Dispute Resolution Statistics
On This Page
- Virtual Arbitration Hearing Statistics
- Arbitration Statistics Through October
- Historical Statistics for Cases Filed and Closed
- Top 15 Controversy Types in Customer Arbitrations
- Top 15 Security Types in Customer Arbitrations
- Top 15 Controversy Types in Intra-Industry Arbitrations
- How Arbitration Cases Close
- Results of Customer Claimant Arbitration Award Cases
- Result of Customer Claimant Arbitration Award Cases (Regular Hearing Only)
- Result of Customer Claimant Arbitration Award Cases (Special Proceeding Hearing Only)
- Result of Customer Claimant Arbitration Award Cases (Paper Only)
- Results of All-Public Panels and Majority Public Panels in Customer Cases
- Arbitrators by Type and Location
- Mediation Statistics Through October
- Pre-Arbitration Requests for Mediation Through October
- View Previous Year-End Statistics
Virtual Arbitration Hearing Statistics Through October
| Contested Motions for Virtual Hearings | Granted | Denied | Open | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer | 290 (62%) | 175 (38%) | 1 | 466 |
| Intra-Industry | 153 (75%) | 50 (25%) | 0 | 203 |
| Total Customer and Intra-Industry | 443 (66%) | 225 (34%) | 2 | 669 |
Since the postponement of in-person hearings, and as of October 31, 1,733 arbitration cases have conducted one or more hearings via Zoom (667 customer cases and 1,066 industry cases).
There are 790 total joint motions for virtual hearings. (347 in customer cases and 443 in industry cases).
Arbitration Statistics Through October
| Year | New Case Filings | Cases Closed | Open Cases | Turnaround Time (in months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Total: 2,929 Customer: 1,547 (53%) Intra-Industry: 1,382 (47%) | 2,466 | 3,494 | Overall*: 15.1 Regular Hearing Decisions: 18.1 Special Proceeding Decisions: 8.1 Paper Decisions: 5.0 |
| 2022 | Total: 2,179 Customer: 1,377 (63%) Intra-Industry: 802 (37%) | 3,009 | 3,149 | Overall*: 18.3 Regular Hearing Decisions: 19.8 Special Proceeding Decisions: 7.7 Paper Decisions: 5.1 |
| 2021 | Total: 2,527 Customer: 1,671 (66%) Intra-Industry: 856 (34%) | 3,319 | 4,220 | Overall*: 14.9 Regular Hearing Decisions: 17.1 Special Proceeding Decisions: 8.8 Paper Decisions: 5.2 |
| 2023 vs 2022 | Total: +34% Customer: +12% Intra-Industry: +72% | -18% | +11% | Overall*: -17% Regular Hearing Decisions: -9% Special Proceeding Decisions: +5% Paper Decisions: -2% |
* Includes cases closed for any reason.
Historical Statistics for Cases Filed and Closed
| Year | Cases Filed | Cases Closed |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,929 | 2,466 |
| 2022 | 2,671 | 3,564 |
| 2021 | 2,893 | 4,029 |
| 2020 | 3,902 | 3,564 |
| 2019 | 3,757 | 4,011 |
| 2018 | 4,325 | 3,756 |
| Year | Cases Filed | Cases Closed |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3,456 | 3,735 |
| 2016 | 3,681 | 3,635 |
| 2015 | 3,435 | 3,489 |
| 2014 | 3,822 | 3,838 |
| 2013 | 3,714 | 4,498 |
| 2012 | 4,299 | 4,877 |
| Year | Cases Filed | Cases Closed |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 4,729 | 6,099 |
| 2010 | 5,680 | 6,241 |
| 2009 | 7,137 | 4,571 |
| 2008 | 4,982 | 3,757 |
| 2007 | 3,238 | 5,345 |
| 2006 | 4,614 | 7,212 |
Top 15 Controversy Types in Customer Arbitrations
A single arbitration case may include multiple controversy types.
