Florida Statutes 682.041 – Disclosure by arbitrator
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(1) Before accepting appointment, an individual who is requested to serve as an arbitrator, after making a reasonable inquiry, shall disclose to all parties to the agreement to arbitrate and arbitration proceeding and to any other arbitrators any known facts that a reasonable person would consider likely to affect the person’s impartiality as an arbitrator in the arbitration proceeding, including:
(a) A financial or personal interest in the outcome of the arbitration proceeding.
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 682.041
- Arbitration organization: means an association, agency, board, commission, or other entity that is neutral and initiates, sponsors, or administers an arbitration proceeding or is involved in the appointment of an arbitrator. See Florida Statutes 682.011
- Arbitrator: means an individual appointed to render an award, alone or with others, in a controversy that is subject to an agreement to arbitrate. See Florida Statutes 682.011
- Court: means a court of competent jurisdiction in this state. See Florida Statutes 682.011
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, or government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or any other legal or commercial entity. See Florida Statutes 682.011
- Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
(b) An existing or past relationship with any of the parties to the agreement to arbitrate or the arbitration proceeding, their counsel or representative, a witness, or another arbitrator.
(2) An arbitrator has a continuing obligation to disclose to all parties to the agreement to arbitrate and arbitration proceeding and to any other arbitrators any facts that the arbitrator learns after accepting appointment that a reasonable person would consider likely to affect the impartiality of the arbitrator.
(3) If an arbitrator discloses a fact required by subsection (1) or subsection (2) to be disclosed and a party timely objects to the appointment or continued service of the arbitrator based upon the fact disclosed, the objection may be a ground under s. 682.13(1)(b) for vacating an award made by the arbitrator.
(4) If the arbitrator did not disclose a fact as required by subsection (1) or subsection (2), upon timely objection by a party, the court may vacate an award under s. 682.13(1)(b).
(5) An arbitrator appointed as a neutral arbitrator who does not disclose a known, direct, and material interest in the outcome of the arbitration proceeding or a known, existing, and substantial relationship with a party is presumed to act with evident partiality under s. 682.13(1)(b).
(6) If the parties to an arbitration proceeding agree to the procedures of an arbitration organization or any other procedures for challenges to arbitrators before an award is made, substantial compliance with those procedures is a condition precedent to a motion to vacate an award on that ground under s. 682.13(1)(b).