From my work as a former lawyer and now active mediator, I know about the importance of comprehensively preparing for negotiations, particularly when it comes to developing alternative solutions and anticipating possible developments. My approach is based on the Harvard negotiation project, which particularly stresses and favors open exchange about the underlying, i.e. real interests of the involved parties, instead of focusing on the positions or demands respectively. Thereby extraordinary and advantageous negotiation results can be obtained for all parties. My experience is that even in cases which seem hopeless from a legal point of view one can achieve remarkable results by negotiations based on trust, openness and mutual interest.