(a) Parties to an arbitration may agree to settle their dispute at any time. Parties who settle must file notice with the Director. The Director will continue to administer the arbitration, and fees may continue to accrue, until the Director receives written notice of the settlement.

(a) The panel must dismiss an arbitration or a claim at the joint request of the parties to that arbitration or claim.

The panel may reopen the record on its own initiative or upon motion of any party at any time before the award is rendered, unless prohibited by applicable law.

(a) The panel will decide when the record is closed. Once the record is closed, no further submissions will be accepted from any party.

(b) In cases in which no hearing is held, the record is presumed to be closed when the Director sends the pleadings to the panel, unless the panel requests, or agrees to accept, additional submissions from any party.

Generally, the claimant shall present its case, followed by the respondent's defense. The panel has the discretion to vary the order in which the hearing is conducted, provided that each party is given a fair opportunity to present its case.

All witnesses must testify under oath or affirmation.

(a) The panel will decide what evidence to admit. The panel is not required to follow state or federal rules of evidence.

(b) Production of documents in discovery does not create a presumption that the documents are admissible at the hearing.

If a party fails to appear at a hearing after having been notified of the time, date and place of the hearing, the panel may determine that the hearing may go forward, and may render an award as though all parties had been present.