Erin Gleason Alvarez is an independent arbitrator, specializing in the resolution of commercial and insurance disputes. Ms. Gleason has experience serving as tribunal chair, sole arbitrator, and arbitrator in emergency proceedings.
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She is a member of the American Arbitration Association Commercial and Consumer Arbitration Panels. She is also a member of the CPR Institute's Panel of Distinguished Neutrals.
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EXPERIENCE
INSURANCE
Experience as Arbitrator:
Commercial coverage. Professional malpractice. Property. Health and hospitals. Indemnification. Consumers.
Prior Experience:
First and third party disputes. Commercial general liability. Bermuda forms. Construction. Construction defect. Workers' compensation. Subrogation. Cyber liability. Risk management. Policy language.
CORPORATE
Experience as Arbitrator:
Dissolution. Breach of contract. Breach of fiduciary duty. Fraud. Commercial contract disputes relating to financial transactions, commercial property, employment, and insurance.
Prior Experience:
Transactional advice and review. Governance. Mergers & Acquisitions. Divestitures. International commercial transactions.
SECURITIES
Experience as Arbitrator:
Asset management issues. Shareholder rights. Breach of trust. Breach of fiduciary duty. Fraud.
Prior Experience:
Collateralized debt obligations. Mortgage backed securities. Corporate governance. Class actions.
EMERGENCY
PROCEEDINGS
Experience as Arbitrator:
Breach of contract. Shareholder meetings. Commercial property dispute.
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In order to achieve the careful balance between fairness and efficiency in arbitration, Ms. Gleason employs project management techniques in her work as arbitrator.
In 2013, she received formal project management training and became a Certified Project Manager. Today, as an arbitrator, the system that she created to monitor arbitration efficiency encourages open communication, risk analysis to prevent wasted time and expense, and an understanding of the success factors for each case (e.g., award issued within 60 days of process initiation, adherence to information exchange guidelines, bifurcation to encourage expediency, etc.).
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Much of this work is conducted independently by Ms. Gleason, as arbitrator, or within the tribunal. Parties see a heightened awareness and value placed on efficient and cost-effective arbitration. While perhaps different from other arbitrators' orientations, the use of project management within arbitration does not impose any additional costs or burdens for parties. It is a way of organizing the process to make sure it does not go off track.
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Here are some examples of Ms. Gleason's utilization of project management techniques in the context of arbitration:
ARBITRATION PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Preliminary Hearing
Compartmentalize phases of arbitration; assume and assign tasks to complete each successfully. Memorialize project plan, schedule, risk managment & communications protocols in initial order. Set project success criteria.
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Information Exchange
Implement Lean methodology to identify for parties the potential for "waste" in the arbitration process.
(See Lean Arbitration article below for more detail.)
Strongly encourage adherence to original schedule. Remind parties of scope as needed.
Hearing Organization
Compartmentalize phases of hearing, bifurcating as necessary. Assume and assign tasks to complete each successfully. Memorialize hearing schedule and risk managment plans in pre-hearing order. Set hearing success criteria.
Amongst the Tribunal
Implement quality control measures for the process and award writing aspects. Assume and assign responsibility for organizational tasks throughout. Establish open, regular and productive communication within tribunal.
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Additional resources on arbitration project management include:
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More insights on Arbitration Project Management are detailed in Ms. Gleason's American Arbitration Association (AAA) panelist video interview, which is available upon request to the AAA.
