I am the CEO/President of an Oregon Manufacturing Company. I have known Don since I attended an invaluable presentation of his on negotiation strategies. Since 2008 Don has assisted us with negotiations in three very difficult transactions and one conflict, any of which were important or severe enough to have had devastating financial impacts on our company if not concluded favorably.

I was so impressed with Don’s negotiation philosophy that we contracted him to aid us in establishing a structured process for analyzing each situation and developing a sound approach for negotiations. I was continually amazed at his ability to grasp the complexities of an extremely multifaceted problem. While developing strategies, his broad expertise in Corporate and Tax law allowed Don to present us with deal opportunities that we would not have developed without his assistance.

Because of the relationships involved, we decided to handle the direct negotiations ourselves in three of the matters. In addition to guiding us through setting strategy, he did a tremendous job of coaching and preparing the negotiators for the negotiations. I always felt we were prepared for any contingencies that arose during the negotiations. In the conflict he negotiated, we were up against a very strong and aggressive negotiator interested only in pursuing a litigation strategy and Don masterfully changed the dynamic from our being on the defensive to putting us into a position to negotiate a fair settlement.

In all four projects, Don was critical in making the deal happen and in each, we ended up with far better outcomes than we ever expected. And all four results were achieved while maintaining unusually positive working relationships with the other parties. Don’s ongoing management and coaching also kept us focused on the strategies and helped us to avoid “deal fatigue” by accepting less than the most favorable outcome then possible.

I personally give Don my highest possible recommendation if you are looking for exceptional expertise in deal and/or business strategy, negotiations, building long term relationships or strategies for long term growth. He clearly takes a personal interest in his clients and his involvement has been critical in our ability to survive and grow in a very difficult time.

– John Layton, CEO/President, Layton Manufacturing Company, Inc.