Notice of Arb-Med
Before completing the Notice of Arb-Med, please carefully read these guidance notes.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
This Notice of Arb-Med is to be used where the Parties to the dispute have previously agreed to refer any dispute to Arbitration under the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules, typically by way of inclusion of the NZIAC Arb-Med Model Clause in their underlying agreement/contract.
Where Parties have not previously agreed to refer any dispute to Arbitration under the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules, they will need to execute an Arb-Med Agreement in the form found at Appendix 2 to the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules to proceed.
Parties who have executed an Arb-Med Agreement in the form found at Appendix 2 to the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules do not need to complete and serve a Notice of Arb-Med, and can immediately proceed to make an application for the appointment of the Arbitral Tribunal using NZIAC’s online application form.
GUIDE TO COMPLETING THE NOTICE OF ARB-MED
The Parties and their Representatives
In this section, set out the full names and contact details for each of the Parties and their Representatives, including a current email address for each where that is available as that will be the primary means of communication used by the Registry.
Be careful to ensure that you correctly name/identify each Party. For example, if your contract is with a company you need to ensure that the company is fully and correctly named as the other Party – not the trading name it may use or the name of any individual you may have been dealing with. If the contract is with a ‘trust’, name each of the trustees in their capacity as trustees of the trust as the Party to the Arb-Med proceeding ie, A and B as trustees of the XYZ trust.
You must ensure that all Parties (and their Representatives, where they are known) are named and included in the Notice of Arb-Med.
Multiple Parties
There may be multiple Parties to your dispute. Simply adjust this template to provide details for each Party.
Arb-Med Agreement
In this section, you need to specify:
(a) the Arb-Med Agreement that is being invoked; and
(b) the legal instrument or the relationship out of, or in relation to which, the dispute arises.
To proceed to Arb-Med, the Parties must have agreed to arbitrate under the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules. As such, it is essential to have a duly executed Arb-Med Agreement before you proceed.
In many cases the following NZIAC Model Arb-Med clause (or words to a similar effect) will be included in international contracts where the Parties wish to have any future disputes resolved by arbitration under the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules:
Any dispute or difference arising out of or in connection with this contract, or the subject matter of this contract, including any question about its existence, validity or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration in accordance with the Arb-Med Rules of the New Zealand International Arbitration Centre.
In such cases all that is required is to attach a copy of the relevant provision in the contract and a copy of the execution page of the contract to the Notice of Arb-Med.
NOTE: Parties to an existing dispute that have not incorporated the NZIAC Model Arb-Med Clause into a prior agreement may agree to refer that dispute to Arbitration under the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules by signing the Arb-Med Agreement at Appendix 2 to the Rules. After executing that agreement, the Parties can proceed to making an immediate application for the appointment of an Arbitral Tribunal using NZIAC’s online application form. There is no need to complete this Notice of Arb-Med.
The Dispute
In this section, you need to set out in summary form the nature of the dispute. It is essential that sufficient information is given so that every other Party and NZIAC are suitably apprised of the nature of the dispute and the issues that will be raised in the Arb-Med proceeding.
Information concerning the nature and details of the dispute assist NZIAC where it is required to select and appoint an arbitrator under the Rules.
The Relief or Remedy Sought
In this section, you need to specify the relief or remedy that you are seeking in the Arb-Med proceeding ie, the payment of money or declaratory relief.
This is so that every other Party is suitably apprised of what the Claimant is seeking such that each Respondent can understand the scope and nature of the claim(s) that will be made against it by the Claimant in the Arb-Med proceeding.
Proposal as to Composition of Arbitral Tribunal
In this section, you may specify the name and details of any person you propose to act as an arbitrator, or the experience/expertise that you consider would be necessary/helpful for an arbitrator to have.
Please note it is not essential that you propose anyone to act as an arbitrator, or for the Parties to try and agree on the composition of the Arbitral Tribunal – in many cases, neither the Parties nor their Representatives will have sufficient experience and/or knowledge to make a fully informed decision. NZIAC’s Registrars are experienced in selecting and appointing arbitrators, and in the vast majority of cases, NZIAC will select and appoint the Arbitral Tribunal.
Making an Application to NZIAC
The Claimant may, after the expiry of ten working days from the date of service of the Notice of Arb-Med on every other Party, or earlier if the Parties have agreed on a nominee or the Parties have signed the Arb-Med Agreement in the form found at Appendix 2 to the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules, apply to NZIAC to appoint the Arbitral Tribunal by completing an Application for Arb-Med. The Application must include:
(a) the Arb-Med Agreement;
(b) the Notice of Arb-Med (if relevant);
(c) any document recording the Parties’ agreement as to the composition of the Arbitral Tribunal, or, where no agreement has been reached:
i. any proposal as to the composition of the Arbitral Tribunal, and if it exists, any response to that proposal; and
ii. any document recording the Parties’ agreement as to the preferred expertise of the Arbitral Tribunal, or where no agreement has been reached, any proposal as to the preferred expertise of the Arbitral Tribunal and, if it exists, any response to that proposal.
Legal Advice
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your legal rights and obligations, we strongly recommend that you take independent legal advice from a lawyer experienced in international mediation and arbitration.
If you are based in New Zealand, or you are an overseas based Party looking to engage a New Zealand lawyer to represent you in an Arb-Med proceeding, we suggest you try NZLS’ Find a Lawyer to locate someone who is able to provide the advice you require: http://www.lawsociety.org.nz/for-the-community/find-lawyer-and-organisation.
NOTICE OF ARB-MED
[CLAIMANT] hereby gives written notice of its intention to refer a dispute with [RESPONDENT] to Arbitration in accordance with the Arb-Med Rules of the New Zealand International Arbitration Centre.
THE PARTIES
Provide the names and contact details of each Party to the intended Mediation.
| First Party: | |
| Attention: | |
| Address: | |
| Phone: | |
| Email: | |
| Representative: | |
| Name of firm: | |
| Address: | |
| Phone: | |
| Email: |
| Second Party: | |
| Attention: | |
| Address: | |
| Phone: | |
| Email: | |
| Representative: | |
| Name of firm: | |
| Address: | |
| Phone: | |
| Email: |
ARB-MED AGREEMENT
The dispute has arisen out of, or in relation to, [name the legal instrument or relationship out of, or in relation to which, the dispute arises].
The parties’ agreement to arbitration under the NZIAC Arb-Med Rules is [identify the Arb-Med Agreement].
(Copy of Arb-Med Agreement attached)
DISPUTE
[set out a brief description of the nature of the dispute]
RELIEF OR REMEDY SOUGHT
[CLAIMANT] seeks the following relief or remedy:
PROPOSAL AS TO COMPOSITION OF ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL
[CLAIMANT] makes the following proposal regarding the identity and/or experience or expertise of the Arbitral Tribunal:
Dated at [PLACE] this [DATE]
_____________________________________
[NAME]
Effective 8 February 2018