March 4, 2026
It is no secret that the business world has been rocked and tormented by today’s volatile economy. Supply chain issues, closures of manufacturers, and rising costs have all contributed to concerns among businesses large and small, and with no firm picture of what the future holds.
This, of course, leads to financial strain and complexities associated with funding, purchasing, product distribution, and variations in sales while simultaneously causing difficulties and strain on maintaining business viability.
Many businesses, particularly in the manufacturing sectors, place purchase orders from suppliers well ahead of anticipated dates when the goods purchased will be used. Billing can take the form of full payment, installment payments as goods are ordered, or deferred payment as the result of income generated through product implementation.
It goes without saying that there are, and always will be, disputes over business transactions, including claims that services were either not provided or not provided timely; that the product shipped was nonconforming with that ordered; that the shipped product took too long to ship in view of time constraints for its use; undisclosed price and supply fluctuations, and/or that the product shipped is somehow problematic or manufactured with substandard base materials.
These disputes were historically relegated to litigation, which is costly, time-consuming, and uncertain. Court dockets are increasingly more crowded; litigation costs have spiraled; and the uncertainty of the ultimate result remains a constant concern.
Thus, more and more business entities involved in these disputes are electing to submit the dispute to arbitration, which is in essence a type of informal trial which is not subject to the normal restrictions, rigors, costs, and delays inherent in litigation. The parties may, in the absence of a contract provision governing the transaction the subject of the dispute, elect to have the result of the dispute determined by arbitration (termed the “award” even if zero in terms of dollars) which may be “binding” or “non-binding”. Binding arbitration means that whatever result is determined by the arbitrator is final and may not be subject to any appeal, whereas in non-binding proceedings, any of the parties who are dissatisfied with the award may then elect to take the matter to court where the dispute will be resolved by a judge or jury.
Certain contracts require the use of a specific arbitration forum (e.g. American Arbitration Association); others do not, and permit the parties to select and agree on who will arbitrate the dispute. The arbitration proceeding is then set up and managed by the arbitrator, with each case having its own unique components.
Arbitration is much more expedient, less costly, and less time-consuming than a court trial although there are some common procedures in both. Documents are offered as exhibits, witnesses testify, and a decision is ultimately made based on the evidence.
We are receiving more and more requests for arbitration from all kinds of businesses. Civil Dispute Consultants LLC is currently scheduling arbitrations, all of which are conducted by Zoom other electronic/video means. CDC is available to discuss the arbitration process and procedures. You may contact us at: jeff@CivilDisputeConsultants.com.
Jeff Barnes, for CDC LLC