EARLY CAREERS in Czech Republic

Negotiation competition

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Step into the shoes of a legal strategist

Become a master negotiator! Test your legal and negotiation skills at the Czech-wide Negotiation Competition 2026, organised in cooperation with ELSA Czech Republic.

This simulated legal and business negotiation will take place between the Czech technology company SoftWorks Digital s.r.o. and the Swedish manufacturing company Nordic Components AB. Will you negotiate the best terms for your client?

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Step into the shoes of a legal strategist

Draft, negotiate, dominate

SoftWorks and Nordic entered into a contract for the development and implementation of software. After the system was launched, a malfunction occurred that caused orders to be confirmed with incorrect prices or to disappear, resulting in financial losses, delivery delays, and damage to Nordic's reputation, including on social media. Nordic is seeking damages, costs, compensation for damage to its reputation, and a formal apology, while SoftWorks is contesting these claims on the basis of the statute of limitations, limitation of contractual liability, and alleged unauthorized interference with the system by Nordic.

The dispute has been ongoing for five years, with the first judgment overturned by the court of appeal and the case returning for further proceedings. The service agreement remains in force, which Nordic is keen to fulfill, while SoftWorks is facing pressure from its parent company to reach a swift and final settlement. SoftWorks therefore intends to initiate settlement negotiations to definitively resolve all claims between the parties.

Draft. Negotiate. Dominate.

Win the room. Win the reward.

The four best teams from the competition's first round will join us to negotiate their contract agreements against a DLA Piper partner on 15 April 2026 at DLA Piper's Prague office. Find more information and the competition rules here.

This competition is a great opportunity to develop your negotiation tactics and demonstrate your knowledge of contract law. You'll develop valuable experience for your CV, and could win a prize:

  • 1st place: CZK12,000
  • 2nd place: CZK8,000
  • 3rd place: CZK4,000
  • Best negotiator: CZK3,000 

Ready to take on the challenge? Apply now to explore how we can unlock your potential, together.

Win the room. Win the reward.

Hear from our finalists

Step into the real world of high-stakes legal strategy in this behind-the-scenes look at the 2026 Negotiation Competition.

Hear from the finalists as they reflect on their experience of navigating tricky contract clauses, working in teams and thinking on their feet, all while under pressure.

Hear from our 2026 finalists
Transcript
English Czech

Alžběta Barvíková: It’s definitely the experience of sitting across from a representative who is truly unyielding. 

Martin Tošner: I didn’t know whether that was right or wrong in the competition, but looking back now and assessing the other side’s position, I think we did the best we could for our imaginary client by not reaching an agreement.

Anna Dušková: And suddenly we found ourselves on the other side of the case.

Jakub Janda: I’d happily compare it to Harvey Specter. We actually agreed on that right afterwards – we, on the other hand, were Mike Ross right from the very first hearing.

Alžběta Barvíková: Určitě to je ten zážitek toho sedět naproti zástupci, který je opravdu neoblomný.

Martin Tošner: Nevěděl jsem, jestli je to v rámci té soutěže správně nebo špatně, ale teď zpětně, když hodnotím postoj druhé strany, tak si myslím, že jsme udělali pro našeho imaginárního klienta maximum, tím, že jsme se nedohodli. 

Anna Dušková: A najednou jsme se ocitli na druhé straně případu.

Jakub Janda:Přirovnal bych to klidně k Harveymu Specterovi. Na tom jsme se shodli vlastně hned potom – my jsme naopak byli Mike Ross úplně na prvním soudním jednání.

Which moment from the competition final has stuck with you the most?

Alžběta Barvíková: It was definitely the approach of the whole panel, and really the entire organising team.

Nicole Veronic Zlámal: For me, it was probably the initial atmosphere when we arrived, it wasn’t in a bad spirit at all, it was genuinely pleasant.

Martin Kroulík: For me, it was probably the moment when the lawyer started to shift a little, started actually listening to our proposals. At that point I felt we were really getting somewhere that could resemble an agreement.

