It gives us great pleasure to announce that this year's Spring Conference will be held on May 5-7, 2010 at the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California. Entitled "Arbitration Is A-Changin': Learn About New Reforms or Be Left Behind!," the conference will emphasize change and industry-driven reforms to improve reinsurance arbitration.

The conference will include enhanced levels of participation for all attendees as well as a variety of focused workshops and networking opportunities. In addition, there will be a photo/biography booklet identifying all attending arbitrators.

We invite you to participate in reform of the principal dispute resolution process in our industry. At the conference, you will hear from a group of prominent industry CEOs, who will address how their organizations anticipate, embrace and manage change. In this spirit, and with the focus on changes to the arbitration process, participants will learn when and why courts overturn arbitration decisions. They will hear company representatives from both reinsurers and cedants describe their issues with the existing system and their ideas on how the system can be changed. Breakout sessions will at times be segregated by constituency (arbitrator/lawyer/company) to facilitate frank discussion of the competing forces and interests that may foster or hamper meaningful reform. Participants will learn about specific new procedures developed by the Insurance and Reinsurance Dispute Resolution Task Force that could meaningfully change the dispute process in this industry.

Attendees will be able to tailor the conference to their interests by selecting from brainstorming workshops designed to facilitate meaningful participation in reform:

• Insanity in Action: Hiring the Same Small Pool of Arbitrators and Expecting Different Results
• Reforms Without Subscribers: Good Ideas Not Implemented
• Market-Based Reforms: New and Emerging Arbitration Clauses
• Despites Its Flaws, Does Arbitration Beat the Alternative or Not?
• Mediation's Role in Reform
• Structural Solutions: Single Arbitrators, Baseball Arbitration, and Other Options

Again this year, Jim Stinson will serve as Golf Chair. He is organizing the Twelfth Annual ARIAS·U.S. Open Tournament to be held on Thursday afternoon, May 6, at Steele Canyon Golf Club. The Seventh Annual ARIAS·U.S. Tennis Tournament will be chaired again by Eric Kobrick. This event will also take place on Thursday afternoon. Golf and tennis tournament details and registration forms are available here.

A complete program description, information about registration, the Hotel Del Coronado, and San Diego are in the 2010 Spring Conference Announcement Brochure on the home page. We hope you will join us for what promises to be a great conference. We look forward to seeing you in California.

This conference will be conducted in accordance with the ARIAS·U.S. Antitrust Policy, which is available in the About ARIAS section of the website.

Hotel Arrangements

Reservations for The Del may be made now online through the "Welcome ARIAS" page of the hotel's online reservation system by clicking here. Dark boxes show dates of ARIAS-blocked rooms, however two days before and three days after may be reserved at group rates, if available.

A resort charge of $22 per day is additional, providing Internet access, newspaper, in-room coffee and tea, fitness center access and classes, local, 800 and credit card phone calls, etc.

If you prefer to make reservations by telephone, the number is 1-800-468-3533. Be sure to mention that you are attending the ARIAS Conference to receive the group rate.

The conference runs from noon on Wednesday until noon on Friday. Plan to stay, at least, Wednesday and Thursday nights. A limit- ed number of rooms are being offered at the ARIAS rates for nights before and after the conference. If you plan to attend the inten- sive workshop (before) and/or seminar (after), be sure to reflect that in making your reservation.

NOTE: To receive the conference group rates, hotel reservations must be made no later than April 10, 2010. All accommodations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Local taxes are not included. Information about the Hotel del Coronado is at www.hoteldel.com. To hold your reservation, a one-night deposit is required. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m., so if you are arriving on the 5th for the noon start, you will have to store bags upon arrival, unless your room is ready early.

Conference Registration Fees & Deadlines

Early Registration Deadline: April 10, 2010
      Members:...$900   Non-members:...$1,100   Spouse/Guest:...$250
· Non-members may apply for membership and receive member rates. Application is available online through the Membership section of the website.

Late Registration: After April 10, 2010
      Members:...$950   Non-members:...$1,150   Spouse/Guest:...$250

Registration fee includes: Meeting costs, program materials, two breakfasts, two luncheons, three refreshment breaks, two cocktail receptions.

Registration fee does not include: Travel, lodging, recreational activity expenses and optional dinner.

Spouse/guest fee includes: Receptions and food events, not the conference sessions.

Registration fees charged to credit cards will have 3% added to cover the processing cost. Those paying by check or by wire transfer do not add that cost. For wire transfers, add just the $10 fee and send to Hudson Valley Bank, Routing # 021909300, Account # 1200592.

Golf and tennis: Golf and tennis tournament details and registration forms are available here.

Conference preparation materials will be sent in advance by UPS to everyone who has registered by April 23. They are not guaranteed after that date. International attendees will receive materials by email. Final Conference Registration Deadline: April 23, 2010. The website will continue to accept registration requests after this date. However, $100 additional will be charged, and conference materials may have to be picked up at check-in.

Direct any inquiries to:
Bill Yankus, ARIAS·U.S. Executive Director · ARIAS·U.S. · PO Box 9001, Mt. Vernon, NY 10552
Phone: 914-966-3180 ext. 116 · Fax: 914-966-3264 · Email: director@arias-us.org

Cancellation Policy:The cutoff date for a full refund of the Conference Registration fee is April 23, 2010. Anyone who cancels between that date and April 28 will receive a refund, less a $100 administrative fee. Notification must be received in writing by email, fax, or postal mail. Refund will be issued by check. Failure to cancel by April 28 will result in forfeiture of the entire registration fee, since final catering numbers are due to the hotel on April 29.

NYS CLE Credit: Nine and one-half hours of Continuing Legal Education credits are available to those who attend this conference, all of which are for Skills, except that one hour of Ethics credit will be given to those who attend the ethics workshop. This program is structured for both newly-admitted attorneys and experienced attorneys. Sign-in and sign-out sheets will verify attendance and will be the basis upon which certificates of attendance will be sent, but certification of completed credit hours to CLE Boards is the responsibility of each attorney.