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PON – Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School - https://www.pon.harvard.edu

Team-Building Strategies: Building a Winning Team for Your Organization

Discover how to build a winning team and boost your business negotiation results in this free special report, Team Building Strategies for Your Organization, from Harvard Law School.

Best-In-Class Negotiation Case Studies You Can Use to Train

How to teach negotiation skills using negotiation case studies..

By Lara SanPietro — on May 16th, 2019 / Teaching Negotiation

What’s one of the best ways to teach the art and science of conflict resolution? With negotiation case studies that spark lively discussion or facilitate self-reflection. Based on real-world examples, these teaching resources are designed to help students envision how to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom and beyond.

Great Negotiation Case Studies

The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School bestows this prestigious honor on distinguished leaders whose lifelong accomplishments in the field of dispute resolution and negotiation have had compelling and lasting results. A number of Great Negotiation case studies also offer additional video material featuring detailed interviews with award recipients.

Text-Based Great Negotiation Cases Include:

Tommy Koh – The United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (2014) Designed to help students examine complex multi-party negotiations across multiple fronts, exploring strategies for sustained assessment of barriers in a negotiation campaign. The A case establishes the background for negotiation and the B case discusses Koh’s efforts to reach an agreement.
Lakhdar Brahimi – Negotiating a New Government for Afghanistan (2002) Examines former U.N. Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi’s involvement in negotiating an interim Afghani government after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
Stuart Eizenstat – Negotiating the Final Accounts of World War II (2003) Examines former EU Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat’s career as a negotiator, with special emphasis on his work negotiating reparations for victims of the Holocaust.
Charlene Barshefsky – Negotiating a Trade Agreement with China (2001) Describes the challenges former United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky faced in negotiating a trade agreement with China to improve its domestic intellectual property rights enforcement regime.
George Mitchell – In Northern Ireland “To Hell with the Future, Let’s Get On With the Past” (2000) Examines the strategies and tactics used by U.S. negotiator George Mitchell during his two-year tenure as chairman of the all-party talks in Northern Ireland between 1996 and 1998. His efforts culminated in the signing of the historic Good Friday Accords.

Video-Based Great Negotiator Cases Include:

Claim your FREE copy: Teaching Negotiation

Discover the insights you need to deliver the most effective role-play simulations in this free special report, Teaching Negotiation: Understanding The Impact Of Role-Play Simulations , from Harvard Law School.

TNRC’s Newest Negotiation Case Study

A Green Victory Against Great Odds, But Was It Too Little Too Late? Provides an in-depth view of the major US nonprofit environmental groups that advocated throughout 2007 for a bill that would address vehicle pollution, electricity pollution, and other areas contributing to global climate change. See our recent Q&A with Author Gina Coplon-Newfield for more information.

Best-In-Class Negotiation Case Studies

Negotiating About Pandas for San Diego Zo o Centers on the most challenging task for a negotiator: to reach a satisfactory agreement with a tough counterpart from a position of low power—and to do so in an uncommon context. The case concerns the executive director of a zoo in the U.S. who seeks two giant pandas. This majestic endangered species is available from only one source on the planet: China.
The Mariyinsky Palace Negotiations Focuses on the negotiations to resolve the political crisis caused by the disputed 2004 Ukrainian presidential election. These negotiations culminated in an unprecedented second runoff election and a victory for the opposition Viktor Yushchenko.
Negotiating a Template for Labor Standards Tracks the negotiation of the labor provisions in the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement signed into law on January 1, 2004. It draws upon a range of published and unpublished sources and interviews with some of the primary players to give a true inside look into a challenging international negotiation.

Take your training to the next level with the TNRC

The Teaching Negotiation Resource Center offers a wide range of effective teaching materials, including

Over 200 role-play simulations
Critical negotiation case studies
Enlightening periodicals
More than 30 videos
100-plus books

Most TNRC materials are designed for educational purposes— for use in college classrooms or corporate training settings. TNRC cases and exercises help mediators and facilitators introduce their clients to a process or issue and help individuals who want to enhance their negotiation skills and knowledge .

Negotiation case studies introduce participants to new negotiation and dispute resolution tools, techniques and strategies. Videos are also a helpful way of introducing viewers to key concepts, and TNRC books , role-play simulations , and periodicals address the theory and practice of negotiation and conflict management.

Are there any negotiation case studies that have helped you? Share them in the comments.

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Negotiation and Leadership

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Beyond the Back Table: Working with People and Organizations to Get to Yes

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Beyond the Back Table February 2025 Program Guide

Select Your Free Special Report

Negotiation and Leadership Spring 2025 Program Guide
Negotiation Essentials Online (NEO) December 2024 and June 2025 Program Guide
Negotiation Essentials In-House Program Guide
Negotiation Master Class November 2024 Program Guide
Beyond the Back Table February 2025 Program Guide
Negotiation and Leadership Fall 2024 Program Guide
Make the Most of Online Negotiations
Managing Multiparty Negotiations
Getting the Deal Done
Salary Negotiation: How to Negotiate Salary: Learn the Best Techniques to Help You Manage the Most Difficult Salary Negotiations and What You Need to Know When Asking for a Raise

Teaching Negotiation Resource Center

Teaching Materials and Publications

Stay Connected to PON

Preparing for negotiation.

