Istvan Fekete is a Principal at Attain Partners and a nationally recognized expert in research contract negotiation, with more than 14 years of experience supporting universities, academic medical centers, hospitals, and industry sponsors. He specializes in negotiating complex clinical trial agreements and sponsored research contracts, helping organizations reduce risk, accelerate study start-up timelines, and improve financial performance.

• Istvan has worked with over 50 organizations to deliver contract negotiation and managed services solutions, bringing deep insight into industry best practices across the full research lifecycle. He has built and scaled high-performing contracting teams, led multi-million-dollar services portfolios, and developed negotiation frameworks, playbooks, and training programs that improve consistency, speed, and outcomes in contracting operations.
• Prior to consulting, Istvan led research contract management functions at the University of Chicago, where he oversaw complex, high-value agreements and established institution-wide policies and processes to improve contract efficiency and compliance. His work has consistently focused on aligning contractual terms with operational feasibility and institutional risk tolerance.
• In addition to his client work, Istvan is a frequent speaker at national conferences and webinars, presenting on topics such as agreement negotiation strategies, contracting playbooks, and the use of AI and digital tools in contract lifecycle management. He is also a published author in NCURA Magazine on research administration and contracting topics.
• Istvan combines deep technical expertise with a pragmatic, results-driven approach, enabling clients to modernize contracting functions while delivering immediate and measurable impact.