| Controversy | Time Period | 2023 Cases served | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breach of Fiduciary Duty | Through October | 1,241 | 1,087 | 1,259 | 1,414 | 1,793 |
| Year-End | -- | 1,340 | 1,445 | 1,714 | 2,053 | |
| Negligence | Through October | 1,150 | 1,019 | 1,195 | 1,307 | 1,595 |
| Year-End | -- | 1,261 | 1,371 | 1,592 | 1,826 | |
| Failure to Supervise | Through October | 942 | 889 | 1,056 | 1,181 | 1,521 |
| Year-End | -- | 1,075 | 1,218 | 1,433 | 1,731 | |
| Breach of Contract | Through October | 912 | 842 | 965 | 1,071 | 1,368 |
| Year-End | -- | 1,048 | 1,110 | 1,292 | 1,563 | |
| Misrepresentation | Through October | 896 | 799 | 1,049 | 1,123 | 1,472 |
| Year-End | -- | 990 | 1,181 | 1,384 | 1,688 | |
| Suitability | Through October | 761 | 756 | 922 | 1,024 | 1,387 |
| Year-End | -- | 899 | 1,071 | 1,220 | 1,580 | |
| Omission of Facts | Through October | 734 | 661 | 851 | 989 | 1,290 |
| Year-End | -- | 825 | 958 | 1,215 | 1,468 | |
| Fraud | Through October | 575 | 577 | 653 | 787 | 1,343 |
| Year-End | -- | 699 | 744 | 918 | 1,499 | |
| Breach of Regulation BI* | Through October | 348 | 155 | -- | -- | -- |
| Year-End | -- | 216 | -- | -- | -- | |
| Violation of Blue Sky Laws | Through October | 343 | 318 | 314 | 253 | 603 |
| Year-End | -- | 402 | 355 | 338 | 657 | |
| Manipulation | Through October | 233 | 215 | 257 | 273 | 331 |
| Year-End | -- | 266 | 285 | 316 | 384 | |
| Elder Abuse | Through October | 179 | 160 | 134 | 146 | 177 |
| Year-End | -- | 188 | 162 | 172 | 207 | |
| Unauthorized Trading | Through October | 144 | 124 | 136 | 153 | 165 |
| Year-End | -- | 149 | 160 | 190 | 197 | |
| Errors-charges | Through October | 116 | 85 | 113 | 76 | 82 |
| Year-End | -- | 99 | 127 | 102 | 98 | |
| Churning | Through October | 82 | 62 | 94 | 97 | 141 |
| Year-End | -- | 81 | 112 | 115 | 167 |
*These categories were not tracked for the years in which no data appears.
Top 15 Security Types in Customer Arbitrations
A single arbitration case may include multiple security types.
