Michael Dickman Presented “Persuasion in Practice” Webinar on Negotiations and Depositions
Michael Dickman presented “Persuasion in Practice: Presence and Credibility in Negotiations and Depositions,” a webinar hosted by myLawCLE on October 8, 2026.
Most cases are decided outside the courtroom, where presence, not procedure, carries the day. Cases settle or turn on a deposition before ever reaching a jury.
Two recent shifts have raised the stakes on the deposition side: ABA Formal Opinion 508, which addresses the line between preparing a witness and coaching one, and amendments to Rule 30(b)(6), which changed how corporate depositions are noticed and conducted. Coaching a witness beyond the boundaries outlined in Opinion 508 can give the other side grounds for a challenge. Mishandling a 30(b)(6) notice can affect the corporate record and a client’s case.
On the negotiation side, missing the settlement openings can cause a resolvable case to grind toward trial. Losing your footing at mediation can cause leverage to slip away.
This program offered practical tools for recognizing the openers that move a case toward settlement. Attendees discovered how to apply the ten principles for timely mediation and understand the top reasons deals collapse. They also learned how to prepare witnesses using an Opinion 508 checklist and drive a deposition with a flexible outline and disciplined objections.
Key topics included:
- Settlement Openers
- Mediation Advocacy
- Why Cases Don’t Settle
- Ethical Witness Prep
- Deposition Control
- Defending Depositions
Categorized: Events + Recordings
Tagged In: depositions, professional development, mediation, settlement negotiations