Understanding how to arrange the meeting space is a key aspect of preparing for negotiation. In this video, Professor Guhan Subramanian discusses a real world example of how seating arrangements can influence a negotiator’s success. This discussion was held at the 3 day executive education workshop for senior executives at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Guhan Subramanian is the Professor of Law and Business at the Harvard Law School and Professor of Business Law at the Harvard Business School.

Articles & Insights

For Business Negotiators, Patience Can be a Virtue
Take your BATNA to the Next Level
BATNA Examples—and What You Can Learn from Them
Taylor Swift: Negotiation Mastermind?
Negotiation Examples: How Crisis Negotiators Use Text Messaging
The Star Wars Negotiations and Trust at the Negotiation Table
Negotiation Examples in Real Life: Buying a Home
Art Buchwald, Paramount Pictures, and the Cost of Litigation Instead of Negotiation
Increase Your Power in Negotiation
Simplify Multiparty Negotiations with Stakeholder Alignment
Conflict-Management Styles: Pitfalls and Best Practices
Mediation and the Conflict Resolution Process
Types of Conflict in Business Negotiation—and How to Avoid Them
Negotiation with Your Children: How to Resolve Family Conflicts
What is an Arbitration Agreement?
Crisis Negotiation Skills: The Hostage Negotiator’s Drill
Famous Negotiations Cases – NBA and the Power of Deadlines at the Bargaining Table
AI Negotiation in the News
Power Tactics in Negotiation: How to Gain Leverage with Stronger Parties
Negotiating Change During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Dealing with challenging negotiators
Negotiating with Difficult Personalities and “Dark” Personality Traits
M&A Negotiation Strategy: Dealing with an Unpredictable Counterpart
Bargaining in Bad Faith: Dealing with “False Negotiators”
Dealing with Difficult People and Negotiation: When Should You Give Up the Fight?
What is Distributive Negotiation and Five Proven Strategies
Dealmaking Secrets from Henry Kissinger
Renegotiation Lessons from the NAFTA Talks
Negotiation Techniques: The First Offer Dilemma in Negotiations
How to Counter Offer Successfully With a Strong Rationale
Negotiation Case Studies: Google’s Approach to Dispute Resolution
Emotional Triggers: How Emotions Affect Your Negotiating Ability
3 Negotiation Strategies for Conflict Resolution
Top 10 Dispute Resolution Skills
The Door in the Face Technique: Will It Backfire?
Negotiation Team Dynamics: The Divide-and-Conquer Strategy
Best Negotiators in History: Nelson Mandela and His Negotiation Style
Top 10 International Business Negotiation Case Studies
How to Solve Intercultural Conflict
Cross-Cultural Communication in Business Negotiations
Challenges Facing Women Negotiators
Advantages and Disadvantages of Leadership Styles: Uncovering Bias and Generating Mutual Gains
Servant Leadership and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge
The Contingency Theory of Leadership: A Focus on Fit
Paternalistic Leadership: Beyond Authoritarianism
AI Mediation: Using AI to Help Mediate Disputes
How Mediation Can Help Resolve Pro Sports Disputes
Mediation Training: What Can You Expect?
Undecided on Your Dispute Resolution Process? Combine Mediation and Arbitration, Known as Med-Arb
Types of Mediation: Choose the Type Best Suited to Your Conflict
Managing the “Negotiator’s Dilemma” with Multiple Equivalent Simultaneous Offers
Tired of Liars? Promote More Ethical Negotiation Behavior
Negotiation Skills: Building Trust in Negotiations
Finding Mutual Gains In “Non-Negotiation”
Emotional Intelligence in Negotiation
Trust in Negotiation: Does Gender Matter?
Negotiation Training: What’s Special About Technology Negotiations?
Cole Cannon Esq. Shares His Negotiation and Leadership Experience
Gender and Negotiation: New Research Findings
Ethics and Negotiation: 5 Principles of Negotiation to Boost Your Bargaining Skills in Business Situations
Salary Negotiation: How to Ask for a Higher Salary
Dispute Resolution Example: The Chicago Symphony’s Contract Dispute
Negotiating Salary: Confronting the Gender Pay Gap
How to Counter a Job Offer: Avoid Common Mistakes
How to Negotiate a Higher Salary after a Job Offer
Dear Negotiation Coach: What is the Secret to Negotiating with Kids Successfully?
How to Use Tradeoffs to Create Value in Your Negotiations
How to Create Win-Win Situations
5 Win-Win Negotiation Strategies
How to Negotiate Mutually Beneficial Noncompete Agreements

PON Publications

Negotiation Data Repository (NDR)
New Frontiers, New Roleplays: Next Generation Teaching and Training
Negotiating Transboundary Water Agreements
Learning from Practice to Teach for Practice—Reflections From a Novel Training Series for International Climate Negotiators
Insights From PON’s Great Negotiators and the American Secretaries of State Program
Gender and Privilege in Negotiation

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Home » Case Studies

Case Studies

Researchers and students asked us for case studies, so we delivered. We hope that you're able to learn from these practical examples from around the world. Check out our negotiation training when you're ready to elevate your negotiation capability.

