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Eliminating The Mandatory Trade-Off: Should Employees Have The Right To Choose Arbitration ?, Michael Peabody Apr 2012

Eliminating The Mandatory Trade-Off: Should Employees Have The Right To Choose Arbitration ?, Michael Peabody

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

As more employers include mandatory arbitration provisions in their employment contracts, policy-makers are becoming concerned that employees are being forced to trade their civil and statutory rights for their jobs. The California Legislature is considering legislation designed to combat this tendency and to provide legal protection for employees who might otherwise be forced to waive the right for redress of grievances, legal protections against discrimination, and other rights. Although the legislation was designed to protect the constitutional rights of employees, there are legal considerations and policy concerns that challenge the viability of this type of legislation. The primary question is …


Judicial Policing Of Consumer Arbitration , Edward A. Dauer Apr 2012

Judicial Policing Of Consumer Arbitration , Edward A. Dauer

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Adhesive consumer arbitration agreements pose questions that go beyond the problems of adhesion contracting generally. This essay describes why standard-form consumer arbitration requirements may be particularly troublesome. Despite its superficial neutrality, arbitration between individual consumers and business entities may be systematically more favorable to the business entities. The rules of arbitration law, however, inhibit effective judicial policing of the consequences of those inequalities. The federal sources of arbitration law further diminish the ability of state-based contract law to police the more subtle abuses. The result is a particularly difficult jurisprudential problem with a specially weakened legal solution. This essay offers, …


Medical Malpractice Arbitration In The New Millennium: Much Ado About Nothing ?, Ann H. Nevers Apr 2012

Medical Malpractice Arbitration In The New Millennium: Much Ado About Nothing ?, Ann H. Nevers

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This paper reviews the constitutional issues surrounding medical malpractice arbitration clauses and the implementation of arbitration contracts, and the existing medical malpractice process. Federal preemption issues under the Federal Arbitration Act, enterprise liability and ERISA preemption, and cybermalpractice will be discussed. Finally, dispute resolution industry standards implemented by the American Arbitration Association and American Health Lawyers Association will be reviewed as well as current medical malpractice mediation practices in industry. While the past has shown that arbitration has not been used a great deal future trends may increase use. Emerging medical malpractice arbitration issues arising in the new millennium include …


First Options Of Chicago, Inc. V. Kaplan And The Kompetenz-Kompetenz Principle , Adrianna Dulic Apr 2012

First Options Of Chicago, Inc. V. Kaplan And The Kompetenz-Kompetenz Principle , Adrianna Dulic

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In 1995, the United States Supreme Court in First Options of Chicago, Incorporated v. Kaplan considered whether arbitral tribunals or courts should have the primary power to decide if parties agreed to arbitrate the merits of the dispute and whether the court of appeals should accept the district court's findings of fact and law or apply a de novo standard of review. The Court unanimously held that, unless the parties clearly and unmistakably provide otherwise, the question of whether the parties agreed to arbitrate is to be decided by the court, not the arbitral tribunal. Furthermore, in such a case, …


Pre-Hearing Techniques To Promote Speed And Cost-Effectiveness--Some Thoughts Concerning Arbitral Process Design , Jack J. Coe Jr. Apr 2012

Pre-Hearing Techniques To Promote Speed And Cost-Effectiveness--Some Thoughts Concerning Arbitral Process Design , Jack J. Coe Jr.

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This essay considers factors and pre-hearing techniques that bear on international arbitration hearings by attempting to answer this question: "What can be done to promote speed and efficiency in the hearing process?" First, it offers general observations, including the goals and by-products of efficiency, issues related to defining terms and frames of reference, the flexibility of arbitration practice techniques, and the role of technology in arbitration proceedings. Then, it discusses specific factors that influence the expeditiousness of arbitration, especially the arbitration clause and its use to define critical elements of the proceedings, such as situs, number of arbitrators, and time …


Internet Dispute Resolution (Idr): Bringing Adr Into The 21st Century , Richard Michael Victorio Apr 2012

Internet Dispute Resolution (Idr): Bringing Adr Into The 21st Century , Richard Michael Victorio

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

It was only a matter of time before ADR hit the Interet. The Internet has sweepingly transformed society just as ADR has wrought tremendous change in our society, by enabling the swift and economical settlement of disputes, and unclogging the legal system in the process. The application of alternative dispute resolution methods to the Internet, termed "iDR" in this comment, has the potential to impact the landscape of both traditional ADR and the Internet itself. It brings the communication technology of the Internet to the practice of traditional, non-virtual, "real world" ADR, reducing costs and speeding up the exchange of …


