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The article states that the U.S. agency the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was expected to propose rules on October 7, 2015, that give borrowers additional rights to sue banks and credit card companies by curbing mandatory arbitration in class-action lawsuits. According to the article, supporters of the proposed rules claim that the 2010 legislation the Dodd-Frank law supersedes the 1925 U.S. legislation the Federal Arbitration Act. The article presents comments from University of Kansas law professor Stephen Ware.

The article discusses a trend among employers of compelling employees to use arbitration rather than class action lawsuits to pursue grievances. A survey conducted by law firm Carlton Fields Jorden Burt LLP found a sharp increase in companies that use arbitration clauses. Drugstore operator CVS Health Corp. offers its employees an arbitration program, while retailer Nordstrom Inc. requires its workers to waive their rights to participate in class actions. INSET: Some Companies Offer Opt-Out Option to Arbitration.

The article discusses the resolution of a 44-year legal fight for back pay by former employees at railroad Penn Central Transportation Corp. The workers alleged that their dismissal following the 1968 merger between the New York Central Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad that created Penn Central violated a job-protection pact. The plaintiffs, who originally sought $564,820, had a $14.7 million arbitration award upheld in 2013.

The article discusses figures from the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA), an organization of securities lawyers, that show stockbrokers frequently succeed in getting their records cleansed of customers' complaints lodged against them in arbitration cases. Incoming PIABA president Jason Doss says the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a securities-industry regulator, needs to do a better job of protecting investors.

The article reports that the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra) is pondering whether to require brokerages to carry insurance that would cover the costs of arbitration awards levied against them. According to Finra unpaid arbitration awards from 2011 totaled $51 million. Details are presented about a previous article in the publication that described how some brokers have moved among firms that eventually went out of business.

The article discusses stockbrockers in the U.S. who move among troubled brokerages that eventually go out of business. Along the way some brokers have accumulated multiple arbitration claims against them or declared bankruptcy. Broker Kenneth Dwyer was employed by a series of 10 firms that collectively owed $85 million in unpaid claims.

The article discusses attempts by cotton industry leaders to punish cotton farmers and textile mills who are breaking their cotton trading contracts as they seek better prices for their products in the volatile cotton market. Topics include what the International Cotton Association (ICA) is doing to arbitrate broken contracts, why it is difficult to regulate cotton trade in developing countries, and a chart documenting the number or cotton companies that claimed to have defaulted on contracts.

The article looks at a lawsuit against five judges of the Delaware Court of Chancery by the citizens group Delaware Coalition for Open Government regarding the judges' secret arbitration on several corporate suits. Topics discussed include corporations' preference for arbitration rather than public trial, the case's judge, U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin, and how Delaware's private arbitration laws were designed to encourage businesses to incorporate in the state.

The article discusses start-up businesses that invest money in lawsuits in exchange for a portion of any resulting award. BlackRobe Capital Partners LLC is among firms seeking to fund litigation. Attorney John Beisner of law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP argues that litigation-financing companies could lead to more frivolous suits getting filed.

The article reports that some banks in the U.S. including Regions Financial Corp. are requiring their customers to use arbitration, rather than court proceedings, as a means of resolving disputes. The banks are said to have been encouraged by a U.S. Supreme Court decision involving telecommunications firm AT&T Inc. that ruled state laws can't nullify private contracts that specify arbitration for complaint resolution.

The article focuses on a ruling by an arbitration panel in favor of Rosen Capital Management LLC (RCM) over broker Merrill Lynch (ML) concerning unexpected margin calls that bankrupted the fund. It states RCM alleged breach of contract, fraud, and negligence, which ML denies. It comments that RCM switched to ML after investment bank Bear Stearns collapsed early in 2008. It mentions that Kyle Rosen, founder of RCM was awarded 63.7 million dollars which will be shared with Rosen fund investors.

The article reports that financial-services firm Citigroup Inc. has been ordered by an arbitration panel to pay $54.1 million to investors Jerry Murdock Jr. and Gerald D. Hosier. Both men had invested in Citigroup municipal-bond funds that fell 77% amid the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. Their broker at the time, Richard Zinman, testified the funds were riskier than Citigroup had claimed they were.

The article reports that some investors have been successful in their efforts to recoup from brokerage firms losses sustained from a category of municipal-bond funds. Both First Republic Securities Co. and Citigroup Inc. have been ordered by arbiters to pay millions of dollars to aggrieved investors who claimed the funds in question, which also traded in derivatives, were riskier than had been represented to them.