Martin Tošner: What definitely surprised me, or stuck in my mind, was that I hadn’t expected the communication between to be so aggressive. But I think both sides managed to adapt to it quickly, and then it escalated a bit more. After that, it had to be calmed down a little again, so that we could actually get somewhere.

Jakub Janda: The beginning, when the partner pulled out our settlement agreement and said: “This is not a settlement agreement.”

Který moment z finále soutěže vám nejvíce utkvěl v hlavě?

Alžběta Barvíková: Určitě to byl přístup celé komise a vlastně celého organizačního týmu.

Nicole Veronic Zlámal: Za mě asi ta první atmosféra, když jsme tam přišli, že to nebylo ve špatném duchu, ale bylo to fakt příjemné.

Martin Kroulík: Mě asi moment, kdy advokát začal trošku víc otáčet, začal poslouchat ty naše návrhy reálně. To už jsem měl pocit, že se opravdu dostáváme k něčemu, co se může podobat dohodě.

Martin Tošner: Mě určitě překvapilo, nebo utkvělo v hlavě, že jsem čekal, že to nebude tolik agresivní, ta komunikace mezi námi. Ale myslím, že jsme se na to jako obě strany dokázali brzo přizpůsobit a pak se to trochu víc eskalovalo. Potom to zase bylo potřeba trochu uklidnit, abychom se někam dostali.

Jakub Janda: Ten začátek, kdy pan partner vytáhl naší dohodu o narovnání a řekl: "Tohle není dohoda o narovnání."

What was the hardest part of the negotiation for you?

Alžběta Barvíková: Definitely focusing on what the other side was saying. The other party’s representative spoke really fast and used a lot of technical terminology that isn’t all that common for law students.

Nicole Veronic Zlámal: For me, it was probably not letting myself be brushed off and not letting them interrupt me.

Martin Kroulík: Holding my ground, really.

Martin Tošner: What stressed me out most was the feeling that, as time went on, it became more and more clear to me that we probably weren’t going to agree on anything. I didn’t know whether that was right or wrong in the competition, but looking back now and assessing the other side’s position, I think we did the best we could for our imaginary client by not reaching an agreement. Because if we had agreed, we would have caused him a disaster.

Anna Dušková: Reacting quickly to arguments we hadn’t anticipated.

Anežka Černohorská: And improvisation, definitely.

Martin Sellner: Definitely the pressure, and for me, the ability to react immediately, quickly, spontaneously and adequately. In a way, putting the other side into a less comfortable position.

Jakub Janda: I was really surprised that it wasn’t so much about the legal side, but much more about the actual conduct.

Co pro vás bylo během vyjednávání nejtěžší?

Alžběta Barvíková: Určitě soustředit se na to, co říká druhá strana. Zástupce druhé smluvní strany mluvil opravdu rychle a používal hodně odbornou terminologii, která není pro studenty práv úplně častá.

Nicole Veronic Zlámal: Za mě asi se nenechat odbýt a nenechat si skákat do řeči.

Martin Kroulík: Podržet si tu půdu pod nohama, opravdu.

Martin Tošner: Mě nejvíc stresoval ten pocit, že mi s tím, jak šel čas, pořád stále víc a víc docházelo, že se nejspíš na ničem nedohodneme. Nevěděl jsem, jestli je to v rámci té soutěže správně nebo špatně, ale teď zpětně, když hodnotím postoj druhé strany, tak si myslím, že jsme udělali pro našeho imaginárního klienta maximum, tím, že jsme se nedohodli. Protože kdybychom se dohodli, tak bychom mu způsobili katastrofu.

Anna Dušková: Rychle reagovat na argumenty, se kterými jsme nepočítali.

Anežka Černohorská: A improvizace, určitě.

Martin Sellner: Určitě tlak, a za mě schopnost reagovat okamžitě, rychle, bezprostředně a adekvátně. Jako svým způsobem dostat toho druhého do méně komfortní situace.

