Meet Our Negotiation Training Team

S.A.B. Negotiation Training has many instructors who are proficient in business negotiation theory and teach courses and/or have seminars related to their expertise.

Negotiation Training Instructors:

Shahzad Bhatti: Shahzad A. Bhatti is a former instructor of negotiation skill and theory at Harvard Law School and an award-winning graduate of Harvard Law School. Mr. Bhatti has provided negotiation training to individuals from six different continents across a wide spectrum of professions. Mr. Bhatti has been involved in transactions totaling over US$5 billion in value. Mr. Bhatti's past clients have included diplomats, CEO's, Fortune 500 companies, consultants, doctors, lawyers, judges, accountants and bureaucrats, among others. Mr. Bhatti has also provided counseling and taught seminars to a number of individuals and charitable organizations. Past participants in negotiation training conducted by Mr. Bhatti have consistently given him the highest marks possible upon evaluation.

Mr. Bhatti was first introduced to negotiation skill theory and doctrine while a student at Harvard Law School. Based on his outstanding performance in the negotiation coursework at Harvard Law School, the Program on Negotiation invited Mr. Bhatti to join their instructional staff to teach both the basic and advanced negotiation skill workshops in Harvard's Program for the Instruction of Lawyers. While at Harvard, Mr. Bhatti had the opportunity to work and teach alongside such luminaries in the field as Roger Fisher and Bruce Patton (two of the three co-authors of the best-selling work Getting to Yes), as well as Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen (who, along with Bruce Patton, are co-authors of the recent best-selling book Managing Difficult Conversations). A lawyer by training, Mr. Bhatti has passed the California Bar (currently an inactive member) and has worked with law firms in Tokyo, New York, Washington, DC and Seattle.

Mr. Bhatti was awarded the Lewis International Law Fellowship while a student at Harvard Law School. Mr. Bhatti received his undergraduate degrees in Economics, Political Science and Biochemistry from Columbia University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar Finalist, a Center for the Study of Human Rights Fellow and elected captain of the track team. He is the author of a number of articles on the topic of negotiation skill as well as the book Law, Foreign Investment and Economic Development in Malaysia.

Alex Hanafi: Alex Hanafi is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School, where he received his negotiation training and was elected Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Environmental Law Review. Mr. Hanafi's extensive experience spans the private, non-profit, and government sectors. Mr. Hanafi’s government experience includes work on negotiations creating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During his private practice in law firms in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., he counseled clients in negotiating complicated contracts and disputes related to environmental remediation and land sales. He also advised and counseled clients involved in significant foreign investment disputes. Mr. Hanafi has provided strategic advice and assistance to lawyers and policy advocates from more than 60 countries in their efforts to reform environmental and human rights laws and strengthen public participation in governmental decisionmaking.

In recognition of his professional achievements, Mr. Hanafi was selected as a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program. In 1997, he was one of only 20 Americans to be awarded a prestigious Luce Scholarship, which he applied to work on strategic law reform in Thailand. Mr. Hanafi was awarded an Angier B. Duke Scholarship at Duke University, where he received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude in biology and art history. He is the author of several articles and his work has been published and cited in major U.S. and international journals.

Francesca Kaplan: Francesca is one of the S.A.B. Group's lead negotiation consultants and trainers. Francesca’s experience spans both the profit and non-profit sectors and she has particular expertise in the areas of sales negotiations, procurement, as well as women and leadership. Francesca’s for-profit experience focused on negotiations with international suppliers and buyers in the manufacturing sector. Francesca also brings a wealth of experience in the area of training and developing effective teaching methods. She has developed and taught seminars in the area of women and leadership for both small and large organizations. Her published works include magazine articles and seminar tools for educators. Francesca is a graduate of Stanford University School of Education where she focused on curriculum development, and Stanford University where she received a degree in American Studies and also completed coursework in history. Francesca is happily married and living in New York City.