| SECURITY | Time Period | 2023 Cases Served | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Stock | Through October | 328 | 259 | 380 | 324 | 372 |
| Year-End | -- | 349 | 433 | 385 | 436 | |
| Mutual Funds | Through October | 217 | 121 | 148 | 152 | 490 |
| Year-End | -- | 159 | 161 | 177 | 526 | |
| Corporate Bonds | Through October | 209 | 196 | 44 | 69 | 67 |
| Year-End | -- | 239 | 57 | 79 | 74 | |
| Real Estate Investment Trust | Through October | 158 | 184 | 383 | 316 | 187 |
| Year-End | -- | 211 | 429 | 421 | 236 | |
| Options | Through October | 106 | 109 | 134 | 147 | 181 |
| Year-End | -- | 153 | 157 | 180 | 204 | |
| Private Equities | Through October | 92 | 123 | 138 | 200 | 114 |
| Year-End | -- | 146 | 161 | 213 | 149 | |
| Exchange-Traded Funds | Through October | 73 | 41 | 63 | 76 | 122 |
| Year-End | -- | 60 | 76 | 95 | 138 | |
| Variable Annuities | Through October | 68 | 38 | 67 | 80 | 99 |
| Year-End | -- | 48 | 75 | 95 | 109 | |
| Municipal Bond Funds | Through October | 65 | 41 | 49 | 114 | 686 |
| Year-End | -- | 50 | 57 | 136 | 717 | |
| Preferred Stock | Through October | 64 | 33 | 21 | 36 | 36 |
| Year-End | -- | 42 | 31 | 37 | 40 | |
| Annuities | Through October | 60 | 45 | 86 | 82 | 84 |
| Year-End | -- | 57 | 98 | 93 | 97 | |
| Limited Partnerships | Through October | 52 | 102 | 119 | 132 | 96 |
| Year-End | -- | 122 | 134 | 146 | 128 | |
| 401(k) | Through October | 42 | 32 | 30 | 63 | 49 |
| Year-End | -- | 35 | 41 | 73 | 58 | |
| Structured Products | Through October | 40 | 25 | 29 | 33 | 48 |
| Year-End | -- | 38 | 33 | 35 | 60 | |
| Business Development Company | Through October | 37 | 78 | 161 | 132 | 19 |
| Year-End | -- | 88 | 177 | 218 | 26 |
Top 15 Controversy Types in Intra-Industry Arbitrations
A single arbitration case may include multiple controversy types.
| CONTROVERSY | Time Period | 2023 Cases Served | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breach of Contract | Through October | 248 | 184 | 224 | 268 | 284 |
| Year-End | -- | 225 | 268 | 309 | 345 | |
| Promissory Notes | Through October | 132 | 73 | 107 | 206 | 198 |
| Year-End | -- | 84 | 126 | 229 | 240 | |
| Libel or Slander on Form U-5 | Through October | 90 | 75 | 78 | 125 | 104 |
| Year-End | -- | 84 | 89 | 148 | 119 | |
| Libel, Slander, or Defamation | Through October | 79 | 62 | 49 | 144 | 114 |
| Year-End | -- | 69 | 59 | 152 | 135 | |
| Compensation | Through October | 67 | 69 | 70 | 118 | 119 |
| Year-End | -- | 77 | 84 | 135 | 135 | |
| Wrongful Termination | Through October | 61 | 47 | 53 | 88 | 87 |
| Year-End | -- | 50 | 62 | 101 | 102 | |
| Commissions | Through October | 33 | 32 | 46 | 61 | 68 |
| Year-End | -- | 37 | 55 | 72 | 82 | |
| Discrimination or Harassment* | Through October | 23 | 22 | 30 | 36 | 42 |
| Year-End | -- | 25 | 36 | 38 | 46 | |
| Raiding Disputes | Through October | 19 | 20 | 13 | 23 | 20 |
| Year-End | -- | 24 | 13 | 28 | 21 | |
| Breach of Fiduciary Duty | Through October | 12 | 18 | 18 | 29 | 25 |
| Year-End | -- | 21 | 23 | 31 | 30 | |
| Indemnification | Through October | 12 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 12 |
| Year-End | -- | 7 | 6 | 14 | 17 | |
| Whistleblower | Through October | 11 | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
| Year-End | -- | 5 | -- | -- | -- | |
| Misrepresentation | Through October | 8 | 9 | 9 | 54 | 26 |
| Year-End | -- | 12 | 12 | 57 | 29 | |
| Fraud | Through October | 7 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 8 |
| Year-End | -- | 13 | 8 | 16 | 11 | |
| Negligence | Through October | 6 | 12 | 7 | 16 | 15 |
| Year-End | -- | 14 | 9 | 17 | 17 |
* This category combines the following discrimination controversy types: disability, age, gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, employment discrimination, and sexual harassment. This number does not represent the number of cases served, as one case may have multiple discrimination claims.
