Tell me about a time when you had to negotiate a settlement
Theme: Negotiation Role: Legal Counsel Function: Legal
Interview Question for Legal Counsel: See sample answers, motivations & red flags for this common interview question. About Legal Counsel: Provides legal advice and guidance to organizations, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. This role falls within the Legal function of a firm. See other interview questions & further information for this role here
Sample Answer
Example response for question delving into Negotiation with the key points that need to be covered in an effective response. Customize this to your own experience with concrete examples and evidence
- Background: Provide a brief overview of the situation that required a settlement negotiation
- Objective: Explain the specific goal or outcome you were aiming to achieve through the negotiation
- Preparation: Describe the steps you took to prepare for the negotiation, including research and analysis
- Negotiation Process: Outline the key steps and strategies you employed during the negotiation
- Challenges: Discuss any obstacles or difficulties you encountered during the negotiation
- Resolution: Explain how the negotiation concluded and the settlement agreement reached
- Outcome: Highlight the positive results or benefits that arose from the settlement
- Reflection: Share any lessons learned or improvements you identified from the negotiation experience
Underlying Motivations
What the Interviewer is trying to find out about you and your experiences through this question
- Negotiation skills: Assessing your ability to negotiate and reach mutually beneficial settlements
- Problem-solving skills: Evaluating your approach to resolving conflicts and finding creative solutions
- Legal knowledge: Determining your understanding of relevant laws and regulations during settlement negotiations
- Communication skills: Assessing your ability to effectively communicate and persuade during negotiations
- Conflict resolution: Evaluating your ability to handle disputes and find resolutions in a professional manner
Potential Minefields
How to avoid some common minefields when answering this question in order to not raise any red flags
- Lack of preparation: Not being able to provide specific details or examples of a negotiation settlement
- Lack of collaboration: Focusing solely on individual achievements without mentioning teamwork or collaboration with other parties
- Inflexibility: Not demonstrating adaptability or flexibility in finding a mutually beneficial solution
- Poor communication skills: Difficulty in clearly articulating the negotiation process or effectively conveying information to the other party
- Lack of problem-solving skills: Inability to identify and address the underlying issues or interests of both parties involved in the settlement