United States Arbitration Association

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United States Arbitration Association (USADR) is an alternative dispute resolution organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado. USADR offers mediation to parties who have filed for arbitration through USADR's national forum. [1]

Contents

History

USADR was founded in 2005 in Colorado to offer arbitration and mediation services under the name Colorado Mediators & Arbitrators. [2] The original Rules of Procedure were drafted by an attorney whose primary experience was as a NASD investigator. Its predecessor, Vision Mediation Group, LLC (2003-2005), limited ADR services to mediation.

In 2011, USADR expanded to provide ADR services nationally under the name United States Arbitration Association. [2]

USADR primarily handles small to mid-size arbitration claims. Historically, arbitration administration for smaller dollar claims has been cost-prohibitive, making it particularly challenging for parties who seek resolution with claims of under $75,000. [3]

The administrative costs in small and mid-size claims often exceed the amount of the claim itself. [4]

Mandatory arbitration relief

USADR provides the administrative infrastructure for small to mid-sized claims to be decided before a single arbitrator for a small standardized fee, with the delivery of a simple award. In part, this addresses the need to contain costs, as a panel of three arbitrators triples the cost of the arbitrator's hourly rate. The arbitrator is either appointed according to USADR rules, or selected in accordance with the parties' agreement. Under its rules, USADR may appoint an arbitrator in some circumstances, for example, in lower dollar claims where the parties have not specified a process for arbitrator selection.

Rules and procedures in layman's terms

A primary objective of the USADR is to publish its rules and procedures in layman's terms. Arbitrator applicants who have industry knowledge and expertise are favored over arbitrator applicants whose experience is limited to the courts of law, and presiding arbitrators are consequently encouraged to apply common sense and equity when deciding a matter.

Governing law

Clarification related to whether federal or state law takes precedence in a given arbitration matter is addressed in the USADR Rules of Procedure, for the benefit of the parties. [5] USADR utilizes the following guidelines when parties submit their dispute for arbitration.

Presentation of applicable law

The presentation of applicable law is the responsibility of the parties. An arbitrator's disregard of the law presented by the parties is cause for challenging an award in a court of competent jurisdiction.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Dispute resolution or dispute settlement is the process of resolving disputes between parties. The term dispute resolution is conflict resolution through legal means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediation</span> Dispute resolution with assistance of a moderator

Mediation is a negotiation facilitated by a third-party neutral. It is a structured, interactive process where an impartial third party, the mediator, assists disputing parties in resolving conflict through the use of specialized communication and negotiation techniques. All participants in mediation are encouraged to actively participate in the process. Mediation is a "party-centered" process in that it is focused primarily upon the needs, rights, and interests of the parties. The mediator uses a wide variety of techniques to guide the process in a constructive direction and to help the parties find their optimal solution. A mediator is facilitative in that they manage the interaction between parties and facilitates open communication. Mediation is also evaluative in that the mediator analyzes issues and relevant norms ("reality-testing"), while refraining from providing prescriptive advice to the parties. Due to its voluntary nature, a person cannot be compelled to use mediation to resolve their dispute. However, a suggestion from the Court may be difficult to resist.

Online dispute resolution (ODR) is a form of dispute resolution which uses technology to facilitate the resolution of disputes between parties. It primarily involves negotiation, mediation or arbitration, or a combination of all three. In this respect it is often seen as being the online equivalent of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). However, ODR can also augment these traditional means of resolving disputes by applying innovative techniques and online technologies to the process.

The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) is a process established by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for the resolution of disputes regarding the registration of internet domain names. The UDRP currently applies to all generic top level domains, some country code top-level domains, and to all new generic top-level domains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forum selection clause</span> Contract clause which requires disputes to be resolved in a given manner or court

In contract law, a forum selection clause in a contract with a conflict of laws element allows the parties to agree that any disputes relating to that contract will be resolved in a specific forum. They usually operate in conjunction with a choice of law clause which determines the proper law of the relevant contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Arbitration Act</span> United States legal statute

