A Letter from CPR President & CEO, Allen Waxman

/ CPR Staff

It has been a month since my last update to you, and certainly much has happened during this strange and challenging time. I hope that you are finding ways to tend, not only to the health of your businesses and professional lives, but also to yourselves personally. While honoring our responsibilities to our companies and clients/customers, I believe it is of paramount importance during this time also to be gentle with ourselves and each other. If it feels difficult, it is because it is difficult! We are trying to take the same counsel at CPR.  Our staff has all been working remotely, and finding ways to connect with each other over diverse platforms.  I now know the look of the kitchens, living rooms or guest rooms of each of my colleagues.  That takes us to a whole new level!

At the same time, I am so very proud of our staff in being true to our mission – managing conflict to enable purpose.  We have continued to offer insightful programming on how to prevent and resolve disputes most effectively during this time while also providing our dispute resolution services.  Your engagement and support (financial and otherwise) for us is more important than ever to enable us to pursue our mission.  Thank you.

I thought I would take this opportunity to review with you some of our activities over the last month.

CPR DISPUTE RESOLUTION REMAINS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

CPR Dispute Resolution continues to operate seamlessly, offering our full suite of dispute prevention and resolution services. Given the backlog in the courts, the time for ADR is now.  DRS’ services, rules and protocols, and Panel of Distinguished Neutrals can help resolve matters efficiently and effectively.

Arbitration – For parties in disputes during COVID-19, you may want to consider converting a pending court case to a CPR Administered Arbitration, or entering (with the other party) into an arbitration clause more appropriate under the circumstances. In both cases, you will need to enter into an arbitration submission agreement with your counterparty. Model language for doing so can be found HERE.

Mediation –CPR’s Mediation Services are also available to assist businesses in these difficult times. You can find more information on these services HERE. In addition, CPR has just announced the upcoming launch of a new COVID-19 Flat Fee Mediation Program, in collaboration with Legal Innovators and FTI Consulting, to resolve disputes below $5 million. That program is being kicked off with a free May 13 webinar.

Dispute Prevention – We have launched a new Dispute Prevention Panel, comprised of neutrals who have the experience to facilitate resolution of a dispute before it becomes a legal conflict.  You can find more information HERE.

Because our offices remain closed, new filers should continue to submit electronically at cprneutrals@cpradr.org, and all payments should be made via credit card or wire transfer (please specify in your cover email how you would like to pay); paper filings cannot be accepted. To send files via Voltage encrypted email, please email herickson@cpradr.org to be authorized.

NEW PROGRAMMING

We recently hosted one of many programs that are part of our COVID-19-related focus, titled “Stability in the Pandemic: Personal, Professional and Global Targets.” This webinar featured renowned academics Lela Love, Professor of Law and Director of the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution at Cardozo Law School, and Sukhsimranjit Singh, Assistant Professor of Law and Practice and Managing Director of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law. The speakers discussed holistic methods to approach conflict while social distancing, touching on key mediation strategies and self-care techniques to create a positive and conflict-free living and work space. A recording will be available soon and can be found in our “ADR in the Time of COVID-19” section, along with numerous other resources, HERE, and I encourage you to explore and check back often for updates.

SOCIAL DISTANCING – BUT STILL SURGING AHEAD ON ALL FRONTS

CPR continues to forge ahead and grow in numerous other ways I am delighted to share with you.

New Partnerships – CPR recently announced a strategic partnership with the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), through which IADC named CPR as a recommended ADR services provider. The IADC will be promoting CPR membership, DRS services, and arbitration and mediation rules to its 2,500 members, which in turn will gain access to valuable CPR benefits, resources and discounts, including CPR membership and other joint programming opportunities. And this collaboration is bearing almost immediate fruit, in the form of our upcoming joint webinar, “Resolving Legal Disputes in the Era of COVID-19.”

Support for Remote Video Arbitrations – Ever responsive to the changing legal landscape, CPR quickly convened a task force that created an Annotated Model Procedural Order for Remote Video Arbitration Proceedings. The model order puts into one, user-friendly document the best practices that the arbitration community needs to navigate remote video hearings. This new model procedure is a perfect example of what CPR can do and does regularly – harnessing the rich insights and vast experience of its membership to create timely and cutting-edge resources that both benefit users and enhance the capacity for ADR, in general.

The Drive for Diversity Continues – Since my last update, CPR also took a further step toward promoting diversity in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) by launching a new clause to be used by parties who wish to pre-commit to a diverse panel of neutrals in a future dispute to be resolved by arbitration. Read the full press release HERE.

New Data Security Resources – CPR continues to take steps to help parties and neutrals address the challenges of maintaining data and cybersecurity in ADR matters. In our new website section, you will find information relating to communicating with CPR on case-related matters, cybersecurity in arbitration and other ADR proceedings, data protection and the CPR online dispute resolution platform, as well as other technology tools and member discounts for e-filing services.

Networking for Neutrals – CPR has continued its role of providing service to the ADR community by convening three Neutrals Forums in different time zones to provide a space for the exchange of questions, learning and best practices for remote proceedings during the time of COVID-19. Participants were able to discuss issues that have arisen or are anticipated to arise in such proceedings such as the potential for witness coaching and the handling of exhibits during such procedures. The CPR Annotated Model Procedural Order was circulated to attendees and several of its provisions highlighted. Neutrals, please watch your email inbox for future invitations.

A RICH SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING PROGRAMMING

Our events calendar continues to be as relevant as it is robust. Upcoming virtual events include:

New events are scheduled regularly, so be sure to check our website Upcoming Events section regularly for new offerings.

STAY SAFE AND STAY STRONG

This has been a trying but also a productive time.  Keep engaging with us as we navigate this new normal together.  We in the CPR community are a resilient and resourceful bunch, and I am confident that, with generosity and patience, we will continue to overcome these challenges together.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns, or just let me know how you are doing. (Instead of hitting reply, please drop me a note at awaxman@cpradr.org to make sure I see your message quickly.)

Warm regards,

Allen Waxman

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