Early Dispute Resolution (EDR): A Recipe for Success in Commercial Mediation
by Andrew Flake
When it comes to our favorite dishes, while we may not ourselves be chefs, most of us can at least name the key ingredients. A great sirloin is cut just so, perhaps seasoned with salt and pepper...
An Idea Whose Time Has Come? Considering the Role of Settlement Counsel
by Andrew Flake
Invited to an extended family reunion, I visited one of our state parks a few weekends ago. It was a cool and beautiful morning, and for a moment, standing under a bright blue fall sky, taking in the...
Under New York Convention, Separate Service of Summons not Required to Confirm Award
by Andrew Flake
Certain cases can be useful because of their technical guidance; they address nuts-and-bolts issues. In the international arbitration realm, one of those issues is the process of taking an arbitration award and getting it confirmed, or converted...
The Availability of an “Exceeding Powers” Challenge to the International Arbitration Award: 11th Circuit to Revisit Longstanding Precedent
by Andrew Flake
One of the questions that continues to come up in international arbitrations, where they touch U.S. courts, is how Sections 1 and 2 of the Federal Arbitration Act work together. Generally, Section 1 applies to domestic arbitrations -- ones between...
“Never Put Off Until Tomorrow…” The Importance of the Signed Mediation Agreement
by Andrew Flake
I spent a full day recently in virtual mediation. The case was a challenging IP dispute, one with a contentious and emotional history behind it, and even when schedules demanded concluding the full session, counsel and I...
58 years is a good run: In ZF-Automotive, the Supreme Court Curtails Discovery Options for International Arbitration
by Andrew Flake
Visiting for a close friend's wedding, I had a chance this weekend to walk around the beautiful mountain community of Black Mountain, North Carolina. There's a little pond there, "Lake Susan," fed by mountain springs, that a local told me...
AAA’s 2022 Arbitration Rule Revisions: Upgrades to the ADR Operating System
by Andrew Flake
Apple held its annual product launch this week, announcing a new iPhone and other updated products with the company's usual marketing panache. Less heralded, though perhaps more relevant to those of us in the...
On Appeal of FINRA Arbitration Award, Investors Out of Money and Out of Luck
by Andrew Flake
Especially on appeal, courts are selective about which facts to include in opinions. For reasons both of style and precedential value, they may omit facts, even ones the lawyers might consider crucial.
Poker, Peru, and Promptness in International Arbitration Challenges
by Andrew Flake
In discussing our litigated disputes, we will often borrow phrasing from the world of poker. And it is true that the game, with its mix of tactics in play and chance in the draw, invites some comparison:...
Control over Time in Business Mediation
by Andrew Flake
When we think about "successful" mediations, it is often about a financial bottom-line: what was demanded; what was paid; what potential jury verdict was avoided. The dollar-recovery can certainly be measured, and the trial exposure, especially...