Negotiation

Negotiate contracts efficiently and securely.

Bigle Legal simplifies and streamlines remote negotiations, eliminating the need for lengthy email chains. The negotiation functionality facilitates contact between parties and members of the same team, while ensuring the security and transparency of the process.

Phases of the negotiation process

Each negotiation process is unique and will vary according to your needs, but there are some phases that are always present. In the table below, you can see a summary of the actions involved in a negotiation process and which party carries them out:

Every action taken will be recorded thanks to the change control and version history. You will see how to access this and other relevant information in the following sections of this article.

How to start a negotiation process

To start negotiating a document, follow the steps below:

1. Select the document. The first step is to have the document ready on the platform. You can negotiate both documents created from templates and documents uploaded externally, as long as their format is ".docx". To be able to negotiate, make sure that the document does not have any previous process open.

2. Start the process. Within the selected document, go to the "Negotiation" section in the left side menu. Here you will see a list of all the negotiation processes that have been carried out for this document. Use the button at the top right of the screen to start a new process.

3. Select the type of negotiation. In this step, you must choose how you want to carry out the contract negotiation.

• Internal editing. In this type of negotiation, the counterparty uses the text editor of the platform to edit the document.
• External editing. In this type of negotiation, the counterparty downloads the document to apply the changes in their text editor of preference (such as Microsoft Word, or Google Docs for example).

Whether you choose internal or external editing, follow the steps below:

4. Select the version. In case other processes have been carried out previously, the document will have several versions. You will have to choose which version of the document you want to negotiate on.

5. Review the details. You will be taken to the screen shown in the image below, from which you can finish editing the document if necessary. You can also change the chosen version using the "Change version" button on the top bar, as well as use the negotiation options of the internal part.

6. Start the negotiation. When everything is ready, click on "Start negotiation".

7. Add the counterparty and choose how to share the negotiation. Next, you must fill in the fields with the name and surname of the counterparty and choose between the following two options to share the negotiation with them:

1. 1. If you wish to notify the counterparty by email of the start and next steps of this negotiation, click on the ‘Notification’ button, add the email address of the counterparty and click on ‘Continue’. In this way, the platform will automatically send notifications via email with a link to access the document for review and editing. If you do not activate this field, you will have to manually manage the delivery of access to the negotiation through a URL or link that the platform will provide you with.
      
      
      
      - Then, edit the subject and message of the email that the counterparty will receive, which will provide a link to the document so that they can add their suggestions. When you have finished customising the text of the email, click on ‘Send to negotiate’.
      
      
      
   2. If, in contrast, you do not wish to send the negotiation by email from the platform, just enter the counterparty's first and last name and click continue. A warning will be displayed informing you of some of the key implications of not including the counterparty's email address in the process. Click on ‘Submit negotiation’.
      
      
      - Then, in the Information tab, you will see a URL that you can share with your partner using the method of your choice. Click on ‘Copy link’ to copy it and then paste it into your chosen media. When the partner accesses the link, they will be able to make their changes in the usual way.
      

External negotiation options

If you have been invited to negotiate a document from Bigle Legal, you will receive an email with a link to access the document. Once you have accessed the document, you have the following options, depending on the type of editing of the negotiation you have chosen:

1. If it is an internal editing negotiation:

- Accept the negotiation. Click on ‘Accept negotiation’ if you have no changes to make to the document.

- Enter suggestions. You can suggest changes to the document by editing it directly. The editor allows you to make use of the properties panel, which is displayed by clicking on the rectangular button at the top right. After making your changes, hit "Save".

- View and manage changes. When changes have been made, a panel will be activated on the right-hand side of the editor (if you close the panel, you can reopen it by clicking on any change or comment). In the "Changes" section you can view all the changes made, filter them by user and type (depending on whether text has been inserted or deleted) using the drop-downs at the top, and accept or reject the proposals of the opposing party.

- Add comments. By selecting one part of the text and right-clicking, you can access the "New comment" option and add comments for the other part.

