About Craig & Linda Barkacs

You'll find two experienced professors and attorneys heading the Barkacs Group in San Diego, California, who are recognized as experts in the fields of negotiation and influence, organizational power and politics, leadership, and presentation skills. Learn about their successes in law and in the academy.

Craig B. Barkacs, J.D., M.B.A.

Professor Craig Barkacs began his long and close association with the University of San Diego when he arrived as a law student in August of 1978, shortly after he graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts in philosophy from Kenyon College. After obtaining a J.D. / M.B.A. joint-degree from USD, Professor Barkacs embarked on an exciting and illustrious career spanning the legal profession, the business world, and academia. He is a professor of law, ethics, negotiation, and international studies.

Legal Experience

As an attorney who often represented the underdog in high-profile civil and business litigation cases, he and his law partner and wife, Linda Barkacs, consistently achieved outstanding results. Together, they often litigated opposite some of the largest and most powerful law firms in the country.

Education Experience

Professor Barkacs has designed and taught numerous courses on negotiation, corporate social responsibility, ethics, law, and international business and has published extensively in those disciplines. He has been very active in teaching in USD's study abroad programs, and he is frequently solicited to teach in numerous graduate programs in the School of Business. In addition, he is often sought out by the media to provide commentary on business, legal, and political issues.

Business Experience

As a way of connecting with the broader business community while keeping his skills honed and relevant, Professor Barkacs is a principal in The Barkacs Group. This business consulting firm provides corporate training in negotiation and influence, organizational power and politics, leadership, ethics, and presentation skills.

Notable Awards

Professor Barkacs has won many awards for his research and publications, and he has been awarded a prestigious University Professorship by USD for outstanding career achievement in teaching, scholarship, and service. This is the highest award given to an actively teaching professor, and the USD graduate business students have frequently honored him as a Professor of the Year. Professor Barkacs is known for his intelligence, passion, and sense of humor, which makes him a widely sought after as a speaker.

Linda L. Barkacs, J.D.

In addition to earning undergraduate degrees in both accounting and political science, Professor Linda Barkacs received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. She is a member of the California Bar.

Legal Experience

As an attorney, she worked for a large litigation firm in downtown San Diego. Later, she took on the role of managing partner of Barkacs & Barkacs, a law firm she began with her husband, Craig Barkacs. During her distinguished legal career, she successfully litigated numerous high-profile cases, many of which involved intensive negotiations.

Education Experience

In 1997, she began teaching at the University of San Diego School of Business. Professor Barkacs has designed and taught numerous courses on negotiation, law, and ethics. She teaches in USD's undergraduate and graduate programs, including the Masters of Science in Executive Leadership (a Ken Blanchard program), the Masters of Science in Global Leadership, the Masters in Accountancy/Masters in Tax, and the Masters of Science in Supply Chain Management. Professor Barkacs often teaches USD's study abroad classes and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and South America. She received additional training in negotiation at Harvard's Program on Negotiation, the Kellogg School at Northwestern, and Duke's CIBER program on International Negotiation.

Business Experience

Professor Barkacs stays engaged in the business world through heading the business-consulting firm, The Barkacs Group. This agency is known for providing superior corporate seminars in negotiation and influence, organizational power and politics, leadership, ethics, and presentation skills.

Notable Awards

Professor Barkacs has won numerous teaching awards, both for the School of Business and university-wide, at the undergraduate and graduate teaching levels. She has published extensively in the areas of law, ethics, and negotiation. In addition to co-authoring Dynamic Business Law (now entering its 4th ed. with McGraw-Hill), she and her husband, Craig Barkacs, are co-authoring a book on negotiation.