Arbitration: A Faster, Cheaper Alternative – Or Just a Courtroom in Disguise? Law.com

New Era Chairman and Co-Founder Collin Williams authored an article for Law.com about how, nearly a century after the Federal Arbitration Act, traditional arbitration systems still resemble the court system, with lengthy timelines, procedural complexity, and high costs.

Collin provides a brief history of arbitration, which dates back to ancient civilizations, the watershed moment of the FAA’s creation, and how traditional arbitration has drifted too close to the courts.

Calling for a course correction, Collin notes, “The goal of arbitration was never to recreate the court system in private – it was to offer something better. Simpler. Smarter. More accessible. Yet as arbitration drifts toward becoming ‘litigation lite,’ it’s fair to ask: Are we preserving what makes it valuable, or slowly eroding it? As the legal landscape continues to evolve, now is the time to revisit the original purpose of arbitration – not just in theory, but in practice. Because if arbitration ends up looking, feeling, and costing just like court, then what exactly is the alternative?”

Subscribers to Law.com can read Collin’s article here.