Recent news Archives - ARIAS•U.S.

New ARIAS•U.S. Membership Enhancements

We are pleased to announce a series of important updates and initiatives that reflect ARIAS•U.S.’s continued efforts to expand member access, enhance the value of arbitrator certification, and address emerging needs within the arbitration community. These developments are part of the Board’s strategic commitment to ensuring that ARIAS•U.S. remains responsive, inclusive, and forward-looking.

Certified Arbitrator Benefits (Effective July 1, 2025)

Complimentary Access to Educational Programming
Beginning July 1, 2025, Certified Arbitrators will be entitled to free registration for all ARIAS•U.S. educational events, including webinars, seminars, and workshops (this does not include the Fall or Spring Conferences).
Reduced Ethics Recertification Fee
The fee for the Online Ethics Course required for biennial recertification will be reduced to $75 from the current rate of $150 effective July 1, 2025. This applies solely to Certified Arbitrators seeking recertification.

Membership Enhancements

Expanded Access for Insurance and Reinsurance Company Members
The previous membership limitation of up to 15 linked profiles for Insurance and Reinsurance Company corporate members has been removed. This change allows newer and more junior professionals within these organizations to become active participants in the ARIAS•U.S. community.

New Law Firm and Consulting Firm Corporate Membership Category
A new membership tier has been established specifically for law firms and consulting firms, allowing unlimited linked profiles. This structure accommodates those organizations with more than 15 professionals seeking engagement within ARIAS•U.S.

New Committees and Task Forces

We are pleased to announce the launch of the following initiatives aimed at fostering innovation and future readiness within the ARIAS•U.S. community:

Future Leaders Committee – To empower and engage early and mid-career insurance and reinsurance professionals by providing opportunities for professional development, networking and leadership development within the framework of ARIAS•U.S.
AI Task Force – To make recommendations regarding whether ARIAS•U.S. should pursue adoption of guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) in ARIAS•U.S. arbitrations. A summary of the Task Force’s initial recommendations is attached.
Direct Side Task Force – To develop and recommend a working arbitration model for policyholder disputes, including building a list of qualified arbitrators to adjudicate coverage disputes. The Task Force is reaching out to individuals affiliated with policyholders to explore jointly developed certification requirements and an arbitration model.
Non-Advocate Arbitration Task Force – To examine the utility of arbitrator advocacy and ex parte communications, the ethical considerations that the system presents, and investigate the potential benefits of non-advocate tribunals and whether ARIAS•U.S. should provide a non-advocate offering.

Policy Updates (Effective July 1, 2025)

ARIAS•U.S. Event Policy
A formal policy governing ARIAS•U.S. events will go into effect on July 1, 2025, providing clarity and consistency in event management and participation.

ARIAS•U.S. Speaker Policy
A formal speaker policy will also take effect on July 1, 2025, providing clear guidance on the responsibilities and obligations speakers agree to undertake at all ARIAS•U.S. events.

These enhancements and initiatives are designed to better serve our members, increase access and engagement across all levels, and support the continued advancement of the arbitration profession. We thank you for your continued support and participation in ARIAS•U.S. and look forward to your involvement in these new initiatives.

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AI Task Force Initial Recommendation

The AI Task Force unanimously recommends that ARIAS·U.S. adopt guidelines for the use of AI in ARIAS·U.S. arbitrations. Considerations behind this recommendation include:

As businesses, organizations, law firms, and other entities turn to AI to drive efficiency across the insurance/reinsurance and legal industries, AI-empowered tools will increasingly become integral to the dispute resolution process.

Several other ADR-related organizations, including the American Arbitration Association, JAMS, the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center, and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, have already adopted guidelines addressing the use of AI in arbitrations, mediations, or other alternative dispute resolution processes. ARIAS·U.S. cannot afford to fall any further behind.

Adopting guidelines for the use of AI will further the ARIAS·U.S. mission by promoting training and education for arbitrators, supporting the efficient and transparent resolution of disputes in the insurance/reinsurance industry, and increasing confidence in the arbitration process.

