The President's Cup negotiation competition came to a close at KCH Garden Square on Monday 4th December, in the final round. Finalists Lane Castro from Gateley Legal and Will Jones from Freeths LLP. This esteemed competition is one of three legal competitions organised by the Society for young legal professionals.
The competition revolves around two finalists who are chosen from the initial round. In this round, participants submit their entries with a scenario on how to negotiate a deal. Once the finalists are selected, they are assigned a client and are tasked with creating a negotiation agenda and engaging in the actual negotiation process.
Lane Castro who represents the emerging pop artist Emily Charles. Emily, a talented nineteen-year-old singer/songwriter, has not yet been signed to a major label.
Lane's client has gained recognition through her music releases on Instagram, which have received positive feedback. With her client having over two million followers on Instagram, Lane is keen for her client to maintain this growing fan base, not forgetting having completed two sold-out tours in small UK venues and a nomination for Best New Musician at the Instagrammys, an awards ceremony, it is important that Lane ensures her client holds control.
Considering all of these factors, Lane has set specific objectives for herself in her discussions with Will, who represents the record label. Her main priority is to secure the appropriate funding and recognition for Emily's songwriting abilities. Additionally, Lane aims to maintain control over Emily's social media presence and most importantly, her music. By doing so, Lane wants to ensure that Emily is not subjected to the constraints of strict timelines for album releases and recording materials. These discussions with Will are crucial for Lane to achieve her agenda and fulfill her objectives.
Will Jones, from Freeths LLP, is acting on behalf of the renowned record label KMBH.
KMBH Record Co is a prominent record label that has identified Emily Charles, a client of Lane, as a talented musician with the potential to become the next Taylor Swift. KMBH is interested in signing Emily Charles and is willing to offer an upfront payment to the artist. However, they want to ensure that the music produced by Lane's client is commercially successful, as they do not want to be stuck with artists who do not sell records.
Will's negotiation agenda reflects the recording contract, the number of albums required within a specific time frame , and the level of control KMBH will have over the artist's music.
The negotiation contest starts with the two finalists establishing the agenda for the meetings within a 10-minute time constraint. The judges listen to their presentations on the key points they believe should be discussed during the negotiation, which lasts for an additional 40 minutes.
The judging panel, comprised of the President of the Society, Stephen Luke, the Immediate Past President, Janine McKinney, the Chair of the Education & Training Committee, Helen Fanning, KCH Garden Square Barrister, Tom Russell, and Professors Jane Jarman and Jane Ching from Nottingham Law School The judges observe the negotiation and assess the performance and style of the finalists. They assign marks in the categories:
- Clarity of expression, appearence and demeanour
- Response to questioning
- Thoroughness of preparation
- Degree of persuasiveness
- The X Factor in performance
After a duration of 40 minutes filled with negotiation, questioning, and the clever use of persuasive tactics, the two finalists found themselves evenly matched in their negotiation abilities. Once again, the competition was incredibly close between the two finalists. However, after careful consideration, Will Jones was declared the winner of the 2023 competition!
A big congratulations to both finalists for their exceptional display of competitive negotiation skills.
Both finalists will receive cash prizes, but it is Will Jones who will proudly hold the prestigious President's Cup for the next year!
We extend our thanks to all the individuals who submitted entries for the competition, the Education & Training Committee responsible for organising the competition, the panel of judges for the final round, and KCH Garden Square for hosting this prestigious event.
President, Stephen Luke congratulates Lane Castro for participating in the President's Cup final and presents Will Jones with the President's Cup.
