An In-House Counsel’s Guide to Strategic Collective Bargaining: Achieving Winning Agreements Without Sacrificing Organizational Objectives

Collective bargaining brings a distinct mix of legal, operational, and relationship-management challenges for in-house counsel. Legal teams are often expected not only to help negotiate agreements, but also to protect organizational priorities, manage risk, support leadership, and help preserve constructive workforce relationships throughout the process. That requires more than a command of labor law. It requires sound judgment, strategic preparation, and a clear understanding of how legal can contribute to stronger outcomes at the bargaining table.

Join us on Thursday, May 21 at 12:00 PM ET as Kristofor Hanson, Labor & Employment Lawyer at Michael Best, explores the legal and strategic considerations that shape effective collective bargaining. Drawing on extensive experience advising employers on labor-management relations and serving as first chair in hundreds of collective bargaining negotiations, Kristofor will share practical insight on how in-house counsel can prepare for negotiations, anticipate key pressure points, reduce the likelihood of disputes, and help advance balanced agreements that support both workforce needs and broader business objectives.

Key Takeaways:

• How to prepare for collective bargaining with business goals, legal risk, and workforce considerations in mind
• Strategic approaches that can support more productive, practical, and sustainable negotiation outcomes
• Ways to identify and address potential areas of conflict before they escalate into larger disputes
• How in-house counsel can support leadership throughout the bargaining process while protecting organizational priorities
• Practical insight into balancing legal strategy, labor relations, and long-term workforce objectives

Who Should Attend:

This webinar is designed for in-house legal professionals who advise on labor relations, unionized workforces, employment strategy, and collective bargaining. It will be especially relevant for general counsel, chief legal officers, labor and employment counsel, senior in-house attorneys, and other members of corporate legal departments involved in workforce relations and negotiation strategy.

There is NO COST to attend this program!

This program is FREE, thanks to our gracious sponsor, Michael Best! If you can’t make it to the live program, the recording will be available for viewing via our paid CLE library- In-House Connect On-Demand.