header-logo header-logo

29 January 2016 / Ranse Howell , Andy Rogers
Issue: 7684 / Categories: Features , Training & education , Profession
printer mail-detail

Flying into a storm

nlj_7684_roger

Ranse Howell & Andy Rogers discuss the dark art of negotiation

Lawyers are frequently among the best trained professionals, expert in the law, but when it comes to resolving a fraught problem outside court—and even on the steps of court—the experience is usually “on the job” rather than formally learnt. Breaking deadlock is not easy, often more so when there are challenging personalities involved, so is the profession sufficiently equipped to deal with this task?

The next time you board a plane, would you ask your pilot where they learned how to navigate stormy weather while in flight? More than likely they went through hours upon hours of training dedicated to teaching pilots to handle thunderstorms, turbulence, and the various unknowns that take place at 10,000 metres. You would be rather displeased to hear that your pilot has not, in fact, been professionally trained in handling potentially dangerous situations, and that instead they have learned how to handle the plane only from video games and reading books about pilots.

Turbulence

Negotiation similarly entails

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

Nikki Bowker, head of litigation and dispute resolution at Devonshires, on career resilience, diversity in law and channelling Elle Woods when the pressure is on

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

Leasehold enfranchisement specialist joins residential property team

DWF—Chris Air

DWF—Chris Air

Firm strengthens commercial team in Manchester with partner appointment

NEWS
Contract damages are usually assessed at the date of breach—but not always. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Gascoigne, knowledge lawyer at LexisNexis, examines the growing body of cases where courts have allowed later events to reshape compensation
The Supreme Court has restored ‘doctrinal coherence’ to unfair prejudice litigation, writes Natalie Quinlivan, partner at Fieldfisher LLP, in this week' NLJ
The High Court’s refusal to recognise a prolific sperm donor as a child’s legal parent has highlighted the risks of informal conception arrangements, according to Liam Hurren, associate at Kingsley Napley, in NLJ this week
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Mazur may have settled questions around litigation supervision, but the profession should not simply ‘move on’, argues Jennifer Coupland, CEO of CILEX, in this week's NLJ
A simple phrase like ‘subject to references’ may not protect employers as much as they think. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, analyses recent employment cases showing how conditional job offers can still create binding contracts
back-to-top-scroll