Jakub Janda: Já jsem byl hodně překvapený, že to nebylo tolik o právní stránce, ale bylo to hodně o skutku.

What are you taking away from this competition for the future?

Alžběta Barvíková: It’s definitely the experience of negotiating itself. At law faculties, moot court competitions simulating court hearings tend to be far more common. It’s definitely the experience of sitting across from a representative who is truly unyielding and insists on negotiating the best possible outcome for their client.

Martin Tošner: Probably the realisation that, although I expected professional negotiation to be far calmer, conflict is simply part of it and there’s no reason to shy away from it.

Martin Kroulík: Calmness and composure for future negotiations, because I got to experience what it’s like to be under fire, while also dealing with it and then being able to respond.

Anežka Černohorská: Definitely being uncompromising.

Jakub Janda: When I walked out of there, it was clear to me that I need to start working on myself right now.

Martin Sellner: For me, it’s immediately the overall experience of seeing how it all actually works. Even though we learn at school, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be law, it can be any skills at all, getting to know the real world and how it really works is completely new for a student. So the experience, definitely, above all.

Co si z této soutěže odnášíte do budoucna?

Alžběta Barvíková: Určitě je to ten zážitek toho vyjednávání. Na fakultách jsou totiž spíše časté právnické soutěže simulovaného soudního jednání. Určitě to je ten zážitek toho sedět naproti zástupci, který je opravdu neoblomný a trvá na tom, co by vyjednal nejlepšího pro svého klienta.

Martin Tošner: Asi dojem, že ačkoliv jsem čekal, že profesionální vyjednávání bude daleko klidnější, že ten konflikt k životu patří a není proč se být do něj nejít.

Martin Kroulík: Klid a vyrovnanost pro další vyjednávání, protože jsem si vyzkoušel jaké je to být pod palbou, ale zároveň se s tím srovnat a pak být schopen na to reagovat.

Anežka Černohorská: Určitě být nekompromisní.

Jakub Janda: Když jsem odtamtud vyšel, tak mi to bylo jasné – a to že na sobě musím začít pracovat hned teď.

Martin Sellner: Za mě bezprostředně ta celková zkušenost z toho, vidět jak to vůbec funguje. Ačkoliv se v té škole učíme, a nemusí to být nutně právo, ale mohou to být jakékoliv dovednosti, tak to poznání skutečného světa a jak to opravdu funguje je úplně nové pro toho studenta. Takže zkušenost určitě nejvíce.

If you had to give advice to students who would like to take part next year, what would it be?

Nicole Veronic Zlámal: Prepare for everything.

Alžběta Barvíková: Definitely study sample templates, maybe read up on the subject, for example what’s commonly used in those types of contracts.

Martin Tošner: Definitely confidence, standing behind what you came in with, and not letting yourself be thrown off.

Martin Kroulík: For me, definitely honest, thorough preparation. And then a genuinely calm, open mind.

Anna Dušková and Anežka Černohorská: Be prepared for everything.

Martin Sellner: For me, definitely don’t underestimate the preparation for the negotiation itself, and find out something about negotiation; read one, two, three books, watch some videos.

Jakub Janda: Don’t be afraid, that’s probably the only thing. Because we did end up under pressure.

Kdybyste měli dát radu studentům, kteří by se chtěli zapojit příští rok, jaká by to byla?

Nicole Veronic Zlámal: Připravit se na všechno. 

Alžběta Barvíková: Určitě si nastudovat vzory, možná si něco načíst o té problematice, například co se používá často v těch smlouvách.

Martin Tošner: Rozhodně sebevědomí a stát si za tím, s čím sem přišli a nenechat se rozhodit.

Martin Kroulík: Za mě rozhodně poctivá příprava. Pak opravdu klidná, otevřená hlava.

Anna Dušková and Anežka Černohorská: Být připraveni na všechno.

Martin Sellner: Za mě určitě nepodcenit přípravu přímo na to vyjednávání, a opravdu si i zjistit něco o samotném vyjednávání, klidně si přečíst jednu, dvě, tři knížky, podívat se na videa.

