Durham Law Students Excel in Negotiation at National Law University, Jodhpur A&O Shearman 2025 International Deal Negotiation Competition
Second-year LLB Students, Ayaan Ahmad and Aland Goran reached the semi-finals at the prestigious NLU Jodhpur A&O Shearman International Deal Negotiation Competition 2025. The Durham duo excelled, having placed in the top four from 32 international teams.
The competition, simulating high-stake corporate negotiations, was modelled on real-world business deals where commercial and legal interests often intertwine. Over the course of three days, the Durham team participated in four out of the five rounds, narrowly missing the finals following a closely contested semi-final round against the National University of Singapore.
With assistance from Andy Song, President of the Durham University Negotiation Society (DUNS), the Durham team trained under the guidance of Nigel Swycher, a Durham alumnus, former Slaughter and May partner, entrepreneur, and now Professor in Practice at Durham University.
As current coaches and former Advanced Team Members of the University’s Negotiation Society, Ayaan and Aland entered the competition with experience in both training and competitive negotiations. Their preparation and performance ultimately reflected a high level of commercial awareness, legal insight, and negotiation ability.
Reflecting on the experience, Ayaan said, “The competition provided a great chance to engage with a diverse set of people and learn from vastly different negotiation styles.”
Aland added, “It was rewarding to see our preparation and negotiation experiences over the past two years help in our success in the competition. Ayaan and I are also pleased to have represented Durham on an international scale.”
Andy, President of the Negotiation Society, also commented, “I am proud of Aland and Ayaan for reaching the semi-finals, marking Durham Negotiation Society's first international competition. Their success reflects their talent, and it highlights the remarkable momentum of our society this year. Importantly, I'm grateful to Nigel for his mentorship and continued support—his guidance has been instrumental in getting us to this stage.”
Nigel Swycher, who helped coach the Durham team, said, “this competition simulated real world problems and Aland and Ayaan admirably displayed the attributes it takes to put law into practice”. Nigel added “I would encourage students to get involved with the University’s Negotiation Society”.
The team’s performance stands as a testament to the strength of Durham and DUNS’ negotiation training and its students’ ability to excel on the international stage.