A Centennial Birthday Wish: Remembering and Reigniting the Original Purpose of the Federal Arbitration Act, Harvard Negotiation Law Review

In an article published by the Harvard Negotiation Law Review, New Era Chairman and Co-Founder Collin Williams joins Imre Szalai, a law professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, for a look back at a major milestone in the history of dispute resolution: The approaching centennial anniversary of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA).

“Multiple factors and events helped influence the enactment of this landmark statute during the 1920s, such as the First World War, the progressive movement, and a broader movement for procedural reform,” the authors write. “The history of the FAA’s enactment is rich, with serendipitous acts and several cultural, social, political, and economic factors playing a role in the statute’s development, along with reformers and supporters who promoted commercial arbitration evangelistically with deep passions and sincere, good-faith beliefs in the fairness of arbitration.”

Collin points out, “In many ways, the original vision of arbitration has changed significantly over the past 100 years. At New Era ADR, we want to revisit the original purposes of the FAA, using technology to facilitate a faster, more efficient process for everyone.”

Read the article here.