Events

KMI × IHCF Special Seminar

Co-hosted by the In-House Counsel Forum (IHCF) × Korea Mediation Institute (KMI)

Co-hosted by: In-House Counsel Forum (IHCF) · Korea Mediation Institute (KMI)

In-house counsel and corporate legal professionals participate in countless negotiations on behalf of their companies — from contract negotiations through claim management to litigation, arbitration, and mediation — and sometimes face situations where a deal is on the verge of collapse. In such moments, strategic negotiation skills are required not only for legal judgment but also for reading the flow of negotiations and responding at the right time. The ability to identify early signals that a negotiation is heading toward breakdown, accurately diagnose phases of escalating conflict, and shift deadlock into a negotiable phase has a decisive impact on negotiation outcomes as well as a company's legal risk and dispute costs.

In response, the In-House Counsel Forum (IHCF) and the Korea Mediation Institute (KMI) invite Pascal Comvalius — Chair of the IMI Certification and Audit Committee and an international mediation and negotiation expert certified at Expert Level in micro-expression analysis by Paul Ekman International — for a two-day, practice-focused special seminar. On Day 1, we examine negotiation strategies and deadlock-breaking techniques used by expert negotiators at the critical moment when a deal is about to collapse, through corporate negotiation and mediation cases. On Day 2, we introduce practical techniques for reading emotional signals at the mediation and negotiation table through micro-expression analysis based on behavioral science research, capturing inconsistencies between words and expressions to distinguish genuine intent from bluffing — with a live demonstration of how micro-expression science is applied in real negotiation and mediation settings. The seminar is conducted in English with real-time AI interpretation.

As international transactions and inter-company disputes grow more complex and the importance of dispute resolution through negotiation and mediation increases, we invite members to join this special seminar for a rare opportunity to learn practical negotiation strategies and behavioral-science techniques directly from a world-class expert.

If you wish to attend, please register in advance using the button below.

Dates

Mon 31 Aug – Tue 1 Sep 2026

Venue

Seoul Bar Association Gwanghwamun Hall, Room 2 (Joyongrae Hall), 10F

Address

160 Dangju-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Directions

3-minute walk from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 8

Venue capacity

85 seats

Registration

Open until closed by administrators

Language

English with AI real-time interpretation

Programme

Day 1

Mon 31 Aug 2026, 19:00–21:00

Negotiation on the Brink: What Experts Do in the Critical Moment

When the Deal Is About to Collapse: What Experts Do in the Critical Moment

·18:00–19:00 Registration, dinner & networking
·19:00–20:00 Part 1. Signals of negotiation breakdown and conflict escalation
·20:00–21:00 Part 2. Deadlock-breaking techniques of crisis negotiators

Part 1. Signals of negotiation breakdown and conflict escalation

·Spotting the early signals of a negotiation breaking down
·Reinterpreting conflict escalation through real corporate negotiation cases

Part 2. Deadlock-breaking techniques of crisis negotiators

·De-escalation techniques from hostage and crisis negotiators
·Rebuilding trust at the brink of breakdown and returning to agreement
·Corporate negotiation experience at HEINEKEN and mediation practice cases

Day 2

Tue 1 Sep 2026, 19:00–21:00

Reading the Negotiation Table: Behavioral Science & Micro Expressions

·18:00–19:00 Registration, dinner & networking
·19:00–20:00 Part 3. The science of micro expressions (reading bluffing through micro expressions)
·20:00–21:00 Part 4. Applying behavioral science in mediation and negotiation

Part 3. The science of micro expressions (reading bluffing through micro expressions)

·Paul Ekman's universal emotions and the science of micro expressions

Part 4. Applying behavioral science in mediation and negotiation

·Using behavioral cues in mediation: responding to mismatches between verbal agreement and non-verbal signals
·Capturing emotional signals and timing interventions during negotiation deadlock
·Cases of applying micro-expression capture techniques in negotiation and mediation practice
·Application approaches for Korean mediation and negotiation practitioners

Speaker

Pascal Comvalius, MSc

·IMI Certified Mediator
·Certified hostage & crisis negotiator
·Behavioral science expert
·Author

Chair of the IMI Certification and Audit Committee and an international mediation and negotiation expert certified at Expert Level in micro-expression analysis by Paul Ekman International.

Registration & calendar

Register to attend

Any registered KMI website user can attend. Please sign in to register.