Overview

This intensive one-day virtual training event draws on Warren Collins’ 25 years of experience handling cases in or involving the United States, distilling practical techniques that he has successfully integrated into UK legal practice. The programme explores the psychology behind effective business development, communication, persuasion, negotiation, settlement, and courtroom advocacy. Through real-world insights and behavioural science, participants will learn how to enhance their professional effectiveness, whether engaging with clients, managing witnesses, negotiating with opponents, or presenting cases.

Designed for lawyers seeking to sharpen both their interpersonal and strategic skills, the session provides actionable tools that can be immediately applied to improve outcomes across all stages of the litigation and client-care process.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this one-day event, participants will be able to:

Business Development & Client Engagement

• Apply effective networking strategies tailored specifically for legal professionals.
• Understand the psychological principles that drive successful business development.
• Confidently identify prospective clients and convert enquiries into signed instructions.
• Recognise how personal presentation, communication style and perceived credibility influence client decision-making.

Communication, Persuasion & Case Framing

• Use storytelling and road-mapping techniques to frame cases more persuasively.
• Draft letters of claim rooted in behavioural psychology rather than relying on precedent templates.
• Identify key cognitive biases including association, confirmation, and affinity biases and use this knowledge to counteract or ethically leverage them in practice.
• Understand OCEAN personality traits and how they influence interactions with clients, witnesses, experts, and opponents.

Negotiation & Settlement Psychology

• Apply principles from “Never Split the Difference” and other negotiation frameworks to achieve better outcomes.
• Use mirroring, tone-matching, and strategic communication to influence opponents.
• Identify motivators and demotivators that drive settlement decisions.
• Use analogies and simplification techniques to improve clarity and persuasion during negotiations.

Courtroom & Advocacy Psychology

• Understand the psychological dynamics at play in settlement meetings and how to manage them effectively.
• Recognise the behavioural factors that influence judges, juries, and courtroom participants.
• Integrate psychological insights into advocacy strategy to increase impact and persuasiveness.

Testimonials

"Really engaging and enjoyed the knowledge share! I will use lots of the points going forward."