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Civil Litigation,
Alternative Dispute Resolution

Oct. 22, 2010

A Profound Blow Against Arbitration

A recent judicial panel opinion impugns the character of lawyers and would-be arbitrators who do pro bono work.

Timothy D. Reuben

Founder and CEO Reuben, Raucher & Blum

Phone: (310) 777-1990

Email: treuben@rrbattorneys.com

Reuben is the founder and CEO at Reuben Raucher & Blum. Alongside his extensive career as a civil litigator specializing in complex matters at both the trial and appellate level, he serves pro bono as a temporary judge and settlement officer for the Los Angeles Superior Court, as well as a fee arbitrator for the LA County Bar.

The 1st District Court of Appeal has concluded that an arbitrator ruling on a dispute over legal fees had the appearance of bias simply because he was a lawyer at a big firm whose practice sometimes included representing lawyers in fee disputes. In Benjamin, Weill & Mazur v. Kors, 2010 DJDAR 15482, Justice J. Anthony Kline, writing for a unanimous panel (Justices Paul Haerle and James Richman concurring), reversed the confirmation of a $102,287 fee award because attorney Sean ...

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