Charles Cannon

Charles Cannon asks powerful questions that drive solid solutions to personal and business challenges -
   Questions that help people settle lawsuits and resolve personal disputes.
   Questions that help people clarify their business and organizational goals.
   Questions that promote peace by helping people understand each other's cultures and beliefs.
   Questions that teach people to deal effectively with conflicts they encounter at work, at home, and in the marketplace.

Charles asks these questions in several roles -
   As a mediator of commercial and business disputes.
   As a facilitator of crucial conversations among business people and stakeholders in non-profit organizations.
   As a teacher of conflict resolution skills for small and mid-size businesses.

In mediating commercial disputes, Charles uses the interest-based approaches fostered by Roger Fisher, William Ury and others at the Harvard Negotiations Project. When dealing with broken relationships that need repair, Charles employs the principles of narrative mediation that John Winslade and Gerald Monk developed.

Like many mediators, Charles practiced law for many years before venturing into mediation. But unlike many of his colleagues, he is not a trial lawyer or a former judge. Since graduating from Yale Law School four decades ago, he has devoted his legal career entirely to the transactions side of business law. He has helped countless entrepreneurs and investors start new businesses and wind down failed ventures. He has helped business people buy, sell and merge companies in a variety of industries, including food service, manufacturing, and government contracting. He has helped manufacturers, retailers and service companies raise working capital, and he has helped banks negotiate lending terms for commercial customers and real estate developers.
 
Charles’ area of special expertise is franchise and distribution law. He has helped more than 30 visionaries translate creative ideas into successful franchise and distributorship programs, and he has assisted established franchisors to introduce their concepts to over 40 countries throughout the world. Charles has also helped dozens of novice franchisees establish their business entities and negotiate their franchise contracts.