The President's Cup negotiation contest concluded at Gateley Legal on Monday, December 2nd, with the final showdown. The last round featured Francesca Townsend from Actons Solicitors and William Schlich from Geldards LLP. This prestigious event is one of three legal competitions organised by the Society for aspiring legal professionals.
The competition involves selecting two finalists from the initial stage. In this phase, participants submit scenarios outlining strategies for negotiating a deal. After the finalists are chosen, they are assigned clients and must develop a negotiation agenda to engage in the actual negotiation proceedings.
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Francesca Townsend served as the representative for the television and film producer, Mr. Murray, a prominent figure in film production who aspired to create a musical adaptation of Ulysses.
On Mr. Murray's behalf, Francesca aims to maintain authority over the production, casting decisions, and creative input, while also securing a share of the merchandise profits.
Francesca approaches negotiations with William Schlich from Geldards LLP, who acts for the production company Pear, with a well-defined strategy and objective to secure the most favourable arrangement for her client.
William is eager to guarantee that his client, Pear, secures Mr. Murray to create no fewer than four shows annually for their successful streaming platform. This profitable agreement will also encompass a variety of product placements through a tech company, along with other merchandise opportunities. Preserving creative authority over the production, casting, and merchandise is crucial to William's goals.
The negotiation competition kicks off with the two finalists setting the agenda for their meetings, all within a 10-minute window. The judges then listen to their presentations, where the contestants highlight the essential topics they think should be tackled during the negotiation, which extends for an additional 40 minutes.
The panel of judges includes the President of the Society, Lauren Crow, Deputy Vice President, Drew Dennis, the Chair of the Education & Training Committee, Helen Fanning, Gateley Legal Director, Helen Webster, and Professors Jane Jarman from Nottingham Law School. The judges watch the negotiation closely, evaluating the finalists on their performance and approach. They allocate scores in the categories:
- Clarity of expression, appearance and demeanour
- Response to questioning
- Thoroughness of preparation
- Degree of persuasiveness
- The X Factor in performance
After a 40-minute session packed with negotiation, inquiry, and the skillful application of persuasive tactics, the two finalists demonstrated equal proficiency in their negotiation skills. The contest was once again incredibly tight between the finalists. Nonetheless, following careful deliberation, Francesca Townsend was announced as the champion of the 2024 competition!
Congratulations to both finalists for their outstanding showcase of competitive negotiation abilities.
Both participants will receive cash awards, but Francesca will proudly hold the prestigious President's Cup for the coming year!
We extend our gratitude to all those who submitted entries, the Education & Training Committee for organising the competition, the panel of judges for the final round, and Gateley Legal for hosting this esteemed event.
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