IMO, you are confusing litigation with a negotiation. This is a negotiation, not before the court.

Interestingly/coincidently, I succeeded in my first negotiation 28 years ago (1982), argueably with one of the toughest possible entities across the table (USN Strategic Systems Project Office). Dollar value was only about $7M, in 1982 dollars. In today's dollars, what? - $20+ million? 27 years old with authority to commit.

FWIW,

SGE