Today, numerous contracts call for the arbitration of disputes that would otherwise result in litigation. Arbitration is designed to reduce the cost of protracted discovery, leading to quicker case resolutions. Sometimes arbitration achieves that purpose, sometimes not.
Arbitration has many similarities to civil trials. They can be handled under numerous rules, such as the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), or the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Other organizations exist which have different rules, or sometimes the parties can create ad hoc rules on a case-by-case basis.
Over the past 23 years, Tim Riley has handled a number of arbitration matters, under AAA, UNCITRAL, and ad hoc rules. There is no separate board-certification in arbitration, as arbitrations typically fall under the specialization umbrella of Civil Trial Law. Riley became Board-Certified in Civil Trial Law in 1992, and was re-certified in 1997 and 2002.