The United States Arbitration Act, more commonly referred to as the Federal Arbitration Act or FAA, is an act of Congress that provides for non-judicial facilitation of private dispute resolution through arbitration. It applies in both state courts and federal courts, as was held in Southland Corp. v. Keating. It applies in all contracts, excluding contracts of seamen, railroad employees, or any other class of workers involved in foreign or interstate commerce, and it is predicated on an exercise of the Commerce Clause powers granted to Congress in the U.S. Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbitration clause</span> Contract clause requiring parties to resolve disputes via arbitration

In contract law, an arbitration clause is a clause in a contract that requires the parties to resolve their disputes through an arbitration process. Although such a clause may or may not specify that arbitration occur within a specific jurisdiction, it always binds the parties to a type of resolution outside the courts, and is therefore considered a kind of forum selection clause.

International arbitration is arbitration between companies or individuals in different states, usually by including a provision for future disputes in a contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbitration</span> Method of dispute resolution

Arbitration is a formal method of dispute resolution involving a neutral third party who makes a binding decision. The third party neutral renders the decision in the form of an 'arbitration award'. An arbitration decision or award is legally binding on both sides and enforceable in the courts, unless all parties stipulate that the arbitration process and decision are non-binding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbitral tribunal</span> Panel convened to resolve a dispute by way of arbitration

An arbitral tribunal or arbitration tribunal, also arbitration commission, arbitration committee or arbitration council is a panel of unbiased adjudicators which is convened and sits to resolve a dispute by way of arbitration. The tribunal may consist of a sole arbitrator, or there may be two or more arbitrators, which might include a chairperson or an umpire. Members selected to serve on an arbitration panel are typically professionals with expertise in both law and in friendly dispute resolution (mediation). Some scholars have suggested that the ideal composition of an arbitration commission should include at least also one professional in the field of the disputed situation, in cases that involve questions of asset or damages valuation for instance an economist.

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Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), or external dispute resolution (EDR), typically denotes a wide range of dispute resolution processes and techniques that parties can use to settle disputes with the help of a third party. They are used for disagreeing parties who cannot come to an agreement short of litigation. However, ADR is also increasingly being adopted as a tool to help settle disputes within the court system.

Prima Paint Corp. v. Flood & Conklin Mfg. Co., 388 U.S. 395 (1967), is a United States Supreme Court decision that established what has become known as the "separability principle" in contracts with arbitration clauses. Following an appellate court ruling a decade earlier, it reads the 1925 Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) to require that any challenges to the enforceability of such a contract first be heard by an arbitrator, not a court, unless the claim is that the clause itself is unenforceable.

Hall Street Associates, L.L.C. v. Mattel, Inc., 552 U.S. 576 (2008), was a United States Supreme Court case that held that state and federal courts cannot, on a motion to vacate or to modify an arbitration award, expand the limited scope of judicial review specified in 9 U.S.C. §§ 10 and 11, including terms that were agreed upon by the parties.

Investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS), or an investment court system (ICS), is a set of rules through which countries can be sued by foreign investors for certain state actions affecting the investments (FDI) of that investor by that state. This most often takes the form of international arbitration between the foreign investor and nation. For the rules to be effective, they must have been agreed upon between the states concerned.

The Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC) is an independent non-profit organization based in Beijing offering services in arbitration, mediation, and other dispute resolution mechanisms. The BAC was established in 1995 following the passage of the Arbitration Law of the People's Republic of China. In accordance with the theories of other ADR channels, the BAC encourages arbitration and mediation forums as "win-win" alternatives to litigation. The BAC serves both domestic and international clients. An article in Business China declared the Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC) as "the only local arbitration commission which meets or surpasses global standards.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbitration Act 1996</span> United Kingdom legislation

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References

  1. Shanske, Darien (2005). "Four Theses: Preliminary to an Appeal to Equity". Stanford Law Review. 57: 2053. SSRN   904345.
  2. 1 2 United States Patent and Trademark Office
  3. Brand, Madeleine (22 July 2009). "Top Arbitration Firms Exit Business". National Public Radio. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  4. Corcoran, Brian H. "Considering Arbitration's Costs and Dangers". Legal Times. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
  5. "USADR Rules of Procedure". United States Arbitration Association. Retrieved 30 March 2012.