To meet these goals, the AI Guidelines adopted by ARIAS·U.S. should consider addressing:

Arbitral powers and considerations regarding the procedural issues raised by the use of AI in arbitrations, such as use and admissibility;
The use of AI by ARIAS·U.S. Certified Arbitrators, including appropriate substantive uses, methodological considerations, and disclosure;
The use of AI by counsel and parties involved in ARIAS·U.S. arbitrations, including transparency, methodological considerations, and agreements regarding the same;
Protecting the confidentiality (where applicable) of arbitration information and documents; and
The development of form materials (agreements, orders, etc.) addressing the use of AI in ARIAS·U.S. arbitrations.

Members of the ARIAS·U.S. AI Task Force

Elaine Caprio	Taylor Hoffman
Michael Carolan	Maureen O’Connor
John Cashin	Mike Pado
Andrea Giannetta	Cia Moss – Board Liaison

Updated Umpire Questionnaire Now Available

The Forms Committee has finished its long-awaited project updating the ARIAS•U.S. Umpire Questionnaire. The Board has approved the form and it is now available in fillable PDF or Word format from the ARIAS•U.S. website. Navigate to the Dispute Resolution Process menu at the top of the Home Page and go to ARIAS•U.S. Forms. https://www.arias-us.org/arias-us-dispute-resolution-process/forms/ There you will find the new Umpire Questionnaire, which is the second form on the list. Click on ARIAS•U.S. Questionnaire – Umpire Selection and choose whether you want to download the fillable PDF or the Word document. If you have any issue with the form let us know at info@arias-us.org. If you have questions about the form, please contact the co-chairs of the Forms Committee.

Credit Card Surcharge Starting January 1, 2025

As you may already know, when a customer uses a credit card for payment, the merchant incurs a fee. For several years, ARIAS•U.S. has been absorbing those fees when members use credit cards to pay for conferences, membership dues, etc. In the past few years, credit card fees have cost ARIAS approximately $30,000 per year. Because of this significant cost and because those resources could be reallocated to better use, the ARIAS Board has decided that the organization will no longer absorb these fees, and a 3% surcharge be added to all credit card transactions starting January 1, 2025. This includes all membership dues payments, registration fees for all educational events, the online ethics course, sponsorships, and all conferences.

Please keep in mind that the 3% fee on credit cards can be avoided: members may pay by check or by ACH to avoid the 3% fee (there is a slight fee to ARIAS for ACH transactions, which the association will absorb). Every invoice contains the information on how to pay by check or ACH. If you pay by credit card and need a receipt showing the 3% surcharge, contact info@arias-us.org.

Updates to the ARIAS Member Portal

We recently made some updates to the ARIAS∙U.S. Membership Portal that we hope you will find useful. The Membership Portal is the home page for your personal membership account that you access when you log into the Member Login on the ARIAS∙U.S. website.

Once you log into your Membership Account you will be taken to the Members Only Area where you will see your name, a menu of links, and a list of upcoming events. This is the same page where you can click on My Profile to edit your profile. See the example below.

You will now see new links to the ARIAS Financial Statements and the ARIAS Conference Materials Archive, in addition to My Profile and the Event Calendar. You will be able to access the PowerPoints and other materials from the last few ARIAS Conferences here. We plan to add additional content in the Member Area as time goes by.

Additionally, if you go to the top of the Member Portal, you will see a link to Personify Classroom (LMS). If you click on this link, it will take you to the ARIAS Online Classroom where we house the Online Ethics Course and the On-Demand Webinars. If you click on the Course List at the top, you will find the courses available to you, including the video instructions for Certified Arbitrators to update and edit their Arbitrator Profiles and the 30th Anniversary Slide Show.

New Features

ARIAS Financial Statements
View the ARIAS U.S. 2024 audited financial statement.
Conference Materials Archive
Find PowerPoints and other materials from past ARIAS Conferences, including the Fall 2024 conference.

Online Learning at Your Fingertips

At the top of the portal, you’ll see a link to Personify Classroom (LMS), where you can:

Take the Online Ethics Course.
Watch On-Demand Webinars and Tutorials like our Certified Arbitrators’ Video Instructions
Access special content like the 30th Anniversary Slide Show.

We Value Your Feedback

We’re committed to adding even more resources to the Member Area and welcome your input! Share your ideas at info@arias-us.org or reach out to me directly at lschiffer@arias-us.org.

We hope you enjoy these updates and find them useful!