Charge Me, Pay Me, But Don't Even Think Of Litigating Me: The Dominance Of Arbitration In Truth-In-Lending Claims , M. Susan Hale Apr 2012

Charge Me, Pay Me, But Don't Even Think Of Litigating Me: The Dominance Of Arbitration In Truth-In-Lending Claims , M. Susan Hale

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article analyzes the impact of the courts' ever increasing priority to enforce arbitration agreements in Truth In Lending Act (TILA) claims and reform. Part I entails a general discussion of TILA's logistics; the goals, the means, and the remedies. Part II briefly traces the rise of arbitration as well as evaluating its various advantages and disadvantages. Part III reports on the current emphasis of enforcing arbitration agreements in federal courts by explaining the basis of enforcing the agreement. Part IV explores the impact of arbitrating TILA claims on the claim and on individuals. Part V provides an analysis of …


Arbitration And Judicial Civil Justice: An American Historical Review And A Proposal For A Private/Arbitral And Public/Judicial Partnership , Roger S. Haydock, Jennifer D. Henderson Apr 2012

Arbitration And Judicial Civil Justice: An American Historical Review And A Proposal For A Private/Arbitral And Public/Judicial Partnership , Roger S. Haydock, Jennifer D. Henderson

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Dispute resolution systems historically have included three primary forums: the judicial process, administrative procedures, and the arbitral system. This article focuses on the modem and rapidly expanding third system - that of arbitration. The goal of everyone interested in maintaining a fair, accessible, and affordable civil justice system is to monitor, shape, and maintain arbitration as a fair, accessible, and affordable system. The purpose of this article is to provide information and ideas which will help make that goal a success. The first part of this article explains the historical development of arbitration in this country prior to and under …


Substituting Mediation For Arbitration: The Growing Market For Evaluative Mediation, And What It Means For The Adr Field , Robert A. Baruch Bush Apr 2012

Substituting Mediation For Arbitration: The Growing Market For Evaluative Mediation, And What It Means For The Adr Field , Robert A. Baruch Bush

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The past decade has seen significant expansion in the acceptance and use of mediation as a process for handling disputes. Indeed, old hands in the ADR field observe that mediation has begun to replace arbitration as the "process of choice" in the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) "market," including institutional users like courts and major private consumers of ADR like businesses. All this is seen by some as part of the "mainstreaming" of mediation discussed by Joseph Folger's lead article in this Symposium. The primary question examined in this essay is: How do we best understand and interpret this development in …


Filling The Gap Between Morality And Jurisprudence: The Use Of Binding Arbitration To Resolve Claims Of Restitution Regarding Nazi-Stolen Art , Rebecca Keim Apr 2012

Filling The Gap Between Morality And Jurisprudence: The Use Of Binding Arbitration To Resolve Claims Of Restitution Regarding Nazi-Stolen Art , Rebecca Keim

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Recognizing the gaps in existing legislation, this article will argue that disputes arising between claimants and museums regarding the repatriation of Nazi-looted artwork should be decided by binding arbitration rather than litigation. To facilitate such arbitration, international law should support the creation of an arbitration commission, which would provide the most efficient and consistent way to resolve claims. Moreover, a neutral forum with clear rules of law and procedure capable of resolving claims would not only be more fair to claimants, but also to museums and personal collectors. This article will first discuss the severity and magnitude of Nazi looting …


Renegotiating Third World Debt , Arash S. Arabi Apr 2012

Renegotiating Third World Debt , Arash S. Arabi

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The debt crisis facing the Third World is one so severe that it threatens to shatter the economy of countless nations and leaves the future of their lenders in doubt. The only viable solution is to come up with an "alternative" method of dispute resolution to deal with the debt crisis - one that is a cross between arbitration and mediation. A disinterested body should be created to recover some, or if possible, all of the outstanding loans owed to financial institutions, while alleviating the extreme hardships the debt and current debt repayment methods have inflicted. It should be noted, …


The State Of Arbitral Fees After Green Tree Financial: Uncertainty And Contradiction Demands Further Guidance From The Supreme Court, Kevin C. Clark Apr 2012

