Negotiation Case Studies, Negotiation Research December 28, 2009

Five of the most memorable negotiation stories of 2009

As 2009 draws to a close, we look back at the year it was for business and diplomatic negotiations in the United States and around the world. Certain negotiations were in the news for a good portion of the year. Some were short but memorable. This year saw many mergers and acquisitions, sell-offs, labor disputes, and discussions of global issues such as climate change.

Here’s our round-up of five of the most memorable negotiation stories of the past year.

Health care reform

Marathon United States Senate sessions on health care reform culminated in the first Christmas Eve vote in decades. Health care reform is not a done deal yet, even though negotiations between lawmakers, the administration and various lobbies have been ongoing since early this year.

Copenhagen and climate change

In early December, the world witnessed two weeks of contentious discussions in the Danish capital that highlighted divisions between the developed and less developed countries. The results were not encouraging: only resulting in the adoption of a non-binding resolution on the reduction of carbon dioxide.

American journalists released from North Korea prison

Back in August, Kim Jong-Il gained a large concession from United States negotiators: a top-level visit from Bill Clinton. The North Korean leader wanted a big name in American politics to come personally to discuss the release of the two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who had been imprisoned and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegally entering North Korea.

Chrysler

Back in April it seems the American car industry was going to collapse. Chrysler was on the brink of bankruptcy and there were hard negotiations going on between the U.S. Treasury and the carmaker’s creditors. In the end, Chrysler was able to declare bankruptcy, restructure the company and later emerge from bankruptcy.

New York Times – Boston Globe

In April, it seemed like the end had come for the venerable Boston newspaper. The Boston Globe’s owner, The New York Times was in negotiations with the Globe’s unions to cut costs dramatically or close the newspaper. In the end, the Boston Globe was saved.

What negotiations do you think were the most important or memorable? Please add to our list.