Name: How To Excel in Negotiation and Mediation: The Secrets for Success
Uploaded: 2025-10-21T12:00:00-07:00
Description: This course will explore best practices and strategies for excelling in negotiation and mediation. Participants will gain actionable insights into overcoming common challenges, utilizing advanced strategies, and refining techniques to achieve successful outcomes for their clients.

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How To Excel in Negotiation and Mediation: The Secrets for Success

This course will explore best practices and strategies for excelling in negotiation and mediation. Participants will gain actionable insights into overcoming common challenges, utilizing advanced strategies, and refining techniques to achieve successful outcomes for their clients.

Topics covered include:

Negotiation & Mediation Law Practice

Agenda:

Introduction to Negotiation & Mediation

Overview of negotiation and mediation
John C. Sciaccotta and his experience

Key Mindset

Outlines and identifies the learning objectives of the course and covers the negotiation mindset

Strategies To Prepare Clients

Introducing strategies and challenges to prepare clients for negotiation and mediation, such as building rapport with the opposing side and the ethical considerations of negotiation and mediation

Negotiation Comprehensive Strategies

Covers the challenges that come with client preparation
Post-mediation strategies

Key Takeaways

Adopting the right negotiation mindset
Overcoming common challenges
Client preparation for success
Ethical and cultural considerations
Advanced techniques for mediation

Questions & Answers

Duration of this webinar: 75 minutes

Originally broadcast: October 21, 2025 12:00 PM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 Introduction

John C. Sciaccotta, the speaker, is introduced as an experienced trial lawyer and mediator with a focus on negotiation and mediation strategies. John aims to provide insights into negotiation from both an advocate's and a mediator's perspective, emphasizing the importance of mindset in successful negotiations. He plans to share best practices and strategies for effective negotiation and mediation, drawing on his nearly 40 years of experience. John stresses the significance of understanding the mindset required for negotiation and how it differs from a trial mindset.

05:32 Negotiation Mindset and Strategies

John discusses the importance of adopting a negotiation mindset distinct from a trial mindset, emphasizing the need for lawyers to shift gears during mediation. He highlights the challenges of negotiation, particularly the need to understand different perspectives and prepare clients adequately. John stresses the importance of empathy and open-mindedness in negotiations, encouraging lawyers to see situations from others' viewpoints. He outlines the necessity of preparing clients for negotiation, ensuring they understand the process and have realistic expectations. John introduces the concept of a win-win mindset, focusing on identifying common interests and objectives to achieve mutually beneficial resolutions. He emphasizes the need for thorough preparation and understanding of both parties' interests to facilitate successful negotiations.

11:45 Communication and Mediation Techniques

John emphasizes the importance of communication in negotiation and mediation, highlighting the need for open-mindedness and empathy. He discusses the role of creativity in finding out-of-the-box solutions and maintaining a win-win mindset. John stresses the significance of clear and concise communication, both verbal and nonverbal, in advancing negotiation positions. He introduces the concept of creating mutual value by identifying common interests and aligning strategies accordingly. John highlights the importance of adaptability and flexibility in negotiations, preparing clients for potential changes in outcomes. He addresses the challenges of dealing with high-conflict personalities and the importance of maintaining calm and redirecting focus.

25:26 Handling Challenges in Negotiation

John discusses techniques for handling power imbalances and overcoming impasses in negotiations. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the personalities and needs of the parties involved to address power dynamics effectively. John shares strategies for reframing issues and managing unrealistic expectations to keep parties engaged in the negotiation process. He highlights the significance of cultural awareness and preparation in navigating cross-cultural negotiations and mediations. John stresses the importance of preparation, both for lawyers and clients, to ensure effective participation in negotiations. He discusses the role of pre-mediation conferences in educating mediators and establishing rapport to facilitate successful outcomes.

58:06 Client Preparation and Ethical Considerations

John emphasizes the importance of disclosing conflicts of interest and promoting informed decision-making in negotiations. He discusses strategies for preparing clients, including managing expectations and addressing emotional involvement in litigation. John highlights the need for transparency and honesty in communication to build trust and guide clients toward realistic objectives. He stresses the importance of early client preparation to ensure they are ready for negotiation and mediation. John discusses the significance of documenting agreements promptly to avoid misunderstandings and ensure clarity. He emphasizes the value of maintaining professional relationships for future collaboration and negotiation.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

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California CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.25 General

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 General

Earn Credit Until: October 20, 2026

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.25 General

Earn Credit Until: February 28, 2026

South Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.25 General

Difficulty: All Levels

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2025

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.25 General

Earn Credit Until: September 30, 2026

This presentation is approved for one and a quarter hours of General CLE credit in California, North Carolina, and South Carolina (all levels). This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.50 hours of total CLE credit. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 1.25 credit hours.

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Speaker

John C. Sciaccotta Senior Equity Partner
Aronberg Goldgehn

John C. Sciaccotta is an Aronberg Goldgehn Senior Equity Partner, the immediate Past President of The Chicago Bar Association and is a member of Aronberg Goldgehn’ s Executive Management Committee. He specializes in trial and litigation, with nearly 40 years of work in complex civil litigation, mediation, arbitration, and business counseling. John has a particular focus with complex civil trial and appellate cases, which are brought in federal and state courts and tribunals all over the United States. John represents publicly and privately held domestic and foreign business entities, lenders, employers, municipalities, government bodies and individuals in transactional matters and disputes. Read More ›