Aaa mediation fee schedule

NEW! AAA 2024 Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules and
Consumer Mass Arbitration and Mediation and
Employment/Workplace Mass Arbitration Fee Schedules

The amended American Arbitration Association ® (AAA) Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules aim to reduce friction and enhance process efficiency. These changes include new attestation requirements, a preference for virtual hearings, an expanded process arbitrator role and the limited ability of merits arbitrators to review process arbitrator’s decisions. Additionally, amendments to the fee schedules focus on early resolution opportunities and cost predictability, with flat initiation fees and staged fees for both consumer and employment/workplace mass arbitrations, ensuring a transparent and manageable expense structure as cases progress.

Summary of Significant Mass Arbitration Rule Amendments

• Reduced Friction: New attestation requirements help ensure accurate filings (MA-2) and pleadings (MA-4(a)), minimizing delays and unnecessary complexities.
• Streamlined Process: Virtual hearings are now the preferred method, leveraging technology for increased efficiency and accessibility (MA-5).
• Process Efficiency: An expanded Process Arbitrator role tackles potential hurdles early—such as including the parties’ filing requirements and contractual conditions precedent, the process for selecting merits arbitrators, and the locale of merits hearings—allowing parties to focus on substantive issues (MA-6(c)).
• Review of Process Arbitrator Decisions: Due to legal developments in mass arbitration administration, Rules now empower individually appointed merits arbitrators to review process arbitrator rulings using an abuse of discretion standard(MA-6(j)).

Summary of Significant Consumer and Employment/Workplace Mass Arbitration Fee Schedules Amendments

• Early Resolution Opportunities: A flat Initiation Fee of $3,125 for individuals and $8,125 for businesses covers an administrative review of the filing, an administrative conference call with the AAA, and appointment of a Global Mediator and/or Process Arbitrator, facilitating quicker settlement analysis and discussions.
• Cost Predictability: Staged fees beyond the Initiation Fee provide transparent and manageable expenses as cases progress.

Consumer arbitration fees:

• Per Case Fee
• Arbitrator Appointment Fee
• Final Fee
• Note: For consumer mass arbitrations, merits arbitrators are compensated at $300 per hour.

Employment/Workplace arbitration fees:

• Per Case Fee
• Arbitrator Selection Fee
• Final Fee
• Note: Compensation for process arbitrators and mediators is as per the rates published on their AAA resumes.