Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons^™

I Like My Litigation How I Like My Pie: Whole, Alexandra (Allie) Widick

Journal of Dispute Resolution

There is a huge problem with the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (“EFAA”): it contains major ambiguities. The Act was signed into law by President Biden in 2022, and it has the potential to affect many Americans. It has been estimated that about 60 million workers—over half of the non-unionized private workforce—are subject to mandatory arbitration agreements as part of their employment. The Act states in relevant part that no arbitration agreement “shall be valid or enforceable with respect to a case which is filed under Federal, Tribal, or State law and relates to the …

Bargaining In The Shadow Of The Efaa, Samuel R. Cole

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Labor unions are having something of a moment. In the past few years, high profile unionization efforts like those at Starbucks and successful strikes like SAGAFTRA have generated headlines. Even as labor activists celebrate these wins, American unions face ongoing obstacles. Union membership continues to decrease, and union participation remains at an all-time low. And now courts, perhaps unwittingly, are adding to their woes. In one example, particularly relevant here, courts have overlooked the distinction between arbitration agreements contained in collective bargaining agreements and arbitration agreements contained in contracts between employers and at-will employees. The result has been to entwine …

Legislative Update, Mckayla Bogda, Karen Crouch, Matthew Hellmann, Brett Newberry, William Rodman

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The Legislative Update tracks legislation related to alternate dispute resolution that has been proposed and passed in state legislatures nationwide. With guidance from the Associate Editor-in-Chief, Associate Members of the Journal of Dispute Resolution wrote this update. This update includes articles focusing on specific bills and trends across legislation from various states that the authors found most interesting and impactful.

Negotiating With Gpt-4: Digital Doormat Or Skilful Counterpart?, Dorcas Quek Anderson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 have been creatively harnessed in the conflict resolution arena as dialogue agents interacting with humans within negotiations, due to their capacity for in-context learning and giving human-like responses. In light of the burgeoning use of LLMs in conflict resolution training, a pilot study was conducted to ascertain the desirability of using dialogue agents built on GPT-4 in conducting simulations for students learning negotiation skills. This article discusses insights gained from the study on the reliability of LLM agents in following prompts for negotiation simulations; notable negotiation behaviour of the LLM agent; the degree …

Managed Diversity Along The Legal Silk Road: The Asean-Asia Relationship In International Arbitration, Mark Mclaughlin

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Efforts to foster closer economic integration often focus on the alignment of standards with respect to goods and services. The harmonization of substantive regulations mitigates the inevitable friction caused by moving assets from one jurisdiction to another. In this chapter, it is argued that interna- tional arbitration plays a similar function in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Asia relationship. By providing a neutral and reliable forum for dispute resolution, international arbitration helps manage legal diversity by creating a ‘Legal Silk Road’ on which commercial parties can engage with a familiar dispute resolution process without having to engage the local …

Cjcr Publishes Volume 26, Issue 1 (Fall 2024), Jane Perov

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution (CJCR) Blog

The Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution—the country’s preeminent legal journal of arbitration, negotiation, mediation, settlement, and restorative justice—today published the web edition of Volume 26, Issue 1 (Fall 2024). The print edition of the issue has also been released.

Accessible at Volume 26.1: Fall 2024, this issue contains a transcript from the Twenty-Third Annual International Advocate for Peace Award, Honoring Dr. Richard N. Haass; a transcript from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Articles by Ariana R. Levinson and Hal Abramson; and Notes by Armando D. Gonzalez, Nowshin Nawal, Jane Perov, and Nicholas Wynne.

The print …

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program Fiscal Year 2024 Report And Evaluation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

In FY2024, the Commonwealth allocated $3,213,465 to the CMC Grant Program, supplemented by $149,674 carried over from FY2023, for a total of $3,363,139. Of the total funding, $2,542,100 (76%) was awarded to Centers in grants and technical assistance, with Centers leveraging these funds to secure an additional $2,199,813 from private foundations and other state, local, and federal sponsors. These grants supported Centers’ participation in CMC Grant Program related statewide programs, including the Housing Mediation Program (HMP), Reentry Mediation Program (ReMAp), Youth Conflict Resolution and Restorative Practices Program (Youth Program), and DEI organizational capacity-building initiatives. These grants bolstered staffing infrastructure, enabling …

Judicial Review Of Settlements Under The Class Action Fairness Act And Deference Due To The Department Of Justice And State Attorneys General, Michael E. Solimine, Hailey Martin

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (CAFA) made it easier to remove consumer class actions from state to federal court, and among other things regulates the procedure of federal court approval of settlements of those cases. CAFA requires that before any court approval or disapproval, the parties must notify the Attorney General of the United States, and the attorneys general of states where members of the class live, of the pending settlement in order to receive any objections or other input. While such notice is frequently sent, since most class action cases settle out of court, it appears that …

Voting Matters: Materiality Considerations And The Shareholder Vote, Renee M. Jones

Seattle University Law Review

For the shareholder franchise to have meaning, shareholders must have access to relevant information to inform their voting decisions. The securities laws’ disclosure requirements play an essential role in informing the shareholder vote.

This Essay focuses on the question of the materiality of information in the context of shareholder voting. It addresses the question of whether ESG-related information is material, positioning the materiality inquiry within the context of shareholders’ voting decisions. It explores the definition of materiality with a focus on the “reasonable investor” concept embedded within the definition. The Essay argues that the implicit expectations of many commentators that …

The Employees’ Dilemma: Balancing Internal Reporting, Whistleblowing, And Insider Trading Risks, Geeyoung Min

Seattle University Law Review

The Essay examines how recent developments in insider trading regulations and whistleblower reward programs can lead to unintended and counterproductive results of discouraging employees from using internal reporting channels within corporate compliance programs. While the presence of a robust and well-functioning corporate compliance program is a critical factor both in mitigating the level of public enforcement actions against companies and in protecting corporate managers from liability in private litigation, these programs often provide little incentive for employees to report potential misconduct internally.

