I have come across some incredibly arrogant know-it-alls in my career, a bunch of whom had the intellectual chops to back it up, but others who were just posers. Either way, their attitude turned off everyone around them and limited their opportunities and choices in...
I am shocked that music legend Prince died in 2016 without a will. This resulted in legal and administrative expenses of over $85 million out of an estate valued at around $156 million and a massive tax bill. Wow! And while I don’t feel badly for his heirs – who still...
“We think our oldest wants the house but not cash. He has no kids and probably doesn’t want our lake cabin. But we’re not sure. Our daughter wants the house and cabin plus our jewelry, largely for her daughters. She probably wants cash for her kids’ college, too. Of...
I apologize to anyone who doesn’t like Mel Brooks (is this even possible?) – but I found his negotiation stories irresistible. And we can all learn invaluable lessons from them. So here are 3 more in Part 3, the final chapter (I promise). For those who missed Part 1...
“How can we more effectively negotiate with these aggressive lawyers on the other side? They argue over every issue. I generally know how to deal with them, but is there a specific move or tactic you would recommend?” This question, posed by a potential client this...
He swore at me in front of my client. I was really surprised. I was a young lawyer at the time, and he was the opposing counsel and managing partner of a prominent law firm. I had requested documents that his associate had promised, and that my client had flown in to...
My mom recently closed on the sale of her condo, and I just debriefed on the negotiation with our real estate agent. Here is what we learned. We all can benefit from these. 1. Homework paid off with the right real estate agent. I interviewed four real estate agents,...
“It’s your tone,” my wife said to me after I apologized. What did she mean? She didn’t feel like I meant it when I said it. “Ugh,” I thought to myself. I did mean it, but it doesn’t really help much if she doesn’t believe it. What’s the problem here? We’ve all...
The personal threats, vitriol and escalatory social media tantrums flying between former bromance buddies Elon Musk and Donald Trump last week – and their apparent truce this week – got me thinking about how friends should effectively communicate and negotiate with...