The State Of Arbitral Fees After Green Tree Financial: Uncertainty And Contradiction Demands Further Guidance From The Supreme Court, Kevin C. Clark

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

There are millions of employees in America who work every day without regard to the technical and seemingly mundane matters that govern their employment. What they don't realize however, is that their employment may be governed by an arbitration agreement. The terms of the arbitration agreement may be unclear until a dispute arises. This is particularly applicable in the area of arbitral fees, where there is a split among United States Courts of Appeals when addressing the issue of who should pay the fees arising from the arbitration of employment disputes. This fissure in American jurisprudence is the subject of …


Will Eeoc V. Waffle House, Inc. Signal The Beginning Of The End For Mandatory Arbitration Agreements In The Employment Context? , Marc A. Altenbernt Apr 2012

Will Eeoc V. Waffle House, Inc. Signal The Beginning Of The End For Mandatory Arbitration Agreements In The Employment Context? , Marc A. Altenbernt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Since the inception of several employment and discrimination statutes, arbitration has grown exponentially as an alternative for the adjudication of employment disputes. The Supreme Court has traditionally held that statutory claims are indeed arbitrable pursuant to a valid arbitration agreement under the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA"). In an effort to end employment discrimination based on "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin," Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII"). In order to adequately effect this calling, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") was created as the Act's primary enforcement mechanism. While arbitration agreements under the FAA and …


Reframing The Dilemma Of Contractually Expanded Judicial Review: Arbitral Appeal Vs. Vacatur , Eric Van Ginkel Apr 2012

Reframing The Dilemma Of Contractually Expanded Judicial Review: Arbitral Appeal Vs. Vacatur , Eric Van Ginkel

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA") of 1925 was created to ensure enforceability of agreements to arbitrate. The FAA is the centerpiece of the federal arbitration policy as construed by the Supreme Court. Section 10(a) FAA enumerates grounds on which an arbitral award can be set aside. The central issue discussed herein is whether parties can agree by contract to allow one of the parties to initiate review of the arbitral award by a court that would otherwise have jurisdiction over those parties, or whether the court's powers are somehow limited to the grounds for vacatur enumerated in Section 10(a) FAA. …


Why The States Should Enact The Revised Uniform Arbitration Act, Francis J. Pavetti Apr 2012

Why The States Should Enact The Revised Uniform Arbitration Act, Francis J. Pavetti

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article responds to concerns raised regarding the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (RUAA), noting that such concerns appear to be based on misplaced assumptions and misconceptions.


The 2000 Revision To The Uniform Arbitration Act: A Harbinger?, Timothy J. Heinsz Apr 2012

The 2000 Revision To The Uniform Arbitration Act: A Harbinger?, Timothy J. Heinsz

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

On August 3, 2000, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) unanimously passed major revisions to the Uniform Arbitration Act (UAA). These revisions are the first substantive changes in 55 years to the UAA, which in some form is the basis of arbitration law in 49 jurisdictions. The federal counterpart to the UAA, the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), has not been amended in any substantial fashion for nearly 75 years. Between Congress's passage of the FAA in 1925 and NCCUSL's approval of the UAA in 1955 and the NCCUSL's approval of the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (RUAA) …


Contracting Around Ruaa: Default Rules, Mandatory Rules, And Judicial Review Of Arbitral Awards, Christopher R. Drahozal Apr 2012

Contracting Around Ruaa: Default Rules, Mandatory Rules, And Judicial Review Of Arbitral Awards, Christopher R. Drahozal

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

By specifying that its provisions generally are default rules and listing particular exceptions, the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (“RUAA”) provides much needed certainty and avoids unnecessary litigation, at least compared to the Federal Arbitration Act, which does not always identify which of its provisions are default rules. In one important respect, however, RUAA jettisons that valuable certainty. The RUAA drafters left open (or at least sought to leave open) the question whether parties can contract to expand the grounds for judicial review of arbitration awards beyond those set out in the statute. In other words, the drafters purported not to …


Uniformity In Adr: Thoughts On The Uniform Arbitration Act And Uniform Mediation Act, John M. Mccabe Apr 2012

Uniformity In Adr: Thoughts On The Uniform Arbitration Act And Uniform Mediation Act, John M. Mccabe

