Arbitrator Update

August 2016 Issue

Table of Contents:

Arbitrator Profile: James (Jim) Adducci

The Importance of Disclosure

Website Redesign—Your Help Needed

Statistics

Arbitrator Profile: James (Jim) Adducci

When talking with Jim Adducci, one is quick to learn that he not only has a love of the law but also a love of history.

Jim is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and Harvard Law School, and is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his law school graduation this year. He is an experienced commercial litigator who handles diverse cases not only in the United States, but in Europe as well. His client base spans it all – from individuals to large, publicly traded companies.

After law school, Jim came home to Chicago where he worked as a clerk for a federal judge before joining Kirkland and Ellis. In 1982 Jim began working at what is now Schuyler Roche & Crisham before co-founding his current firm, Adducci, Dorf, Lehner, Mitchell and Blankenship, P.C., which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. In addition to practicing law for 40 years, Jim is also a Civil War and history buff. He currently serves as an officer for the Civil War Round Table of Chicago, which supplies fellow history buffs with programs of interest and supports preservation of Civil War battle sites.

While at Schuyler Roche & Crisham, he represented clients in numerous of securities and commodities arbitrations. When Jim was asked to serve as an NFA Arbitrator in 1988, he believed it would give him a chance to see the process from the other side of the table while also providing a public service. He also serves as an arbitrator for AAA and FINRA.

Jim, like many of our arbitrators, gets a sense of accomplishment from assisting in resolving conflicts. Although, both sides in an arbitration are not always going to be happy with the outcome, he believes it is a much more efficient way to resolve their issues than a court case. Jim enjoys serving on panels and appreciates the assistance he receives from NFA staff. He has encouraged others, including one of his partners, to join NFA's roster.

One of the challenges Jim says he faces as an arbitrator is making sure that attorneys refrain from giving in to the temptation of treating arbitration like a court proceeding. Arbitration is meant to be an expeditious alternative to a lengthy court proceeding. Consequently, as an arbitrator it is important to be in control and keep the process moving forward. His years of experience have allowed Jim to be a decisive arbitrator and maintain control during hearings.

Jim has no retirement plans for the near future and continues to enjoy practicing law. He and his wife are longtime residents of Homewood and being a baseball fan from the Southside, he of course roots for the Chicago White Sox.

Return to Top

The Importance of Disclosure

NFA would like to remind our arbitrators to conduct a thorough review of the parties and their counsel when NFA asks you to serve on a case. NFA staff will provide you with the names of the parties. Please let Judy know if you have any current or past conflicts or relationships with the parties or their representatives. NFA can then determine whether the disclosure disqualifies you from serving.

Once you are appointed to a case, you have a continuing obligation to disclose conflicts related to a case. If at any point after you are appointed you realize you have, or have ever had, any financial, business, professional, family or social relationships with the parties, their representatives, or witnesses, you should contact NFA staff. They will make the disclosure to the parties. Your diligence will minimize delays in the process.

Please keep in mind that if NFA has to replace you for any reason, it is meant only to ensure all parties have complete confidence in receiving a fair and impartial hearing.

More on this topic and others will be covered in our new arbitrator training module for arbitrators, which is scheduled to be released late fall 2016.

Return to Top

Website Redesign—Your Help Needed

NFA is embarking on the process of redesigning our website. We are looking to gather information regarding your experiences with NFA's website. Please send your feedback and comments to feedback@nfa.futures.org. As part of the research phase of the redesign, if you are interested in providing an arbitrator's perspective through participating in one-on-one interviews, please email Judy Jenks at jjenks@nfa.futures.org.

Return to Top

Statistics

NFA received nine claims in the first half of 2016. Please visit NFA's website for the most recent statistical data on NFA arbitration filings.