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SASLAW SEMINAR 30 MARCH 2012. Name of presenter: Title of Presentation :. Professor Alan Rycroft. Negotiating Settlement: What are the obstacles?. 1. Principled objection to settling (‘Why should I pay 3 month’s salary to a thief?’ ).
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SASLAW SEMINAR 30 MARCH 2012 Name of presenter: Title of Presentation: Professor Alan Rycroft Negotiating Settlement: What are the obstacles?
1. Principled objection to settling(‘Why should I pay 3 month’s salary to a thief?’) Shift the talk away from principles towards the practicalities: • lack of certainty that arbitration will uphold the principle; • arbitration may take long and may involve legal costs; • the possibility of review. Focus on interests. A Rycroft 30 March 2012
2. Need for ‘a day in court’(‘I want the CCMA to find that I was treated unfairly’) • Explain the impact of an adversarial process in further destroying relationships. • Explain that the decision is evidence-based. • Explain that the test is ‘on a balance of probabilities’. Author and Date
3. Institutional / structural obstacles(‘I have no mandate to settle’) • Explore who has the power to change the mandate. • Explain s 142A allows an agreement to be made an arbitration award. • Are there external factors preventing settlement? Author and Date
4. Procedural anxiety(‘Settlement will upset our consistency on the issue’) • Explain that while consistency is required, mitigating factors are also required. • Explore ways of anticipating future allegations of inconsistency. Author and Date
5. Opportunistic / Wrong assumptions(“I was told the CCMA would give me 12 months compensation”) • Lower expectations by advising that the average CCMA compensation is 4 months. • Warn about a s 138(10) costs order Author and Date
6. Ethical and value-related issues(“We will not tolerate racism under any circumstances.”) • Try and find an over-arching value • Agree to disagree on the ethics / values and concentrate on a collaborative solution Author and Date
7. Representational dynamics(“As your lawyer / union rep, I urge you not to settle.”) • Create doubt in the mind of the attorney / union rep about the facts of the case / strength of evidence. • Find ways for the representative to claim a ‘victory’. • What is the role of the media? Author and Date
8. The failure to assess one’s BATNA(I haven’t thought what my Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement is) • Explore what happens if there is no negotiated agreement. • Explore if there are ways to improve the BATNA. Author and Date
9. Psychological / cognitive factors(‘When the client says “It stands to reason…” what kind of thinker is she?) • Understand how your client thinks (is she a synthesist, idealist, pragmatist, analyst or realist?) • Synthesist: seeks conflict & synthesis • Idealist: seeks ideal solutions • Pragmatist: seeks shortest route to payoff • Analyst: seeks “one best way” • Realist: seeks solutions that meet current needs Author and Date