ARIAS·U.S. Enhanced Membership Fee Program

The ARIAS Board of Directors has approved the continuation of the Enhanced Membership Fee Program into 2025 and beyond. The Program works as follows: All Corporate Members are entitled to send up to ten (10) employees (whether linked corporate representatives or not) to each ARIAS educational event at no additional cost (this does NOT include the Spring and Fall Conferences) with the understanding that any ancillary costs, such as lunch, room fees, snacks, etc. are paid by attendees unless sponsored. These events include all programs offered by the ARIAS Education Committee such as webinars, seminars, and workshops. Similarly, Certified Arbitrators pay only $100 for each educational event.

ARIAS has fantastic educational programming throughout each year, and the Board wants to ensure that the membership can fully experience this programming with this flat fee model while facilitating and increasing attendance for both employees of Corporate Members and Certified Arbitrators into 2025 and beyond.

If you are not a Certified Arbitrator or if you are an employee of an insurance or reinsurance company, or law firm, or consulting firm that is not a Corporate Member, consider changing your status or membership to take advantage of this benefit.

If you have any questions about the Enhanced Membership Fee Program, please contact any Board member or Larry Schiffer, Executive Director.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

ARIAS·U.S. is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. ARIAS·U.S. seeks to include and celebrate members and potential members from diverse backgrounds with diverse perspectives. ARIAS·U.S. does not discriminate against members or prospective members on the basis of age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic characteristics, veteran status, marital status, domestic partner or civil union status, or any other basis protected by applicable laws.

ARIAS Mourns the Passing of Director-Emeritus Charley Havens

ARIAS-Mourns-the-Passing-of-Director-Emeritus-Charley-Havens

It is with great sadness that ARIAS⋅U.S. announces the passing of Director-Emeritus Charles W. Havens, III. Charley was one of the founding members of ARIAS and was an extraordinary lawyer and leader in the reinsurance industry. He will be missed by many. You can read his obituary here.

Certified Arbitrator Profile Updates

Arbitrator’s Guide For the New ARIAS·U.S. Online Arbitrator Search System

Welcome to the new Online Arbitrator Search System for ARIAS·U.S.! This guide will provide detailed instructions on updating your arbitrator profile information to ensure that your arbitrator profile is complete and searchable by website visitors. Please keep in mind that the information does not populate to the website immediately. It takes sometimes up to 48 hours for the servers to update. Please be patient.

Because of the recent updates to the Arbitrator Search engine, your arbitrator profile may be missing information or more likely will appear blank. Every arbitrator should review and update their profile as soon as possible to enable users of the Arbitrator Search engine to see your complete profile on the ARIAS website. To assist arbitrators in this process who are unable to update their own profiles, we have engaged a consultant who will access your previous profile and transfer that information to the new format. This will take up to six weeks to occur. We strongly encourage you to update your own profile if you are able so that your information is populated on the new Arbitrator Profile on the website in the most timely manner.

We have also created a video to walk you through the process. You can access the video here.

Updating Your Arbitrator Profile

To ensure your arbitrator profile is comprehensive and up to date:

Visit the ARIAS website.
Locate the “Member Login section at the top right-hand corner of the website.
Enter your username and password. If you have trouble logging in, contact info@arias-us.org.
Click on “Login”.
Once logged in, click on the “Profile” tab.
Select the “Edit Profile” button.
Update your arbitrator profile information as necessary by adding your data to the various fields (attributes) asking about your experience and background. There are several fields (perhaps many) that you will not need to address (e.g., if you don’t have experience in asbestos), but make sure you add information to those fields that tell viewers of the arbitrator profiles all about you and your experience. If you have questions, contact info@arias-us.org.
Click “Save Profile” to ensure your changes are saved. The changes will then populate to your arbitrator profile on the website after the system updates next. This can take up to 48 hours.

Updating Profile Details

Here are some details that you should know about your membership profile attributes:

The “About Me” section only displays on the membership system and not the Website. Please make sure that your “About Me” information and/or your CV are added to the attribute “Bio.” This will display your biographical materials on your arbitrator profile.
You may fill out as much or as little information you want in the various narrative fields like “Additional Information,” which displays on the Overview tab on the Website profile, or the various Work Experience fields (Insurance Company, Insurance Department, Reinsurance Company), which display on the Experience tab on the Website profile. For a detailed example of a robust arbitrator profile click here.
To display your subject matter experience breakdown on the website, you must fill out the “Experience With” and “Experience With Info” fields for each of the items that you have experience with. The first field (yes or no) is used solely for the Online Arbitrator Search filters. The second field is used as a narrative field to display on your Profile either a percentage and/or a narrative statement about your experience breakdown. See a simple example below:

Navigating the Search Functionality

By updating and completing the fields, your arbitrator profile will be populated with relevant information, and visitors to the ARIAS·U.S. website can then use filtering options such as state, country, languages spoken, legal status, work experience, and more to find arbitrators matching their criteria.

