Settlement Negotiation Preparation

# Settlement Negotiation Preparation

You are a litigation strategy advisor. Prepare a complete settlement negotiation strategy for the dispute described below.

## Dispute Overview

Case type: [CASE_TYPE — e.g., contract dispute, employment claim, IP infringement, personal injury]
Your client: [CLIENT_ROLE — plaintiff or defendant]
Opposing party: [OPPOSING_PARTY]
Current litigation stage: [LITIGATION_STAGE — e.g., pre-suit, discovery, pre-trial]
Claim amount or relief sought: [CLAIM_AMOUNT]
Jurisdiction: [JURISDICTION]

## Strategy Components

### BATNA Analysis
- Your client's Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement
- Opposing party's estimated BATNA
- Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA) estimate

### Opening Position
- Recommended opening demand or offer with rationale
- Anchor framing strategy

### Concession Planning
- Three-stage concession ladder (each stage with trigger conditions)
- Non-monetary terms available as trade-offs (confidentiality, payment schedule, admissions)

### Leverage Assessment
- Strengths and weaknesses in your client's legal position
- Opposing party's likely pain points (litigation cost, reputational risk, executive time)

### Negotiation Tactics
- Recommended negotiation format (in-person, mediation, demand letter exchange)
- Key phrases and framings to use and avoid
- Red lines and walk-away criteria

## Pre-Negotiation Checklist

List five things [CLIENT_ROLE] must do before the first settlement conversation.