The article discusses the seemingly thwarted ambitions of executive Michael Cline to assume a central and lucrative role in U.S. dispute resolution. Cline's firm, Accretive LLC, bought a stake in the National Arbitration Forum Inc. (NAF), and also started a debt-collecting business. The attorney general in Minnesota accused NAF of deceiving customers and engaging in false advertising. To settle that charge NAF agreed to stop arbitrating credit-card disputes.

The article reports that both the American Arbitration Association and the National Arbitration Forum will at least temporarily suspend their participation in arbitrating disputes involving credit-card and cellphone customers. By one estimate firms triumph over consumers in more than 90% of arbitration hearings.

The article reports that U.S. corporations which do business in China are increasingly being forced to participate in that country's dispute arbitration system. The corporations are resisting from well-founded fears that the government-sponsored arbitrators will favor Chinese parties over Westerners in any dispute no matter what the facts. An arbitrator who ruled for Pepsico over a Chinese bottling company was later arrested.

The article reports on an increase in the number of companies in the U.S., including Kellogg Brown & Root Inc., that are having their employees sign employment agreements that require workplace disputes to be arbitrated and that take away an employee's right to sue them. A discussion of methods which employees can use if they feel that they have a legal claim against their employer, including challenging elements of the arbitration agreements in court, is presented.

The article focuses on how investors hurt in mutual fund scandals will be reimbursed. Mutual funds that allowed preferred customers to trade improperly paid over $2 billion in fines. The process of refunding investors will be costly because it involves reconstructing years of investment history by recordkeepers. The complicated mechanics of proposed distribution plans are discussed.

The article reports on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) arbitration panel, which awarded investors Charanjit and Harpeet Sahni large sums in their suit against Prudential Securities, Inc. for mishandling funds. At $14.5 million, this is third largest award ever handed down by NYSE. The case is also significant because the NYSE arbitration panel usually aligns with the Wall Street firms, rather than investors. A chart of the top 5 NYSE awards is included.

Reports on a class action lawsuit brought against eight of America's biggest credit card issuers for violations of the federal anti-trust law when the companies met secretly to plan arbitration agreements for its credit cards. How Bank of America Corp., Capital One Financial Corp., and others had more than 20 meetings; Involvement of prominent law firms such as Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr in the meetings; Description of the advertisement of one arbitrator, National Arbitration Forum; Details of the consumer complaint filed in a federal court in New York City.

Reports an increase in the number of arbitrations involving investors and their brokers. Number of claims filed by investors against brokers in 2003, indicating an increase from previous levels in 2002 and 2001, according to the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD); Percentage increase in mutual fund-related claims; Comments from Linda Fienberg, president of NASD Dispute Resolution, regarding the increase in claims. INSET: Red Flags.

Reports that several companies, including Comcast Corp. and Amazon.com Inc., are asking consumers to agree to mandatory arbitration and waive their right to sue the company if a dispute arises. Use of the binding arbitration clauses by doctors prior to administering medical care; Comments from Silvia Kleer, a lawyer for Ford Motor Credit Co., regarding avoiding massive class-action lawsuits; How consumers are often unaware of such clauses; Downside of such clauses to consumers with respect to their ability to pursue companies through the court-system; Comments from Joanne Doroshow, executive director of the Center for Justice & Democracy, suggesting corporations are trying to subvert the jury system; Benefits of the arbitration process for companies. INSET: Opting Out.

The article focuses on the difference between arbitration and class-action lawsuits which was highlighted during the move of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to control mandatory arbitration of business disputes.

The article reports that a U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel favored activist investor Ahmed Hussein in his case against financial services firm UBS AG and ordered the latter to pay an arbitration award of two million dollars to the former.

The article presents a correction to a news article in the Corporate News section in the January 3, 2015 issue which stated Singapore was gaining ground as an arbitration venue and mentions the multidisciplinary organization World Justice Project prepared the rule of law index cited in the article.

The article suggests investors should examine if financial advisers or firms have liability insurance coverage and reports that bankrupt broker Edward Scro cost retired aircraft mechanic Ignazio Baiamonte much of his retirement savings and the compensation he was awarded in arbitration for his loss.

The article reports that a private arbitrator decided against independent movie moguls Harvey and Bob Weinstein and Miramax LLC, the studio they used to run, in their lawsuit against film studio Warner Bros. concerning royalties owed for the second and third motion pictures based off the book "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The author discusses the intervention in 2014 of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress to force Time Warner Cable to accept a binding arbitration that would allow direct satellite broadcaster DirecTV subscribers to opt out of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team channel.

