I'm sat across the table from Discovery Channel's legal team in Singapore. They've just pushed across their standard licensing agreement for a show we want to air in Vietnam. It's the size of a small phone book.

Their lead gives me their usual speech: "This is our standard agreement, used worldwide..." But I'm already smiling, because I know something they don't.

I'd already licensed shows from every major player in the game - BBC, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, CBS, Telemundo, you name it.

And while they all start with "this is our standard agreement," I've never signed a truly "standard" contract. Not once.

Yeah. I’m a pain!

These supposedly rigid documents are actually starting points for discussion. That "non-negotiable" territory clause? We adjusted it. The "standard" tape storage requirements? Modified. The "fixed" licensing fee? Demolished.

You get the picture.

Before this came from prep. Lots of prep.

Now we can come to the negotiation prepped with the help of AI.

Before I even get to the negotiating table, I use AI to analyse contracts from every angle. It helps me spot potential sticking points, prepare different levels of compromise, and find creative solutions - all before the first meeting.

Let’s help you avoid making the same mistake.

Let’s get started:

Art of the Green Pen

People tend to think of contracts as rigid, set-in-stone documents. That's missing the point entirely.

Every contract - even the ones from massive corporations - is a starting point for discussion. A framework for finding common ground.

Hell, they might not expect you to ask for revisions but that doesn’t stop you from doing so!

Back in my TV days, I'd spend days prepping for these negotiations. Reading through agreements, marking things up in green pen (the best ink colour, come at me), consulting with colleagues, trying to anticipate every possible objection or sticking point.

Now, AI helps me do this prep work in hours instead of weeks.

I hardly even use my green pen now…

Seeing Both Sides

First, we need to look at our document through both sets of eyes. What looks perfectly reasonable to us might raise red flags for the other party. And generally we’re blind to that because we’re too focused on what we want from the negotiation.

Here's how we get AI to help:

Act as a contract negotiation specialist.

Review this document from both parties' perspectives.

Identify: what each party needs to protect, potential points of conflict, and possible areas of flexibility. Focus on understanding the 'why' behind each major clause.

This first pass analysis will help us step bak from our POV and see how the document looks for the other parties too.

What will they potentially find objectionable? And is it enough to sink the deal?

Finding Creative Solutions

The real magic happens when we start exploring solutions. Often, the best answer isn't a simple compromise - it's finding a completely different approach that gives both parties what they need.

Negotiation is a massive topic - I did a whole 3 month module on it at NYU. We can use prompts to help get us pointed in the right direction:

For each identified point of potential conflict, provide three different solutions:


A straightforward compromise
A creative alternative that restructures the arrangement
A package deal that combines multiple points

For each solution, explain how it serves both parties' core interests.

Now comes the strategic part. We need to know our boundaries and possibilities:

Help me prepare negotiation positions for each major point:

Query me and help me formulate a position document

What's our ideal position?
What's our fall-back position?
What's our walk-away point?
What we could offer in exchange for each concession?

This will give us literally a document that flags up the potential hiccups in discussions as well as help us think through how we’ll deal with them.

The beauty of this approach is that it helps you walk into negotiations fully prepared. You've already:

• Understood the other party's likely concerns

• Prepared multiple solutions for each issue

• Thought through the trade-offs and alternatives

• Got a clear picture of your flexibility

This isn't about trying to "win" every point. It's about being ready to find solutions that work for everyone.

At the end of the day, a contract is just the beginning of a business relationship. Making it work for both parties is what leads to long-term success. Don’t try to “win”!!

P.S. Remember, all this preparation doesn't mean the negotiation will go exactly as planned. But it means you'll be ready to adapt and find solutions on the fly, because you've already thought through the possibilities.