On May 19, 2009 Victoria VanBuren, blog master of Disputing, I, and others formed a LinkedIn Group called the Commercial and Industry Arbitration and Mediation Group.  The group is a forum for the discussion of issues and the sharing of information concerning commercial and industry arbitration, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.  Participation in the Group is an excellent networking and educational opportunity.  As of the time this was posted, the group has 29 members with diverse backgrounds, all of whom are interested in commercial and industry ADR. 

Victoria VanBuren — a talented young ADR and intellectual property attorney, Forum guest blogger, and computer science student  — and I are principally responsible for the day-to-day management of the group.  Victoria’s CV is here.  We have also enlisted the support of the following experienced and talented ADR professionals who also act as Group Managers:   

Don Philbin – Don is a Panelist and Shareholder at Conflict Solutions of Texas, and an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University School of Law’s prestigious Straus Institute on Dispute Resolution. Victoria introduced me to Don recently and I have found that he not only is a pleasure to work with, but also has a wonderful sense of humor. We are quite honored to have someone of Don’s caliber participate as a Group Manager.  Learn more about him here. 

Karl Bayer – Karl is a skilled trial lawyer and Dispute Resolution Expert and is the principal of Karl Bayer Dispute Resolution.  Karl has been a great mentor and role model for Victoria and has an excellent practice. You can learn more about Karl and his practice here.  We are all looking forward to Karl’s active participation in the group after he finishes up with a rather grueling, two-month long trial. 

Robert Bear – Robert (CV here) is the owner of RAB Actuarial Solutions, where he offers his services as a consulting actuary, reinsurance consultant and insurance and reinsurance arbitrator. Before forming RAB, Robert was a Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary at PXRE Group Ltd. Robert brings a lot of experience to bear, including experience in the actuarial field, which is relevant to both insurance and reinsurance dispute resolution.  Indeed, panels of actuaries like Robert are sometimes called upon to resolve actuarial disputes pursuant to commutation clauses in reinsurance contracts, and individual actuaries also serve as members of regular reinsurance arbitration panels resolving less arcane reinsurance disputes.  Once you think you really understand the reinsurance business, go talk to an actuary!

Commercial and industry ADR is a broad topic and covers the spectrum from arbitrations and mediations arising out of general, commercial contracts through more specialized forms of dispute resolution used by various industries, including the reinsurance, maritime, telecommunications, securities, financial services, construction industries and others.  We also consider labor and employment arbitration and mediation to be within this spectrum. 

Topics of group discussion may include, but are not limited to, practice and procedure under the Federal Arbitration Act, the New York Convention, the Panama Convention and state arbitration statutes; recent state and federal case law and legislative developments, including the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2009 and other proposed anti-arbitration legislation; news and events pertinent to commercial and industry ADR; international commercial and industry arbitration; the mediation and arbitration process; class arbitration; domestic and international arbitration and mediation organizations and societies and their rules; arbitration and mediation strategies for parties, arbitrators and mediators; industry-specific arbitration practices and procedures; labor arbitration; employment arbitration and mediation; arbitration and mediation technology; proposals for improvement of the process; arbitrator and mediator ethics; confidentiality; and other issues pertinent to commercial and industry ADR. 

Persons who should consider joining this group include arbitrators; mediators; in-house and outside counsel; law professors; dispute-resolution consultants; members of  ADR organizations; business entity representatives and principals whose day-to-day responsibilities include dispute resolution; and law students and other students of commercial and industry ADR.  The purpose of the group is information sharing and professional networking, not job searching or marketing.  Job postings, if any, should be listed in the Jobs Section (as opposed to the Discussion Section). 

If you are already a member of LinkedIn, please click here to apply for membership in the Group.  If you are not a LinkedIn member, click here, and you will be guided through the process of creating a profile (which does not have to be completed in one step).  Once your profile is started, and you have a log-in name and password, you can apply for membership in the Group.  Joining LinkedIn is free, as is joining the group. 

We hope you’ll join us and participate in the discussions! 

[Editor's note:  For a good book on using LinkedIn as a networking tool, read Jan Vermeiren, How to Really Use LinkedIn (Booksurge 2009).  There are also a number of other books on the subject available at Amazon.com or your local bookstore.]