Labor & Employment Law

Arbitration or ?Arbitrary?: The Misuse of Arbitration to Collect Consumer Debts

A House subcommittee hearing on July 22 will focus on business-consumer arbitrations relating to to debt collection. 

The title of the hearing gives you an easy way to predict the outcome: ?Arbitration or ?Arbitrary?: The Misuse of Arbitration to Collect Consumer Debts?

Text of the House press release:

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Nathan White (202)225-5871

 

Hearing: ?Arbitration or ?Arbitrary?: The Misuse of Arbitration to Collect Consumer Debts?

Date: July 22, 2009, 2:00 p.m.

Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2154

On Wednesday, July 22, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Domestic Policy Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, ?Arbitration or ?Arbitrary?: The Misuse of Arbitration to Collect Consumer Debts.?

The purpose of this hearing is to evaluate contractually-mandated arbitration of disputes between businesses and consumers in the context in which the vast majority of those disputes occur?the collection of debts from consumers. The hearing will evaluate whether consumer debt collection arbitration, as currently administered, produces results that are fair and legitimate.

Experts invited to testify:

Mr. Michael Kelly, Chief Operating Officer, National Arbitration Forum

Mr. Richard W. Naimark, Senior Vice-President, International Centre for Dispute Resolution, a division of the American Arbitration Association

Mr. F. Paul Bland, Staff Attorney, Public Justice

Professor Christopher R. Drahozal, John M. Rounds Professor of Law, University of Kansas

The Honorable Lori Swanson, Attorney General, State of Minnesota.

Thanks to Disputing, U.S. Congress Hearing on the Misuse of Arbitration to Collect Consumer Debt, for the heads up and the links.

Full post as published by Arbitration Blog on July 20, 2009 (boomark / email).