In this episode of How My Friends Negotiate, host Andrea Schneider speaks with Elliott Portnoy, founding Global CEO of Dentons and now Global CEO Emeritus, about the lessons he has learned from decades of negotiating mergers, navigating cross-cultural business relationships and leading one of the world’s largest law firms. Portnoy reflects on how his approach to negotiation evolved from focusing on preparation and winning every argument to understanding the long-term relationship that follows an agreement. Drawing on previous experiences from countries around the world, he discusses the importance of understanding what motivates the person across the table, why silence can be one of a negotiator’s most effective tools, and why a signed agreement is sometimes only the beginning of a negotiation. “It’s not about the merger,” he explains. “It’s about the marriage that results.”
Elliott Portnoy, founding global CEO of Dentons and now Global CEO Emeritus, shares what he has learned from decades of negotiating mergers, partnerships, and cross-cultural deals. Elliott reflects on how his approach has changed from seeing negotiation as a contest where the best-prepared person wins to understanding that the real goal is a lasting agreement—and, especially in mergers, the relationship that comes afterward. “It’s not about the merger,” he explains. “It’s about the marriage that results.”