Win without compromising.
Vox is a tactical negotiation firm that empowers our clients to get what they want while becoming more human in the process.
About Vox and Its Founder
Since Brian Howe founded Vox in 2009 we have equipped hundreds of individuals and organizations to start real conversations that result in previously unimaginable results. We started as a law firm serving startup businesses, investors, and nonprofits (and are still glad to serve select clients with their comprehensive legal needs). However - our core focus is guiding clients through critical negotiations in order to achieve their personal and business objectives. Our negotiation methods are rooted in behavioral science and have been refined through much experience. Whether it's setting cofounder equity, closing a new investment round, negotiating compensation, navigating a potential HR crisis, testing the seriousness of an opportunity, or establishing terms of a critical business partnership, we help you learn techniques to identify what your counterpart actually needs and wants, then develop a roadmap to reach mutual commitment. For every client we engage, Brian serves as lead counsel and will add support from our roster of former executives, attorneys, and experts as needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are your services?
We help clients get what they want through evidence-based negotiation tactics and support.
For example...
Entrepreneurs: we help entrepreneurs improve their communication during fundraising - from initial pitch to signed term sheet.
Employees: we help employees increase their compensation, at the point of hire, raise or termination.
Executives: we help executives understand their potential customer and/or strategic partner in order to meet their needs and structure a mutually beneficial relationship.
In addition to the above examples, our services can be employed in high-stakes conflict resolution, termination or renegotiation of unfair business agreements, and other critical negotiations. We particularly thrive in two unique situations: (1) where two sides are on the brink of a falling out and each appears immovable; or (2) where two parties are genuinely interested in building a mutually beneficial relationship but have failed to establish mutually acceptable terms.
How do I know if you'll be a good fit?
We provide a 100% money back refund up to $5,000 to any dissatisfied client, no questions asked. Seriously. We value our reputation more than anything.
What does it cost?
For projects of less than 5 hours, we charge hourly rates ranging from $125 to $650 an hour. For larger or ongoing projects, we structure customized packages and can consider success-based compensation in some circumstances.
Mutual benefit should always be the goal.
We apply legal strategy and negotiation science learned from organizational psychologists, behavioral economists, and hostage negotiators to empower you with broadly applicable, simple methods to help you get what you want by focusing on what the other party needs.
Life (and business) is a series of negotiations.
We're here to educate and empower, not extract.
You already are a good negotiator, otherwise you wouldn't be where you're at. We help you move beyond instinct to understand the science of decision making and develop negotiation habits that will enable you to get what you want by meeting the true needs of investors, cofounders, employees, partners, and customers. Our clients are empowered and educated to learn our skills for themselves.
We love working with your current law firm.
We're here to bolster, not replace.
After a decade of providing general counsel services, we have focused our work to provide effective counsel for critical negotiations. Many clients engage us alongside their primary law firm and we are experienced at helping maximize value while minimizing costs. We first develop a deep understanding of our client's beliefs, purpose, and aims, then build a negotiating framework with a series of hypotheses that we need to test with the counterpart. The goal is a mutually beneficial relationship with all parties and the structure must be flexible to meet that end. Thus, we do not spend any time putting together legal language until we've understood the deep needs of both sides (including revealing hidden surprises), neutralized potential negatives, crafted a mutually-beneficial solution, and received demonstrated buy-in. As a result, total legal fees should be less than working without a tactical negotiation firm.
Emotional intelligence wins negotiations.
We don't just listen, we hear.
We're serious about winning without compromising. This requires us to remember that the counterpart in any negotiation wants to be understood and accepted, safe and secure, and in control. It's easy to fall into business speak and gloss over these core truths that apply to every investor, entrepreneur, leader, and lawyer. Our field-tested, science-based, hard-core, and very human negotiation tactics empower our clients to achieve their complete objectives without compromise.
"He who has learned to disagree without being disagreeable has discovered the most valuable secret of negotiation."