Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

Arbitration of large, complex conflicts, often with multiple parties, requires good management to obtain the well-known time and cost-saving advantages of the process. This article presents a collection of ideas the author gathered from experienced arbitrators, advocates and users of arbitration that are geared to preserving those advantages and keeping arbitration informal and user-friendly.

Arbitration is used in a broad range of circumstances and it enjoys exceptionally strong support by American courts. A general goal of arbitration is to achieve fair and appropriate resolutions of disputes with efficiency and economy. Some of the most important characteristics of arbitration are

• the decision maker is selected by the parties,

• the proceedings and award are private,

• the process is less formal than litigation,

• legal rules of procedure and evidence do not apply, and

• the process can be understood without formal legal training.