- View and manage comments. When there are comments, you will be able to see them in the right panel, in the "Comments" section (remember that you can open it again by clicking on any change or comment). Each comment informs the author's name, as well as the date and time it was written. By clicking on the three dots on the right-hand side, you can reply to the comment or resolve it (if you are the author of the comment, you can also edit or delete it).

- Finalise your part of the negotiation. After inserting all your suggestions, comments and responses, go to the top bar and click first on "Save" and then select "Send negotiation" at the bottom of the right-hand panel. A window will open from which you can compose the email message that will be used to notify the other party. Send it with the "Finish and send" button.

- Download a copy of the document with your changes. When you have finalised your part of the negotiation and sent the email to the counterparty, you will be given the option to download a copy of the document.

2. If it is an external editing negotiation:

- Accept the negotiation. Click on ‘Accept negotiation’ if you have no changes to make to the document.

- Enter suggestions. Follow the steps described on the platform: in step one, click on ‘Download version’ to download the document.

Next, open the document in your preferred text editor (Word, Google Docs...) and make the necessary suggestions with track changes enabled. Then, go back to your browser to continue the process with step two, in the negotiation tab: click on "Upload version" and select the new file with the changes.

- View and manage changes. Once you have uploaded the file, a panel will appear to display any changes or comments (if you close the panel, you can reopen it by clicking on any changes or comments). In the "Changes" section you can view all the changes made, and filter them by user and type (depending on whether text has been inserted or deleted).

- Finalise your part of the negotiation. After inserting all your suggestions, click on "Send negotiation" at the bottom of the right-hand panel. A window will open from which you can compose the email message that will notify the other party. Send it with the "Finish and send" button.

- Download a copy of the document with your changes. When you have finalised your part of the negotiation and sent the email to the counterparty, you can download a copy of the document.

Internal negotiation options

The internal party can access the negotiation module from within the platform. You will also receive an email from the counterparty when they have finished entering their suggestions, with a link to the document.

The negotiation functions available from within the platform are similar to those of the external party, but with some additional options:

- Enter suggestions. You can make changes to the document using the editor. After making your suggestions, remember to save your changes.

- View and manage changes. When changes have been made, a panel will be activated on the right side of the editor (the panel can also be opened by clicking on any change or comment). In the "Changes" section you can view all the changes made, filter them by user and type (depending on whether text has been added or deleted) using the drop-downs at the top, and accept or reject the proposals of the opposing party.

- Add comments. By selecting one part of the text and right-clicking on it, you can access the "New comment" option and add comments for the other part.

- View and manage comments. When there are comments, you will be able to see them in the right panel, in the "Comments" section (remember that you can also open the panel by clicking on any change or comment). Each comment will inform the author's name, as well as the date and time it was written. By clicking on the three dots on the right-hand side, you can reply to the comment or resolve it (if you are the author of the comment, you can also edit or delete it).

- Access the options in the right-hand side panel:

• Information. Displays the general data of the process.
• Activity. Review all the actions carried out in the negotiation.
• Versions. Access to all the versions of the document generated during the process.
• Team options. Add private notes and mentions. Teammates and followers do not negotiate directly with the other party, but can access the process, use all the team options, and are notified of negotiation updates by email.
• Metadata. Access the summary of the information related to the document, such as the user who created it, the creation and modification date, the status, among others. You can also add custom metadata in this section.
• Files. You will be able to view the files in case they have been added to a certain field of the form during the creation of the document or add new files.
• AI Assistant. Access Libra, Bigle Legal's legal artificial intelligence assistant.

- Resend the negotiation. After entering and saving all your suggestions, comments and answers, you can forward the document to the counterparty by clicking on the "Resend negotiation" button. This will open a window from which you can compose the email message that will be used to notify the other party.

- Finish the negotiation. When an agreement is reached and the negotiation is successfully concluded, click on "Finish" in the top bar. After this action, the negotiation can no longer be continued and both parties will receive the latest version of the document by email.

- Cancel the negotiation. In case you do not want to continue with the negotiation process, click on "Cancel negotiation". This irreversible action will conclude the process.

When the negotiation is finished or cancelled, it will still appear in the list of negotiations, from which it can be consulted. From this same screen, another negotiation can be initiated if necessary: