Deal Making 2.0

A guide to complex negotiations. by David A. Lax and James K. Sebenius

MOST BIG DEALS are built on a series of smaller ones. That’s true of megamergers, major sales, infrastructure projects, and even some UN resolutions. These deals are the culmination of many focused negotiations among various parties, each with its own concerns. Most deal-making advice addresses how to choose the right tactics for each piece of the puzzle. Absent from the literature is guidance on how best to put the pieces together, let alone how to identify them in the first place. This leaves a glaring gap.

Consider the case of Mittal Steel’s takeover of Arcelor, Europe’s largest steel company—an intricate deal ultimately worth $33.1 billion. Suppose that ...

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