Byron L. Hanchett, Esq.

Unlike many who consult, coach, and conduct workshops in the area of negotiation, Byron Hanchett has negotiated a wide variety of agreements across a broad spectrum of industries including technology, telecom, aerospace, pharmaceutical, brand management, energy, commercial real estate, and entertainment. Client assignments have taken him to over 25 countries on six continents producing billions of dollars in durable agreements. This was accomplished by identifying the parties’ interests and creating the influence required to achieve client goals.

In addition to his legal education at Loyola Law School, and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Syracuse University, he has completed post-graduate studies in negotiation, mediation, and influence strategies at Harvard Law School, Pepperdine Law School’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, and the Graduate Schools of Business at Stanford and Ohio State Universities.

He began his career as a Chief Negotiator and Contracting Officer negotiating weapon system and technology contracts for the United States Air Force.  Upon leaving the Air Force, he applied these skills at a large technology company.  As a Procurement and Contracts Manager, his focus was technology licensing, resolving contract disputes, acquiring other technology companies, and negotiating major sales and purchase transactions.  Later, he managed three business units involved in developing, producing, and selling computer-aided design and manufacturing systems.

At a large technology company he consulted to program and other contract managers advising them on pricing, and purchase and sale negotiation strategies.  He reviewed proposals before submission to the customer and conducted devil’s advocate negotiations to test sales strategies, tactics, and pricing theories. These reviews and practice sessions greatly improved outcomes.  He has advised on strategy and reviewed client proposals ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to over $600 million.  

Later, he negotiated over a billion dollars in commercial real estate transactions ranging from real estate development transactions, investment sales, financing, joint ventures, leases, construction, and large portfolio transactions.

For the last fifteen years, he has also consulted, coached, and led workshops on negotiation and sales negotiation.  His consulting services span a wide range and include advising those involved in purchase and sale transactions, stockholders in closely held corporations; licensing technology and trademarks; and product rollouts where pricing and supply chain relationships impact long term profitability.  Please see a more complete description under the Consulting tab.

His workshops include customized material for specific companies, and a number of negotiation courses offered at the University of California at San Diego including an Executive Program for Scientists and Engineers.  One fortune 25 technology company has hosted over 100 two-day workshops in training their sales, licensing, and supply chain professionals. This is in addition to companies such as Disney, Sempra Energy, Shell, TRW, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, General Dynamics, Sea World, UCSD, Scripps Hospital, NOKIA, and Aurora Bio Sciences. He also conducts two-day open enrollment workshops in legal negotiation for California lawyers.

In the course of executing assignments, he has resolved disputes, negotiated a wide variety of transactions, and conducted workshops and consulting assignments in over 25 countries including Japan, Thailand, China, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Hungary, Romania, Brazil, Egypt, Mexico and a number of Western European countries.

Savvy Negotiator™ workshops bring together the latest research with the experience of a seasoned negotiator.  The result - strategies that consistently produce excellent economic and relationship outcomes in a wide variety of industries and situations. 

Mr. Hanchett personally conducts all consulting, coaching, and workshops.