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Private resolution of disputes, now thought of as alternate dispute resolution, has a lengthy history in American law. The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform States Laws (NCCUSL) has been a contributor to that history for about as long as there has been a history, promulgating the first uniform law on arbitration in 1925. Today the Conference continues its commitment to private dispute resolution with a new momentum, having recently completed its most comprehensive revision of the Uniform Arbitration Act, and having completed its first Uniform Mediation Act. Both acts are important to the way that American law is being …


Mexico And The Settlement Of Investment Disputes: Icsid As The Recommended Option, Bernardo Sepúlveda Mar 2012

Mexico And The Settlement Of Investment Disputes: Icsid As The Recommended Option, Bernardo Sepúlveda

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The changes that have taken place in arbitration conditions, the greater fairness in the arbitration process, and the increasingly stringent qualifications to be met by arbitrators, as well as contemporary economic realities, have been instrumental in causing Mexico's about-face on its approach to arbitration. Although in certain quarters doubts remain in Mexico as to the advantages of international arbitration, it would be ill advised to ignore a legal and political reality. In signing treaties that include an arbitration clause, Mexico has assumed rights and obligations. Politically speaking, a border has already been crossed. In the face of this indisputable fact, …


Immunizing Arbitrators From Claims For Equitable Relief, Michael D. Moberly Mar 2012

Immunizing Arbitrators From Claims For Equitable Relief, Michael D. Moberly

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The article begins with a summary of the historical origins of the judicial and arbitral immunity doctrines. Next, the article discusses the courts' refusal to extend judicial immunity to claims for declaratory, injunctive, or other equitable relief, except perhaps in the case of federal judges. The article then explores the propriety of recognizing a similar limitation in cases construing the arbitral immunity doctrine. The article ultimately concludes that (1) arbitrators should be immune from claims for equitable relief as a matter of policy, and (2) in jurisdictions where that result is currently precluded by existing precedent, a comparable result can …


California's Opportunity To Create Historical Precedent Regarding A Mediated Settlement Agreement's Effect On Mediation Confidentiality And Arbitrability , Susan Nauss Exon Mar 2012

California's Opportunity To Create Historical Precedent Regarding A Mediated Settlement Agreement's Effect On Mediation Confidentiality And Arbitrability , Susan Nauss Exon

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Confidentiality serves as a cornerstone of mediation. The public policy underlying confidentiality is the promotion of candid communications between disputing parties. As explained in this article, mediation confidentiality affects more than just communication. It affects other important mediation values, such as party self-determination and mediator impartiality. Mediation confidentiality affects parties' ability to enforce their mediated agreements. Finally, confidentiality affects multiple dispute resolution processes, as seen by the interrelated nature of mediation and arbitration in the seminal case of Fair v. Bakhtiari.


Compulsory Pre-Dispute Arbitration Clauses In The Employment Context After Eeoc V. Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps , Maria Wusinich Mar 2012

Compulsory Pre-Dispute Arbitration Clauses In The Employment Context After Eeoc V. Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps , Maria Wusinich

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In EEOC v. Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, decided in 2003, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals aligned its view with its sister circuits and with the Supreme Court regarding the enforceability of arbitration agreements in employment discrimination cases. The court held that an employee's agreement to arbitrate a claim arising under federal anti-discrimination law is enforceable. At first glance, it would appear that as far as the judicial branch is concerned, the longstanding issue of the validity of mandatory arbitration agreements in the employment context is now settled. This article, in contrast, posits that the courts will be …


Unraveling The Mystery Of Wilko V. Swan: American Arbitration Vacatur Law And The Accidental Demise Of Party Autonomy , James M. Gaitis Mar 2012

Unraveling The Mystery Of Wilko V. Swan: American Arbitration Vacatur Law And The Accidental Demise Of Party Autonomy , James M. Gaitis

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article begins with a brief description of what the Wilko Court said with respect to the vacatur of arbitral awards and how federal and state appellate courts have construed that language. Traditional American arbitration vacatur law, including but not limited to the cases relied upon by the Wilko Court, are then reviewed in depth such that the Wilko decision and the Wilko Court's choice of language may be placed in context and fully examined. The intent and proper operation of the FAA are then discussed based on both the legislative history of the FAA and other authorities that consistently …


Is Three A Crowd? Neutrality, Partiality And Partisanship In The Context Of Tripartite Arbitrations , David J. Mclean, Sean-Patrick Wilson Mar 2012

Is Three A Crowd? Neutrality, Partiality And Partisanship In The Context Of Tripartite Arbitrations , David J. Mclean, Sean-Patrick Wilson

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This paper will discuss issues surrounding party-appointed arbitrators on tripartite panels and will attempt to offer practical observations about what parties can expect under the tripartite system.