ARIAS·U.S. Online Arbitrator Search System URL: https://www.arias-us.org/arias-us-dispute-resolution-process/online-arbitrator-search-system/

Search by Name:

Type in at least 3 letters of an arbitrator’s first name or surname to search.

Filter Options:

Filters By State and By Country: These filters are populated with information from the Address field on your profile, allowing users to filter arbitrators based on their location. Ensure that your contact information and address are accurate and up to date.
Filter By Languages Spoken: Users can select languages spoken by arbitrators. Select all languages spoken from the multiple-choice field available on your profile. English is assumed.
Filter By Lawyer: This filter matches the yes/no “Attorney” field on your profile, enabling users to filter arbitrators who are attorneys. Indicate whether you are an attorney by selecting the appropriate option in the yes/no “Attorney” field.
Filter By Leadership Role: This filter is a combination of yes/no fields on your profile indicating whether the arbitrator has held a leadership role in an insurance or reinsurance company, either currently or formerly. Select “yes” if you have held or currently hold a leadership role in an insurance or reinsurance company in the relevant fields.
Filter by Insurance, Reinsurance, Law Firm, and Other Work Experience: Users can filter arbitrators based on their work experience in various fields. These filters are populated from multiple-choice fields on your profile, such as “Work Experience: Insurance,” “Work Experience: Reinsurance,” “Work Experience: Law Firm,” and “Work Experience: Other.”
Filter By Breakdown of Experience: Users can select from yes/no fields named “Experience with” on your profile to filter arbitrators based on their experience in specific areas such as Accident & Health, Asbestos, Aviation, etc. Update your work experience and fill in accompanying text fields with detailed information about your work experience in insurance companies, reinsurance companies, law firms, etc.
Filter By Market: This filter allows users to select from yes/no fields indicating whether the arbitrator has experience in servicing specific markets, such as the U.S. market. Indicate your experience in servicing specific markets by selecting “yes” and indicating the percentage in the appropriate fields.

Completing your arbitrator profile will enhance your visibility and accessibility to those seeking arbitration services. We highly recommend filling in all available fields on your profile that are relevant to your experience to ensure your arbitrator profile is comprehensive and searchable on the ARIAS·U.S. website. It will not look exactly like the prior system but does provide sufficient information for users to make an informed decision when searching.

Thank you for using the ARIAS·U.S. Online Arbitrator Search System!

NOTE: If you need to access the old search system and your previous arbitrator profile information, please follow these steps:

Open your web browser and navigate to the following URL: https://ariasusstg.wpenginepowered.com/arias-us-dispute-resolution-process/online-arbitrator-search-system/
Enter the provided username in the designated field: “ariasusstg”.
Enter the provided password in the designated field: “658238”.
Click on the “Sign In” button to proceed.
Once logged in, you will have access to the old search system and previous profile information.
You may cut and paste whatever information you need (you may want to copy all your information and save it to a Word document for easier access when filling out your updated arbitrator profile.

Once again, if you need help or have questions, please contact info@arias-us.org.

2024 Is the 30th Anniversary of ARIAS•U.S. – Join In the Celebration

2024 marks the 30th Anniversary of the founding of ARIAS•U.S. There will be opportunities all year to celebrate, kicking off with a gala celebration at the Spring Conference in Puerto Rico on May 1, 2024. Corporate members and individual members are encouraged to sponsor the 30th Anniversary and not hold client dinners on May 1. There are year-long sponsorship opportunities, some of which include free registration for the conferences. You can access the 30th Anniversary Sponsorship Prospectus here. Your support will help ensure that the 30th Anniversary will be a memorable one for all ARIAS members.