Jakub Janda: Nebát se, to je asi to jediné. Protože jsme se dostali pod tlak.

And how do the judges rate the competition?

Jan Karabeleš, Senior Assoicate, Competition Juror: I would rate this year’s edition as a great success. The teams that showed up here today were very evenly matched, the performances were extremely close, so the evaluation was very difficult for the panel.

Definitely go for it – it’s worth it, it’s an experience, it costs you nothing and you can only gain from it.

A jak soutěž hodnotí porotci?

Jan Karabeleš, Senior Assoicate, Competition Juror: Letošní ročník hodnotím jako velice vydařený. Ukázali se nám tady dnes týmy, které byly velice vyrovnané, ty výkony byly hodně těsné, takže hodnocení bylo velmi náročné pro porotu.

Určitě jděte do toho, stojí to za to, je to zkušenost, nedáte za to nic a můžete z toho jenom těžit.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for people from a diverse range of backgrounds who have the potential to thrive at our firm.

Self-motivated and highly driven

Self-motivated and highly driven

You are proactive and strive for excellence. You pursue goals with purpose and determination, whether working independently or as part of a team.

Excitement for international law and business

Excitement for international law and business

You are curious about global legal developments, regulatory shifts and geopolitical trends.

Strong collaborator with social awareness

Strong collaborator with social awareness

You are an excellent communicator, active listener and team player who contributes to an inclusive, supportive work environment.

Entrepreneurial mindset and willingness to challenge the norm

Entrepreneurial mindset and willingness to challenge the norm

You think creatively, embrace new ideas and challenge conventional approaches. You thrive in challenging environments and aim to excel.

Ability to think critically, adapt and take ownership

Ability to think critically, adapt and take ownership

You have an ability to assess situations from multiple perspectives, adapt quickly to change and take responsibility for delivering exceptional results.

Growth mindset, seeing setbacks as opportunities

Growth mindset, seeing setbacks as opportunities

You are resilient, reflective, and always eager to learn, leveraging setbacks as an opportunity to sharpen your thinking.  

Are you eligible?

You’ll need to be a strong Czech speaker, reader and writer. 

You’ll be a current law student in any year of study at any Czech university.

You'll need to team up with another student to apply jointly. 

Key dates

  • Applications open: 16 February 2026
  • Application deadline: 22 March 2026
  • Announcement of the top four teams: 6 April 2026
  • Final: 15 April 2026
Key dates

Accessibility

At DLA Piper, we are committed to making reasonable adjustments and removing disability-related barriers. This is so everyone, irrespective of a visible or non-visible disability, neurodivergence, a long-term health condition or injury, has an equitable opportunity to succeed in our recruitment process.

If you think you may need adjustments or additional support to enable you to participate in our recruitment process, please get in touch with our HR department and we will be happy to support you.

We understand that sharing your needs with us may feel daunting. We will have an open discussion with you about what will work best for you in the recruitment process, and you only need to share what you feel comfortable with. Our team will ensure that the information you provide will be treated confidentially. The information will only be shared with others involved in the process, on your approval, and where necessary.

We will use the information you share to put adjustments in place for you at any stage, or at multiple stages, of the recruitment process. This is to enable you to perform to the best of your ability, and to have an equitable opportunity to perform and thrive.

Accessibility

Negotiation Competition 2025

Negotiation Competition 2025 Transcript

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Transcript

English Czech
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    Jan Metelka, Senior Associate, Prague

    Do what you enjoy and want to understand more about, and then focus on improving your knowledge and skills.

    Jan Metelka
    Kateřina Barcalová, Junior Associate, Prague

    Stay curious and embrace every opportunity to learn

    Kateřina Barcalová
    Alzbeta Zelena, Senior Accountant, Prague

    I've been with DLA Piper for 16 years and I appreciate the opportunity to continuously develop, deepen my expertise and gain experience.

    Alzbeta Zelena
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