Learn from a multi-jurisdictional trained lawyers with extensive experience in contract drafting and negotiations, as well as with training in psychology, human behaviour and persuasion.
Contracts often have archaic language with unclear meaning and a number of interpretations, leading to disputes and litigation. They also leave many loopholes – leading to confusion as to obligations and sometimes intentional diffusion of responsibility.
This course presents knowledge on negotiating contracts in multi-cultural setting, and drafting contracts with clear accessible language and without relying on contract templates (a powerful fuel for disputes).
Why choose this course?
The course incorporates key psychological phenomena (human mind processes, mind influences, persuasion) affecting contract negotiations and drafting; as well as knowledge on human behaviour and on differences between people and cultures.
This course considers contracts and negotiations backwards – from litigation, to performance to drafting to negotiations – enabling negotiating and drafting of contracts with minimal loopholes.
Key elements of this course
1. Issues in cross-border commercial transactions
- Assessing risks (legislative, political, judicial etc.)
- Performance
- Distance
- Cultural differences
- Costs of dispute resolution process
2. International commercial litigation
- Litigating in practice, including tactics used in multinational litigation
- Conflict of laws/private international law
- Jurisdiction and other issues
3. Development of commercial laws and practices, key legal systems and organisations
- Drafting of commercial laws
- UK legal system
- UNCITRAL and its impact
- Commercial Finance Association, World Bank etc.
4. Reasoning in commercial courts
- Understanding court’s reasoning
- Differences in reasoning between commercial and non-commercial matters, and how this affects drafting and negotiations
5. Negotiations
- Negotiation methods
- Understanding psychological processes affecting human behaviour
- Multi-cultural negotiations
6. Drafting
- Effective use of negotiations
- Drafting techniques
- Techniques for using clear language concisely
- Techniques for minimising use of contract templates, to minimise related harm
- Effective use of contract templates
- Specific international commercial contracts in different areas of practice, including sale of goods and commercial finance: cross-border asset-based lending
7. Organisational psychology: individuals, groups and cultures
- Psychological processes affecting negotiations
- Origins of individual differences and how to apply in practice
- Group and cultural differences
- Perceptions on individual, group and cultural differences
Throughout the course participants will have the opportunity to conduct practical exercises to practice new skillsand consolidate knowledge.
Is this course for me?
This course is for anyone with an interest in learning about international commercial transactions and how to negotiate and draft contracts for such transactions.
Other recommended courses to be taken separately or in combination
Psychology and Law – a one-day course, focusing on key psychological phenomena and mind processes and weaknesses affecting justice – as they apply in the justice context.
Decision Making and the Mind: Weaknesses, Biases and Persuasion – a one-day course suitable for anyone wishing to learn about persuasion and mind influences and how they penetrate our mind to affect decision making. Understanding of psychological processes is at the core of decision making and communication, and is essential to effective public speaking.
Intermediate Public Speaking and Presenting – a one-day course for those who wish to take their public speaking to a more advanced level.
Tutoring
This course is directed by Fatos Selita, who has delivered training in this area internationally, and has multi-disciplinary training and experience, including in law; mind processes; and differences between people / genetics. Fatos also directs the ‘Psychology for Lawyers: Brain, Mind and Behaviour’; ‘Decision Making: Brain, Mind and Behaviour’ and ‘Public Speaking and Presenting’ courses.
Fees
£750
Booking information
Disability Support
We are committed to providing reasonable teaching adjustments for students with disabilities that may impact on their learning experience. If you require adjustments, please complete the relevant section on the booking form and also contact us at shortcourses@gold.ac.uk so we can respond to your requests as soon as possible.
Please note our short courses sell-out quickly, so early booking is advisable.
Discounts
- 10% when a participant enrolls for more than one of our courses (at the same time)
- 20% UK students
- 25%Members of the UK Law and Society Association (UKLSA)
- If five people register from the same institution for the same intake, the fifth place is free
- Goldsmiths students, staff and alumni - email us for current discounts
As a University, we are able to offer our courses at minimum prices, and free of VAT - to make knowledge available to as wide audience as possible.
Refund policy: See AIR main page
Starting date, Monday 9 Mar 2020
10-5pm | 5 days
Enquiries
If you have any questions about this course please contact air (@gold.ac.uk) or call +44 (0)20 7078 5468.
For information on our upcoming short courses please sign up to our mailing list.
Location
Senate House, University of London, Bloomsbury