Looking Into A Crystal Ball: Courts' Inevitable Refusal To Enforce Parties' Contracts To Expand Judicial Review Of Non-Domestic Arbitral Awards, Eric Chafetz Mar 2012

Looking Into A Crystal Ball: Courts' Inevitable Refusal To Enforce Parties' Contracts To Expand Judicial Review Of Non-Domestic Arbitral Awards, Eric Chafetz

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article will first discuss the legislative history of the NY Convention in general and the history of its vacatur provisions in particular. Second, it will summarize certain federal court decisions that address the Expansion Issues and reach the Consensus. Third, it will argue that the Expansion Issues were resolved incorrectly, because the courts addressing them do not recognize how the operative/material language in section 207 of Ch. 2 of the FAA and section 9 of Ch. 129 of the FAA has a virtually identical meaning, and therefore should have been construed and applied in the same manner. Fourth, this …


The Future Of Commercial Arbitration, Richard Chernick, William F. Rylaarsdam, Thomas J. Stipanowich, Stephen J. Ware Feb 2012

The Future Of Commercial Arbitration, Richard Chernick, William F. Rylaarsdam, Thomas J. Stipanowich, Stephen J. Ware

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This is the Third Annual Robert Weil Lecture that has been hosted by the Los Angeles County Bar Association Dispute Resolution Services (DRS). Bob Weil was a distinguished judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court. He was a legal editor and co-author of the Weil & Brown Civil Procedure Practice Guide, which is the leading guide in California. At the end of his career, he was a popular and effective private judge. Our panel tonight is an extraordinary group of arbitration experts. Professor Tom Stipanowich is Co-Director of the Straus Institute at Pepperdine. He is a former President of the …


East Meets West: An International Dialogue On Mediation And Med-Arb In The United States And China, Thomas J. Stipanowich, Jung Yang, Jay Welsh, Chen Qiming, Peter Robinson, Tan Jinghui, Chen Guang, Jeff Kichaven, Denise Madigan, Wang Hongsong, Zhang Jianhua Feb 2012

East Meets West: An International Dialogue On Mediation And Med-Arb In The United States And China, Thomas J. Stipanowich, Jung Yang, Jay Welsh, Chen Qiming, Peter Robinson, Tan Jinghui, Chen Guang, Jeff Kichaven, Denise Madigan, Wang Hongsong, Zhang Jianhua

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This Second Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC)/Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution International Videoconference, following up on last year's successful inaugural program, will provide different perspectives on the current BAC initiative and evolving attitudes toward mediation and med-arb. Topics include: (1) the development and current state of business mediation in the U.S.; (2) the challenges and opportunities confronting China in developing stand-alone business mediation; (3) reflections on the skills necessary for mediators; (4) common pitfalls in mediation; (5) perspectives on med-arb (as opposed to stand-alone mediation); and (6) how to most effectively use mediation in conjunction with arbitration procedures.


The Institutional Role In Arbitrating Patent Disputes, Murray Lee Eiland Feb 2012

The Institutional Role In Arbitrating Patent Disputes, Murray Lee Eiland

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This paper will address, in particular, the nature of an international patent dispute and how the rules of the main arbitral institutions influence the unfolding arbitration. The main issue considered here is if institutional rules address the particular needs of patent disputes. Arbitral institutions are prepared to resolve many kinds of disputes, but because they operate under different rules, some may be more or less prepared for the special nature of IP. Patent related disputes are even more specialized. Even small differences in institutional rules can have a large impact upon the unfolding arbitration. After a brief consideration of arbitrability, …


Outward Bound To Other Cultures: Seven Guidelines For U.S. Dispute Resolution Trainers, Harold Abramson Feb 2012

Outward Bound To Other Cultures: Seven Guidelines For U.S. Dispute Resolution Trainers, Harold Abramson

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

"Would you like to go to Delhi to train people in negotiations?" the email message inquires. "Are you kidding?" you think to yourself. "Of course, I would get to do in an exotic location what I enjoy doing at home – helping others to resolve conflicts. And I also would meet fascinating people and tour an intriguing city and country with a local host." "YES," you reply after working out the logistical details. Now as you begin to pack your off-the-shelf training materials, you start to wonder how you should adapt your training for this foreign location. You do not …