Ottawa—On Wednesday, November 16, 2016, Dentons’ Ottawa office hosted the 17th Annual University of Ottawa / Dentons Canada LLP Negotiation Competition, where teammates Raya Sidhu and Emily Kostandoff from the University of Ottawa emerged as winners of the competition, beating out 23 other teams.

In the mock negotiations, the competitors were challenged to work out the terms of a complex employment contract between a consultant and a toy company. Prior to the event, the students received background information and a set of confidential instructions from their respective “clients” setting out priorities and desired outcomes. Based on these materials, the students prepared their negotiating positions and strategies.

The 18 volunteer judges for the competition comprised Dentons lawyers, representatives from some of the Firm’s key clients, and faculty from the University of Ottawa. Sitting in panels of three, the judges observed and evaluated two separate negotiations, followed by self-analyses by the students. The judges scored and ranked the competing teams, then provided constructive feedback to the students to help them learn from their experience.

Last night’s first place team will now move on to the national competition at the University of Manitoba in March 2017, with Dentons as their proud sponsor and coach.

Congratulations to each participant who gave their all in this year’s negotiation competition.

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