Issues in Negotiation: How to Solve a Problem

Negotiating with WalMart Buyers

How Microsoft Outnegotiated Netscape in the Browser War

Trust Building in a Trilateral China Japan Western Negotiation

Nepal–India Water Negotiations (Power Asymmetry)

Business Expansion Woven From Trust

Camp David Third Party Intervener

The Cost of Death on Chinese Roads

The Panama Canal Negotiations

Contract Renegotiation with the Chilean Government

A Negotiation Case Study: Exploring the Enron Case in India

Scientists and Bureaucrats - Orientation Issues

Gaming in Shanghai

Andorra Versus the European Community (EC)

Businessman select mask. Vector flat illustration

How Giving Face in China Translates to Negotiation Success

Creative Problem-Solving in Negotiations

Power in Negotiation

Kuwait Invasion Negotiation Perspective

Lehman Leadership Negotiation Rivalry

Chinese Water Selling Negotiation

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Business Negotiation Examples

Negotiation examples.

At TableForce, we know how important it is to lead by example. That’s why we’re sharing a few of our best business negotiation examples to help you gain a negotiation advantage. Unlike our friends at HBR , ours are open source.

Whether you are looking to enhance your personal negotiation skills or seeking to transform your organizational culture through improved business-to-business negotiations, our negotiation case studies showcase practical negotiating techniques and tactics that lead to real-world success

Video Negotiation Examples:

Mike inman negotiating for apples - simple, mike inman negotiation w/, and evaluated by nahuel mongelli of università di bologna, enterprise sales, cost reduction, luxury real estate, leading by example: negotiation case studies.

TableForce understands firsthand that the key to successful real-life negotiations lies at the intersection of experience and education.

The TableForce partners have built our reputation on a combined seven decades of success at the negotiation table, working with organizations across continents, cultures, industries and communication platforms.

We have turned our experiences and knowledge into best-in-class negotiation workshops, seminars, video courses and training materials. Time and again, our clients have indicated that this unique background lends expertise, insight and credibility to our negotiation training. And the real-life examples we provide serve as one of the most powerful tools for learning.

Our client in the software as a service (SaaS) industry was bidding on a large enterprise rollout for a new customer. After two months spent scoping the project and hammering out details, a “handshake” agreement was reached with the customer’s executive vice president (EVP).

Soon thereafter, though, the EVP contacted the client and said “I spoke with our CFO. They said we don’t have the budget, and you’ll need to do better.”

Our client had already put together an aggressive offer to win the large deal. They wanted to maintain their great relationship with the EVP without reducing their margin–so they reached out to the TableForce partners.

Using The Buying Game ™ –unique intellectual property developed by TableForce to familiarize professionals with the processes and tactics most commonly used by purchasers–our negotiators were able to ask the right questions and better understand the buyer’s position.

Learn how planning better, communicating clearly, considering cost vs. value and re-scoping the project allowed our client to reduce their quote while protecting their margin, maintain their good relationship and reach a win-win outcome for both parties in this great business negotiation example.

Amalgamated, Inc. had recently centralized its procurement department. Part of that process included evaluating services, service levels and associated pricing across all the Amalgamated business units.

It was discovered that one business unit was paying a significantly higher monthly retainer to a supplier–in this case, their marketing agency of record. Amalgamated’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) instructed a purchasing agent from the procurement team to “get the business unit’s costs in line with their peers.”

Luckily, this purchasing agent had been trained by the professional negotiators at TableForce. Learn how understanding relationships , remaining curious , staying flexible , planning better , trying harder and trading low-value for high-value concessions allowed the purchasing agent to make it through three rounds of external and internal negotiations.

The result? A rare win-win-win-win for Amalgamated, Inc., the business unit, the purchasing agent and the marketing agency–and a perfect example of how the business negotiation skills taught in TableForce training can be applied directly in the real world.

Our client had found their ideal luxury property. Even better, their fair market offer of $4.68 million had been accepted, though it was slightly below the asking price.

A week later, however, the seller’s agent contacted our client and informed them there was a mistake–in fact, the property would be sold to another buyer. The client immediately engaged an attorney specializing in real estate, as well as our TableForce partners. Research showed that our client’s offer had been accepted first, but that the other buyer offered well above the asking price–in cash.

The seller’s attorney was combative. The buyer’s attorney suggested that the best course was a lien against the property and a drawn-out court battle. Using our proven negotiation model and knowing that expectations impact outcome , TableForce suggested our client could do better.

Learn how planning better , understanding terms and conditions and trading concessions resulted in our client getting their dream home for their original offer of $4.68 million in this real-life negotiation example.

Want more real-life negotiation examples?

Working with tableforce.

As the best negotiators in the business, TableForce offers an unmatched depth and breadth of experience. With more than a century of combined, hands-on contract negotiation under our belts, TableForce has personally negotiated hundreds of millions of dollars in value on behalf of our client companies. Curious how we can make an impact for you?