Mastering Negotiation | About the author

About the author

Eugene Opperman isn’t just a legal practitioner; he’s a dedicated strategist and problem-solver who has spent over 25 years navigating the complexities of South African law. As an attorney, mediator, and lecturer, Eugene has dedicated his career to resolving complex commercial, labour, and family matters with a persistent focus on achieving equitable outcomes.

The strategies laid out in Mastering Negotiation for Legal Practitioners are drawn directly from Eugene’s wealth of experience. After years spent in legal practice and mediation, he compiled this book to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, offering proven techniques that transform how legal professionals approach settlements, client discussions, and courtroom advocacy.

Eugene brings a unique, holistic edge to his work, incorporating his knowledge of trauma informed mediation practice and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). Beyond the courtroom and classroom, his passion is social justice and advocacy. He is an active voice for LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights and is actively involved in efforts to end domestic abuse and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). You might know him as the founder of the extensive Child Maintenance South Africa Facebook group, which supports over 58,000 members and features dedicated training videos. This dedication to making a real difference was recognised when he was awarded “Bridgebuilder of the Year 2024” by the Law Faculty’s Centre for Social Justice at the University of Stellenbosch.

As a passionate educator, Eugene aims to equip future practitioners with practice-tested skills. He developed and hosts the Lunch and Learn Educational Platform, delivering extensive legal education content, including over 40 webinars on diverse topics like family law, commercial litigation, and civil dispute resolution. He also shares his expertise internationally, developing rigorous academic content for institutions like the England and Wales-based Veritas Mediation Academy. When he’s not consulting or training mediation for FAMAC and LSSA /LEAD, he serves as an Examiner and Moderator of competency-based examinations for attorneys at the Legal Practice Council (LPC) and presides as a Commissioner of the Small Claims Court.

Whether he is designing dispute systems for large organisations, guest lecturing to students, training mediators, conducting corporate workshops or leading international training on trauma-informed mediation practice, Eugene’s ultimate goal is always to transform challenging legal concepts into accessible, engaging, and results-driven skills.