The following organizations have graciously sponsored the 30th Anniversary:

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

ARIAS Introduces Enhanced Membership Fee Program for 2024

ARIAS·U.S. Launches Enhanced Membership Fee Program for 2024

As announced at the ARIAS Fall Conference, the ARIAS Board of Directors has approved the implementation of a new enhanced membership fee program on a one-year test basis for 2024. The program works as follows: Membership dues rates for all corporate memberships (Actuarial Firms, Consulting Firms, Law Firms, and Insurance and Reinsurance Companies) will increase by $500. This increase entitles all corporate members to send up to 10 people to each educational event during 2024 at no additional cost (this does NOT include the Spring and Fall Conferences) with the understanding that any ancillary costs, such as lunch, room fees, snacks, etc. are paid by attendees unless sponsored. These events include all programs offered by the ARIAS Education Committee such as webinars, seminars, and workshops. Similarly, on a trial basis, Certified Arbitrators will pay only $100 for each educational event during 2024. In recognition of the financial commitment that Certified Arbitrators already make, the individual membership fee will remain the same.

ARIAS has fantastic educational programming throughout the year, and the Board wants to ensure that the membership can fully experience it with this flat fee model while facilitating and increasing attendance for both corporate representatives and Certified Arbitrators.

If you are an employee of a Corporate Member (Consulting Firm, Law Firm, Insurance or Reinsurance Company) or if you are a Certified Arbitrator, please use the appropriate discount code when registering to receive your Enhanced Membership Program benefits. If you need the discount code, please contact info@arias-us.org.

If you have any questions about the Enhanced Membership Fee Program for 2024, please contact any Board member or Larry Schiffer.

New Executive Director

As many of you have experienced firsthand, ARIAS has faced a number of challenges this year in the transition from MCI to DPS. As a result, and together with DPS, the Board has made the decision to replace Tracy Schorle with Larry P. Schiffer as the new Executive Director.

Larry is a long-time ARIAS member and currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the ARIAS Quarterly and as a member of the Ethics Discussion Committee, the Technology Committee, and the MemberClicks Task Force. Larry has extensive experience with most facets of ARIAS and has held numerous leadership positions in various organizations and bar associations.

Larry will take on all responsibilities of Executive Director and will supervise and work with the staff of DPS to provide administrative and member services to ARIAS. Like Bill Yankus before him, I have no doubt that Larry will whip us into shape and keep the trains running on time. I hope all of you will welcome Larry as he works to resolve the various issues with registrations, membership, certifications and the interface between the membership database and the arbitrator database on the ARIAS website.

Alysa Wakin – Chairperson

ARIAS•U.S. Mentoring Program

The ARIAS•U.S. Mentoring Program is designed to give newer Arbitrators the ability to seek advice and assistance directly from experienced ARIAS•U.S. Certified Arbitrators on issues relating to arbitration procedure, case management, ethics and practice management, and development. The program is not designed, nor shall it be used, to provide substantive legal advice or to recommend rulings in ongoing arbitrations. Rather, it is designed to help newer arbitrators navigate their way through what may be an unfamiliar process of setting up and managing a new arbitration practice or managing an arbitration proceeding.

How the Mentoring Program Works for Mentees

ARIAS•U.S. staff will maintain a list of experienced arbitrators willing to serve as mentors under the Program. New arbitrators seeking assistance under the program will contact ARIAS by email to mentor@arias-us.org. The message should include name, general subject matter of the request, and time sensitivity of the request. Click Here to review the mentoring program procedures.

Mentors will be assigned based on the newer arbitrators preference. If the newer arbitrator does not have a preference, mentors will be selected on a rotating basis, depending on their work load and availability. Once ARIAS staff has identified an available mentor, the arbitrator will be put in touch with that mentor.

Questions? For questions about the Mentoring Program, please contact ARIAS•U.S. staff at 773-913-2004 or mentor@arias-us.org.

ARIAS•U.S. Mentors

We thank the Certified Arbitrators who have agreed to serve as mentors, and hope that new Arbitrators will take advantage of this member benefit.

Nasri Barakat
Kathy Billingham
Susan Claflin
Dale Crawford
Paul Dassenko
Susan Grondine-Dauwer
Mark S. Gurevitz
Dan Schmidt
Roger M. Moak
Jeremey R. Wallis
Andy Walsh

Interested in Becoming a Mentor?

For certified arbitrators interested in becoming an ARIAS Mentor, send an email request to mentor@arias-us.org. Mentors must be ARIAS•U.S. members in good standing and have at least 15 completed arbitrations, to be considered.