Asian in-house counsel should adopt negotiation strategies distinct from those of their Western counterparts, says International Mediation Institute (IMI) certified mediator Pascal Comvalius.
He shared his insights during a two-day seminar jointly hosted by the In-House Counsel Forum (IHCF) and the Korea Mediation Institute (KMI) at the Seoul Bar Association Gwanghwamun Centre in the South Korean capital of Seoul from 31 August to 1 September 2026.
“Everybody has a different style of negotiation, and it comes from your culture and own values that are different. There is a spectrum in how we resolve conflicts within a group,” said Comvalius.
“In Asian cultures, the focus is often on group thinking, compared to the West, where everyone thinks about themselves. So once negotiating with somebody from the West, they are given a lot of freedom.”
Comvalius said that while Asian in-house counsel often leveraged institutional authority to resolve conflicts during negotiations, mechanisms for delegating trust and pressure vary across jurisdictions.
Consequently, Asian in-house counsel must identify the precise scope of their counterparts’ authority to understand the boundaries within which they can operate.
Won-Young Jung, the IHCF president, delivered a congratulatory speech.
“In-house counsel today are moving beyond merely providing legal advice. They now play a key role in mediating conflicts and driving negotiations across diverse stakeholder interests,” said Jung.
“I hope that the IHCF and KMI will maintain sustained, meaningful collaboration and engagement while continuing to share our expertise and insight.”
On the first day of the seminar, KMI President Yong-Ho Moon and Comvalius signed an MOU between KMI and IMI in front of about 80 participants.
Under the agreement, the KMI and IMI will jointly work together to raise awareness of mediation, exchange research and information on domestic and international systems, and share best practices. The two organisations also plan to pursue international co-operative projects, including joint seminars and workshops, to provide Korean mediators with broader access to global standards and professional networks.
“I hope that Korean mediators, in-house counsel and global dispute resolution experts will continue to expand opportunities for collaboration and exchange,” said Moon.
