Chapter 1
Alternative Dispute Resolution Law
Abigail Pessen Business and Employment Mediator and Arbitrator 26 Broadway, 20th floor] New York, New York 10004 (212) 961-0668 pessenadr@earthlink.net
Chapter 1
Chapter Summary
1.1 1.2 1.3
Introduction.............................................................................................00 Supreme Court Docket ..........................................................................00 Employment Arbitration.........................................................................00 Arbitration Costs ....................................................................................00 To Bind or Not to Bind ……………………………………………………… "Pizza Box" Arbitration ……………………………………………………. To Sever or Not to Sever …………………………………………………… Waiver …………………………………………………………………………. Commercial Arbitration: Battle of the Acronyms ...............................00 Jury Trial Waivers...................................................................................00 Franchise Agreements...........................................................................00 Review of Awards ………………………………………………………….. Expanding Judicial Review ………………………………………………. "Manifest Disregard" ……………………………………………………… Exceeding the Arbitrator's Authority …………………………………
1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7
1.8 1.9
Preclusion, Arbitrability, and Finality …………………………………… Mediation ……………………………………………………………………… Mediation Confidentiality …………………………………………………… Miscellaneous Decisions of Interest …………………………………..
1.10
Conclusion
2
Alternative Dispute Resolution Law
3
1.1
Introduction
The arbitration juggernaut continued unabated in 2001. From the eagerly-awaited United States Supreme Court decision in Circuit City Stores, Inc. v. Saint Clair Adams,121 S.Ct.1302 (2001), to countless rulings in state and federal courts, 2001 was marked by strong judicial support for arbitration as a forum for resolving disputes about franchises, mortgages, HMOs, check-cashing, warranties, false claims, promissory notes, credit cards, and conduct in the workplace. Although jurists upon occasion refused to compel arbitration where no true agreement to arbitrate could be found, the overwhelming trend was in favor of the arbitral forum. The proliferation of arbitration predictably spawned a great deal of satellite litigation about such issues as arbitrability, finality of awards, forum fees, unconscionability, grounds for vacating awards, conflicting statutes, and severance of offending provisions. Mediation also grew in popularity in 2001. By its very nature, mediation creates few legal issues to be decided in the courts. However, several noteworthy decisions were reported concerning mediation confidentiality, sanctions, and mediation costs.

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