Corporate compliance programs are designed to promote the upward information flow within the company, which is essential for …

(D)Evolution Of International Commercial Arbitration In Mexico, Edwin N. Á. Román

Arbitration Brief

The 1990s were a time of vibrant international rulemaking in the field of international economic law, during which Mexico transformed from a closed to an open economy. In 1993, Mexico adopted the 1985 UNICITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration. In 2011, Mexico amended its commercial code by introducing a specific proceeding to enforce and set aside arbitration awards titled “Juicio Especial sobre Transacciones Comerciales y Arbitraje.” Alongside these amendments, Mexico became an internationally relevant jurisdiction for the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. This article analyzes the evolution of the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice’s jurisprudence concerning international …

Third-Party Funding In Treaty-Based Arbitration: Towards A More Transparent And Responsible System?, Margie-Lys Jaime R.

Arbitration Brief

Third-Party Funding (“TPF”) has become the “new kid on the block” of long-established stakeholders in international arbitration. However, despite the increasing use of TPF, few countries have undertaken the task of regulating the intervention of funders. Even in countries where the practice of TPF is regulated, it is generally in codes of conduct or non-binding instruments.

Forced Arbitration In Tesla’S Consumer Contracts, Abigail Hug

Arbitration Brief

The Supreme Court has supported the FAA’s preference for enforcing arbitration clauses and has extended it to forced arbitration provisions. In DirecTV v. Imburgia, the Supreme Court upheld a mandatory arbitration clause in a consumer service agreement, which additionally prohibited class arbitration. The Court reasoned that the FAA clearly states that written provisions in contracts that mandate arbitration are enforceable as all other contracts are enforceable. Companies throughout the United States use forced arbitration for employment and consumer contracts, including those for car leases. Forced arbitration clauses in consumer contracts ensure that customers settle their disputes with a company through …

A Uniform, National Body Of Law To Govern The Enforcement Of Arbitration Agreements, Imre S. Szalai

American University Business Law Review

The heart of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) is section 2, which contains a federal mandate that arbitration agreements are valid, irrevocable, and enforceable; the FAA's remaining provisions help carry out this mandate.

The Climate-Arbitration Nexus: How Legitimate Expectations Shape Investor Claims In A Decarbonizing World, M. Uzeyir Karabiyik

American University International Law Review

The global push for climate change mitigation, particularly through renewable energy promotion and fossil fuel phase-out, has sparked a surge in investor-state arbitrations. At the heart of these arbitrations lies the concept of “legitimate expectations,” which is considered by arbitral tribunals as a cornerstone of the fair and equitable treatment (FET) standard. This Article conducts a comprehensive analysis of diverse approaches adopted by arbitral tribunals in interpreting legitimate expectations in the context of climate action. It then delves into specific interpretations of this concept within two categories: disputes related to states’ renewable energy promotion policies and those that stem from …

Arbitrator Selection Default Rules, Irene M. Ten Cate

American University Law Review

This Article makes the case for changing the default settings for the selection of arbitrators in international commercial arbitration. For three-member tribunals, the rules of most international arbitration institutions provide that each party picks an arbitrator. The institution or the co-arbitrators then select the tribunal’s president. This prescription, which parties may set aside by agreement, codifies longstanding practices and corresponds to the strong preference of international arbitration insiders. Nonetheless, I argue that arbitration rules should default toward institutional selection of all arbitrators.

Switching the default nudges parties that can’t take full advantage of the arbitrator selection game—due to inexperience, lack …

Introductory Remarks, Dana Welch

American University Business Law Review

The year 1925 proved to be eventful for the United States and for the world. The Scopes Monkey Trial placed evolution in the spotlight. The New Yorker published its first issue. The "Grand Ole Opry´ premiered on the radio as the WSM Barn Dance. And fascism threatened Europe as Benito Mussolini dissolved the Italian Parliament and declared himself "Il Duce," the dictator of Italy, while Adolf Hitler published the first volume of Mein Kampf, written from prison. On a lighter note, Washington, D.C., saw the first National Spelling Bee, won by Frank Neuhauser, an eleven-year-old from Kentucky who correctly spelled …

Bringing Section 7 Into The Next Century, Amy J. Schmitz, David M. Brodsky

American University Business Law Review

In 1925, Congress passed a historic piece of legislation, the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), that attempted to change the American judiciary's hostility towards enforcing arbitration agreements and awards. This hostility was rooted in English common law and migrated to the American civil justice system. But in 1925, Congress gave life to the broad use of executory agreements to enforce compliance with contracts through arbitration.

Facilitating Trust Arbitration By Amending The Federal Arbitration Act, S. I. Strong

American University Business Law Review

Over the last few years, a new dispute resolution procedure has burst onto the domestic and international stage: trust arbitration, which allows an arbitration provision located in a trust to trigger arbitration of "internal" trust disputes arising either between trust beneficiaries or between beneficiaries and the trustee.

The Right To Arbitrate(?): Integrating Consumer Protection Into Judicial Review Of The Mccarran-Ferguson Act And The New York Convention, Rachel Bamberger

American University Business Law Review

International commercial arbitration has grown increasingly popular as an alternative method of dispute resolution. This Comment explores the struggle courts face when they must determine whether to apply the New York Convention, an international treaty that recognizes and compels arbitration agreements, or a federal statute known as the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which delegates authority to the states to regulate insurance. Conflict arises when foreign insurers seek to compel arbitration under the New York Convention in states with antiarbitration insurance laws, and courts must choose between upholding domestic state laws or honoring the Treaty.

This Comment examines the method of analysis used …