Mary Anne Franks: A Consultant and Trainer with the SAB Group, Mary Anne's areas of expertise are contracts, cross-cultural negotiations and gender issues in the workplace. Prior to joining SAB, Mary Anne worked at the International Negotiation Initiative at Harvard Law School, where she explored the application of negotiation theory to international disputes. Mary Anne also brings a wealth of experience from the private sector, including work focusing on intellectual property for major corporations and international arbitration. Mary Anne is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School, and she is currently on the Faculty of Harvard University as well. She also studied at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, researching human rights and ethics.

Negar Nabavineejad: Ms. Nabavinejad is one of the S.A.B. Group's lead negotiation consultants and trainers and is head of the New York office. Ms. Nabavinejad brings a wealth of experience to her work at the S.A.B. Group, including her personal involvement on well over US $3 billion worth of deals. Ms. Nabavinejad's experience has given her particular expertise in the areas of real estate and debt financing. Ms. Nabavinejad's experience ranges from working on multi-billion dollar bridge financing to small commercial and residential real estate transactions. Prior to joining the S.A.B. Group, Ms. Nabavinejad was an investment banker at Bear Stearns and an attorney at one of Wall Street's most highly regarded firms (Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft). Ms. Nabavinejad is a graduate of Columbia Law School, where she focused on negotiation and corporate transactional work and was elected to office; additionally, at Columbia University she obtained a degree in Political Science-Economics and was President of the Student Governing Board. Ms. Nabavinejad is happily married with two children.

Dr. Joanne Simon: Joanne Simon is an expert in cross-cultural and women’s negotiation issues and is one of the S.A.B. Group's most effective trainers and consultants. Dr. Simon is a Harvard-educated physician who is a specialist in international negotiations. Dr. Simon's work has taken her to a number of the world's "hotspots" including, among others, Bosnia, the Middle East, Central America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. Dr. Simon has worked on countless negotiations involving governments and, in particular, NGO's working on behalf of humanitarian relief projects. Dr. Simon has received numerous awards and fellowships for her work and received her MPH from Harvard, her MD from the Medical College of Virginia and her Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. Dr. Simon is happily married with three children.

Adam DJ Balfour: Adam DJ Balfour is a Consultant and Trainer with the S.A.B. Group. Adam’s areas of expertise are procurement, cross-cultural negotiations and women and leadership. Adam is currently on the Visiting Faculty at Harvard Law School, where he conducts research into women’s rights, the jury system, and human rights in the European Union. He has a forthcoming publication in the UK titled “The Application of the European Convention on Human Rights by the European Court of Justice.” Adam is an honors graduate of the University of Dundee (First Class Honors, LL.B) and Harvard Law School (LL.M). Mr. Balfour has received numerous scholarships and awards including being named one of only ten British students to be named a Kennedy Scholar.

Haroon K. Ullah: Haroon is a Senior Consultant and Trainer with the S.AB. Group. He is particularly adept in contract, sales and cross-cultural negotiations and on issues of leadership and management. Prior to joining S.A.B. Haroon taught negotiation training through Harvard's Program on Negotiation and he is currently on the Visiting Faculty at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, where he is a fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Haroon has also held positions at the World Bank and with the U.S. Government. Haroon holds an MPA from Harvard University, where he was a William J. Fulbright scholar. While at the Kennedy School of Government, Haroon conducted research on negotiation skill and theory and its application in corporate, non-profit and government settings. Haroon's negotiation training and consulting work has taken him all over the world.

Aamir A. Rehman: Aamir A. Rehman writes, speaks, and consults organizations on issues of leadership and management. He is the lead developer of S.A.B.’s Applied Leadership Skills workshop. Aamir’s background is in strategy consulting. He has worked in both large and small consulting firms (including McKinsey's and Monitor) and has advised a broad range of clients including Fortune 500 retailers, a national seniors’ advocacy group, and multiple start-ups. He has also led corporate trainings with staff from mature corporations and from fledgling organizations. Aamir holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School as well as a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.