiations, enabling lawyers to move confidently between competitive and cooperative tactics while maintaining strategic clarity and client alignment.