A bill that would change Pennsylvania’s arbitration laws for the first time in over 30 years has drawn the support of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, but has been met with opposition from the Pennsylvania Association for Justice trial lawyers group.
The PBA says the measure would streamline arbitration procedures in the state, while trial lawyers say they’re prepared to fight to defeat the proposal, arguing that it would give arbitrators equal powers to judges. Among other criticisms, the trial lawyers say the bill threatens to limit parties’ ability to appeal decisions through a grant of immunity to arbitrators and a "loser-pays" rule in litigation to enforce or vacate arbitrators’ awards.
