He earned the nickname Rahmbo for his determination and take-no-prisoners approach — an advantage when trying to bring a thorny issue to resolution, but a style that can be off-putting to those accustomed to gentility.
One of his early lessons in successful resolution of thorny conflicts came while he was still with the law firm.
Bilateral economic, trade and currency disagreements may not be as bitter as they are between the US and China, but they are thorny, and lack of resolution is making them more intractable.
Don Halperin was the ultimate consensus builder, a skilled negotiator who had the uncanny ability to relate to all people, bringing the most diverse and opposing factions together to reach satisfying resolutions to thorny issues and debates.
The arrival of Chen Guangcheng, a blind Chinese activist, in New York on May 19th marked a quiet resolution to a thorny problem for American diplomacy with China over human rights.
The Guardian understands that the deal includes a resolution of the thorny issue of how much of a Saturday should become part of a junior doctor's normal working week.
The new pipeline, he said, will mean more production because the resolution to the thorny problem of transporting oil from the eastern fields of Ecuador to Pacific ports will spur large-scale investment in exploration.
Mr. Sharon advocates a long-term interim arrangement with the Palestinians that puts off into the indefinite future the final resolution of the thorniest issues, like the status of Jerusalem's holy places.
Board of Education President Shirley Nelson said in a prepared statement that the district was satisfied with the resolution of "some very thorny issues". A public announcement of the agreement's provisions was delayed until Thursday while negotiators discussed the settlement with teacher representatives, officials said.
By year's end, there should be resolution to Australia's thorniest and most expensive military procurement program: the replacement and upgrade of its current submarine fleet.
Solving the thorny diversity problem?