How Arbitration Cases Close
| Cases Decided by Arbitrators | 2023 (% of Cases) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| After Regular Hearing | 360 (15%) | 533 (15%) | 497 (12%) | 335 (9%) | 527 (13%) |
| After Special Proceeding Hearing | 15 (1%) | 24 (1%) | 34 (1%) | 13 (0%) | 12 (0%) |
| After Review of Documents (Paper Cases) | 67 (3%) | 78 (2%) | 102 (2%) | 101 (3%) | 96 (2%) |
| Total | 442 (18%) | 635 (18%) | 633 (15%) | 449 (13%) | 635 (16%) |
| Cases Resolved by Other Means | 2023 (% of Cases) | 2022 (% of Cases) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Settlement by Parties | 1,185 (49%) | 1,752 (49%) | 2,418 (59%) | 2,060 (58%) | 2,269 (57%) |
| Settled via Mediation | 424 (17%) | 700 (20%) | 458 (11%) | 477 (13%) | 513 (13%) |
| Withdrawn | 204 (8%) | 290 (8%) | 384 (9%) | 329 (9%) | 343 (9%) |
| All Others | 185 (8%) | 175 (5%) | 216 (5%) | 243 (7%) | 203 (5%) |
| Total | 1,998 (82%) | 2,917 (82%) | 3,476 (85%) | 3,109 (87%) | 3,328 (84%) |
Results of Customer Claimant Arbitration Award Cases
| Year Decided | All Customer Claimant Cases Decided (Hearings, Special Procedures & Paper) | Percentage Decided of All Customer Claimant Cases Closed | Percentage (and Number) of Cases where Customer Awarded Damages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 YTD | 228 | 14% | 25% (58 cases) |
| 2022 | 311 | 13% | 36% (111 cases) |
| 2021 | 328 | 13% | 31% (103 cases) |
| 2020 | 193 | 9% | 32% (62 cases) |
| 2019 | 313 | 13% | 45% (141 cases) |
| 2018 | 359 | 15% | 40% (145 cases) |
| 2017 | 352 | 14% | 43% (151 cases) |
Result of Customer Claimant Arbitration Award Cases (Regular Hearing Only)*
| Year Decided | Customer Claimant Cases Decided (Hearing Only) | Hearing Customer Claimant Cases Where Customer Awarded Damages | Hearing Customer Claimant Not Awarded Damages | Percentage of Customer Award Hearing Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 YTD | 165 | 51 | 114 | 31% |
| 2022 | 237 | 92 | 145 | 39% |
| 2021 | 231 | 86 | 145 | 37% |
| 2020 | 120 | 41 | 79 | 34% |
| 2019 | 241 | 109 | 132 | 45% |
| 2018 | 274 | 115 | 159 | 42% |
| 2017 | 272 | 122 | 150 | 45% |
*The data in this chart includes cases dismissed prior to the hearing on the merits, and are counted as cases in which the customer claimant was not awarded damages.
Awards on the Merits of the Case with One or More Zoom Evidentiary Hearings*
| Year Decided | Customer Claimant Cases Decided | Customer Claimant Cases Where Customer Awarded Damages | Customer Claimant Not Awarded Damages | Percentage of Customer Claimant Cases Where Customer Awarded Damages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 45 | 18 | 27 | 40% |
| 2022 | 116 | 51 | 65 | 44% |
| 2021 | 136 | 60 | 76 | 44% |
| 2020 | 30 | 12 | 18 | 40% |
*The data in this chart excludes cases dismissed prior to the hearing on the merits.
Awards on the Merits of the Case with In-Person Evidentiary Hearings*
| Year Decided | Customer Claimant Cases Decided | Customer Claimant Cases Where Customer Awarded Damages | Customer Claimant Not Awarded Damages | Percentage of Customer Claimant Cases Where Customer Awarded Damages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 78 | 30 | 48 | 38% |
| 2022 | 74 | 34 | 40 | 46% |
| 2021 | 46 | 22 | 24 | 48% |
| 2020 | 34 | 17 | 17 | 50% |
*The data in this chart excludes cases dismissed prior to the hearing on the merits.
