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Awards - Chapter 10 - The College of Commercial Arbitrators Guide to Best Practices in Commercial Arbitration - 2nd Edition

Author(s): 
Thomas J. Brewer
Jay W. Elston
James M. Gaitis
Richard A. Levie
Michael S. Wilk
Page Count: 
19 pages
Media Description: 
PDF from "The College of Commercial Arbitrators Guide to Best Practices in Commercial Arbitration - 2nd Edition"
Published: 
October, 2010
Jurisdictions: 
United States
Practice Areas: 
Applicable Law,
Arbitral Awards,
Time Limit for Rendering Award,
Dissenting and Separate Opinions,
Costs and Damages,
Apportioning of Costs,
Arbitration Fees
Author Detail: 

Thomas J. Brewer, Esq., Independent Arbitrator and Mediator, Seattle, Washington

Jay W. Elston, Esq., Independent Arbitrator, Houston, Texas

James M. Gaitis is the former Director of the International Dispute Resolution and Management Programme at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy, University of Dundee, Scotland, where he continues to serve as a member of the Global Faculty.

Richard A. Levie (Ret.), JAMS, Washington, DC

Michael S. Wilk, Esq., Partner, Hirsh & Westheimer, Houston, Texas

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Description: 

Arbitrators’ goals are to issue awards that are (1) clear, (2) supported by the evidence and substantive law, (3) appropriate to the circumstances of the particular case, and (4) consistent with applicable law and rules relating to timeliness, finality, and the scope of the arbitrators’ authority.

I. INTRODUCTION

Due in part to varying state and federal legislative enactments and judicial decisions, there is no uniform agreement on the meaning and preferred usage of many arbitration terms and phrases. Thus, even though the ultimate objective in arbitration is the issuance of a final award, the word award is actually used by arbitrators in a variety of ways. Generally, three distinct types of awards are issued by arbitrators in domestic arbitrations: (1) final awards that conclusively resolve all issues; (2) partial final awards that finally determine some, but not all, issues involved in a proceeding; and (3) interim awards that tentatively or preliminarily determine some, but not all, issues involved in a proceeding. 

The distinctions between these types of awards can be critical, depending on the content of the award and the intent of the arbitrators and/or parties. The issuance of the award might trigger the application of the doctrine of functus officio or related institutional rules or statutory provisions that terminate the arbitrators’ jurisdiction over issues determined in the award. (For a more detailed discussion of the doctrine of functus officio and the related rules and statutes, see Chapter 11, infra.) Just as significantly, when finality does attach to the award, the issuance of the award may trigger a party’s right to seek confirmation or vacatur. When the FAA applies to the procedural aspects of confirmation or vacatur, the issuance of an award may actually commence the running of the statutory time limitations within which such relief must be sought.
Table of Contents: 
I. INTRODUCTION II. FINAL AWARDS A. Making a Definite and Final Award Upon the Matter Submitted B. Form of Award C. Content of Award 1. Architectural Framework of Award 2. Detailed Sections of Award a. Identifying Arbitral Process and Issues to be Determined  b. Analyzing the Law and Evidence c. Awarding Section  D. Preparation and Issuance of Award III. INTERIM AWARDS  IV. PARTIAL FINAL AWARDS V. REMEDIES A. Authority to Craft Remedies B. Punitive Damages C. Attorneys’ Fees, Arbitrators’ and Arbitral Institution Fees, and Costs 1. Attorneys’ Fees 2. Arbitrators’ and Arbitral Institution Fees and Expenses 3. Other Costs and Expenses 4. The Issuance of Interim or Partial Awards Pending Determinations Relating to Fees and Expenses D. Sanctions  VI. DISSENTING OPINIONS