

Ask HN: How much should I pay a mediator? - sellingout

I believe I am about to sell my small consulting firm.<p>A senior manager in the buyer company he's the one which introduced me to that company few years ago, and the one which talked with the CEO recently convincing him that it would be better to buy me all instead of subcontracting our services, which become a critical element in the production process in that department which I served.<p>I wonder what in your opinion, would be a nice and generous stake for this kind of mediation.<p>thanks in advance for your replies.
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credo
I think it would be unethical for the "senior manager" to get any compensation
from you.

He is being paid a salary by his company (i.e. the buyer company) and he
should act in the best interests of his employer.

If you pay him money for helping you sell your company to his employer, that
introduces a significant conflict of interest for him

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sellingout
I totally agree.

Yet he asks for it. Moreover, he's wiling to leave there anyway. If I won't
pay him he might ruin the whole thing.

He's expecting me to "think of a reasonable rate"

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coryl
Why do you need mediation? You can't negotiate for yourself?

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sellingout
I negotiate myself, the mediator pushed it from the inside.

This company has more than 12K of employees! It is a giant one. This had to be
going through the corporates' management pipeline and bubble up in the
hierarchy until we have got to the negotiation point.

~~~
coryl
Ok, gotcha, so he really isn't a mediator, but he represents the company. I
agree that it would be conflict of interest for him to try and get a piece of
the deal from you. If his company wants to pay him for his work, let them.

~~~
sellingout
I totally agree.

Yet he asks for it. Moreover, he's wiling to leave there anyway. If I won't
pay him he might ruin the whole thing.

He's expecting me to "think of a reasonable rate"

~~~
bmelton
That sounds very much like a bribe, and very much illegal, possibly. IANAL,
but this smells extremely fishy.

I would see if you could discuss whether or not you are supposed to pay him
anything with one of his superiors before doing anything, or at the very
least, ask for a different mediator.

~~~
hga
Agreed WRT it sounding like a bribe. If you can't walk away from the deal or
this "mediator" I'd retain competent legal counsel ASAP.