Result of Customer Claimant Arbitration Award Cases (Special Proceeding Hearing Only)
| Year Decided | Customer Claimant Cases Decided (Special Proceeding Only) | Special Proceeding Customer Claimant Cases Where Customer Awarded Damages | Special Proceeding Customer Claimant Not Awarded Damages | Percentage of Customer Award Special Proceeding Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 YTD | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% |
| 2022 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 37% |
| 2021 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% |
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% |
| 2019 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% |
Result of Customer Claimant Arbitration Award Cases (Paper Only)
| Year Decided | Customer Claimant Cases Decided (Paper Only) | Paper Customer Claimant Cases Where Customer Awarded Damages | Customer Claimant Not Awarded Damages | Percentage of Customer Award Paper Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 YTD | 50 | 7 | 43 | 14% |
| 2022 | 55 | 12 | 43 | 22% |
| 2021 | 81 | 15 | 66 | 19% |
| 2020 | 68 | 20 | 48 | 29% |
| 2019 | 64 | 31 | 33 | 48% |
| 2018 | 85 | 30 | 55 | 35% |
| 2017 | 80 | 29 | 51 | 36% |
Results of All-Public Panels and Majority Public Panels in Customer Cases
| Year Decided | Cases Decided by All-Public Panels | Percentage (and Number) of Cases Decided by 3 Public Arbitrators where Customer Awarded Damages | Cases Decided by Majority-Public Panels | Percentage (and Number) of Cases Decided by 2 Public Arbitrators and 1 Non-Public Arbitrator where Customer Awarded Damages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 YTD | 101 | 35% (35 cases) | 37 | 24% (9 cases) |
| 2022 | 141 | 42% (59 cases) | 51 | 37% (19 cases) |
| 2021 | 139 | 39% (54 cases) | 46 | 30% (14 cases) |
| 2020 | 76 | 33% (25 cases) | 26 | 23% (6 cases) |
| 2019 | 149 | 53% (79 cases) | 47 | 28% (13 cases) |
| 2018 | 158 | 42% (67 cases) | 58 | 47% (27 cases) |
| 2017 | 137 | 48% (66 cases) | 71 | 37% (26 cases) |
Arbitrators by Type and Location
| Arbitrator Type | Total |
|---|---|
| Public | 4,118 |
| Non-Public | 4,313 |
| Total | 8,431 |
Number of Cases and Arbitrators* per Hearing Location Through October.
Click on each hearing location below to view the number of cases and a breakdown of available arbitrators by type. View in table format.
We expand arbitrator pools in select hearing locations as case demand requires.
* Arbitrators can serve in multiple hearing locations, thus, these figures cannot be totaled to produce the overall number of arbitrators on the roster.
** These figures include the arbitrators designated on the Local Public Chair list.
*** These figures include the arbitrators designated on the Non-Local Public Chair list.
Mediation Statistics Through October
| Year | Cases in Agreement | Cases Closed (Percent Settled) | Turnaround Time (in days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 544 | 488 (85%) | 124 |
| 2022 | 679 | 665 (91%) | 122 |
| 2021 | 513 | 447 (89%) | 181 |
| 2023 vs 2022 | -20% | -27% | +2% |
Pre-Arbitration Requests for Mediation Through October
| Year to Date | Number of Requests* | Parties Agreed (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023** | 194 | 68 (35%) |
| 2022 | 151 | 32 (21%) |
| 2021 | 173 | 34 (20%) |
* As of January 1, 2020, Number of Requests only includes cases subject to FINRA’s jurisdiction. Previously, these statistics included all requests to mediate, including those not subject to FINRA’s jurisdiction.
** 2023 statistic includes 50 pre-filings that are part of a global mediation.