The article reports that chief executive Dov Charney of apparel maker American Apparel Inc., whose board has taken action to fire him, will seek arbitration to retain his job and settle his differences with the board, and is also discussing with certain shareholders possible changes to the company's board and management.

The article reports that, as of March 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to review lower-court decisions that deem a state-sponsored arbitration program that protects corporate confidentiality in some disputes in Delaware unconstitutional, focusing on the potential implications for businesses in Delaware.

The article reports on the overturning of a U.S. National Labor Relations Board decision regarding concerted activity provisions involving the enforcement of arbitration agreements and the prohibition of class action suits.

The article briefly discusses the successful career in litigation of attorney Mike Ciresi, who in November 2013 won a $2.23 billion arbitration award on behalf of his client, food company Mondelez International, in a dispute it had with coffeehouse operator Starbucks Corp.

The article reports that Argentina's government has agreed to settle disputes related to arbitration cases brought by five utility companies, including Azurix Corp., CMS Gas, and National Grid PLC.

The author offers opinions on the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union, urging California Governor Jerry Brown to veto legislation which would mandate arbitration between the union and agricultural industries employers whenever a contract expires.

The article describes a dispute between commodities firm Cargill Inc. and cotton-producers' cooperative Autauga Quality Cotton Association, and reports that on February 5, 2013 an arbiter decided the matter in favor of Cargill.

The article discusses the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB's) mandate to report to Congress on arbitration clauses in consumer financial agreements, and expresses concern that the CFPB could eliminate such clauses to the benefit of class-action lawyers.

The article states that, as of April 22, 2012, private firms winning arbitration claims from the government of Argentina before the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) have had difficulty collecting damages.

The authors explain why they believe litigation is a flawed and inefficient way of settling disputes between companies and shareholders, and argue that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions should give serious consideration to mandating arbitration instead.

The article reports on the decision of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to fight a 20.5-million-U.S. dollar arbitration award to Bayou Group LLC that it claims has broader implications for Wall Street.

The aritcle reports on the request of French retailer Groupe Casino for arbitration with Brazil's Diniz Group over a shareholders agreement pertaining to their joint control of Companhia Brasileira de Distribuição (CBD).

The article reports that American International Group Inc. has been ordered by an arbitration panel in April 2011 to pay a total of 86.7 million dollars to Lonsdale LLC, a U.S.-based subsidiary of KBC Group NV.

The article announces the launch of arbitration proceedings by Kraft Foods Inc. to challenge the plan of Starbucks Corp. to end a distribution deal with Kraft.

The article reports on the decision of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra) arbitration panel to order a unit of the financial company Citigroup Inc. to pay 1.1 million U.S. dollars to actor Larry Hagman in relation to a securities case filed by the former to the latter.

The article focuses on a proposal by the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra) to permit naming securities arbitration panels without an industry-affiliated member and tackles the views of brokerage firms and individual investors about it.

The article reports on the plan of the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to file a rule proposal in October 2010 that would permit all investors filing arbitration claims to select a panel composed of all public arbitrators.

The article reports on the appeal made by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association to a U.S. federal judge to dismiss a 20.6 million U.S.-dollar arbitration award against Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which was accused by unsecured creditors of Bayou Group LLC of neglecting signs of fraud at the hedge-fund company.

The article reports that a U.S. federal court has been requested by Goldman Sachs to vacate an arbitration award to Bayou Group LLC.

This article reports that securities firm Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has been ordered to pay $20.6 million in an arbitration award to unsecured creditors of Bayou Group LLC. The creditors had accused Goldman Sachs of ignoring signs of fraud at the hedge-fund firm. The hedge-fund firm collapsed in 2005 and its chief executive, Samuel Israel III, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraud.

The article reports that brokerage company Morgan Keegan & Co. has been ordered by a U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitration panel in February 2010 to pay investor Andrew Stein for losses connected to several bond funds that made bad debts on holdings related to mortgages.

The article reports on an arbitration award worth 3.4 million U.S. dollars given to RaceTrac Petroleum Inc., a service stations chain based in Georgia that lost money with Bear Sterns Cos. hedge fund that collapsed in July 2007, by the securities industry arbitration panel in a ruling which is said to be the first one in favor of an investor.