Introduction

During his inaugural trip to Washington, D.C. six weeks ago, John Beechey, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration ("ICC"), decried "the absurd levels of disclosure for arbitrators required on this side of the Atlantic [Ocean]."[1] I am pleased to report that at least one basis for John Beechey's observation has now been eliminated. On April 15, 2009, the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section ("DR Section") rejected the widely circulated "Best Practices for Meeting Disclosure Requirements Under the RUAA and Similar Arbitrator Disclosure Standards" ...