Vladimir Lissniak

Professor of Law Vladimir Lissniak is director of Pericles; he graduated from the International Law faculty of MGIMO almost 20 years ago and went on to represent Russia in France for a number of years as a diplomat; specializes in Negotiations and Dispute Resolution where he has had many years of experience both in the public and private sectors.

Negotiations and Dispute Resolution

Purpose of this Course

This course provides thorough and professional practice in business-oriented negotiations. It teaches the theory of negotiation and the skills necessary to become an effective negotiator, learned in part through active exercises and simulations. The course introduces you to negotiation tactics and strategy. It teaches how to prepare, how to identify acceptable negotiated solutions and best alternatives, and how to deal with difficult negotiators. Much of the emphasis is on international and cross-cultural negotiations, and often students from several different countries participate in the course. Emphasis is also on the role of the lawyer as a negotiator, and the lawyer/client relationship in the negotiations process. This course is useful for managers involved in negotiations on a daily basis, and recent graduates planning their careers in business.

Course Materials

• Materials are taken from a variety of sources (Russian, French, Dutch, American). They will be provided in each class. A bibliography list will be given in the first meeting. However, the main sources will be:
• Roger Fisher and William Ury. Getting Past No, Penguin Books
• Everything is Negotiable! Drops of Theory (Compiled Handouts)

Prerequisites

Good understanding of spoken and written English is strongly advisable since the language of instruction is English, and the great bulk of the course materials are in this language of international negotiations. This course is open to MBA students.

Course Topics

1. Alternative negotiation strategies
2. Classification of negotiator types
3. Ideal negotiator: a set of qualities. Personal power
4. Understanding the limits of your negotiating authority
5. Perception of the opponent
6. Art of listening to hear
7. Skills of a good listener. Verbal and non-verbal communication
8. Questioning and answering skills
9. Important factors in negotiations: time, place, authority, participants etc.
10. Disputing technique
11. Emphasizing and highlighting key points
12. How to control the direction of the discussion
13. Post negotiation assessment
14. Tension between principals and agents
15. Closing of the deal
16. The impact of ethnicity and gender
17. Russian realities of negotiating procedure
18. Arbitration tribunals. Jurisdiction
19. Execution of tribunal judgments

You can download description of the course here.