10321. General Provisions Governing Pre-Hearing Proceedings
This Code was superseded by the Customer Code (Rule 12000 Series) and the Industry Code (Rule 13000 Series) on April 16, 2007, for claims filed on or after that date. The Code remains in effect, however, for cases filed before April 16, 2007.
(a) Requests for Documents and Information
The parties shall cooperate to the fullest extent practicable in the voluntary exchange of documents and information to expedite the arbitration. Any request for documents or other information should be specific, relate to the matter in controversy, and afford the party to whom the request is made a reasonable period of time to respond without interfering with the time set for the hearing.
(b) Document Production and Information Exchange
(1) Any party may serve a written request for information or documents ("information request") upon another party 45 calendar days or more after service of the Statement of Claim by the Director of Arbitration or upon filing of the Answer, whichever is earlier. The requesting party shall serve the information request on all parties and file a copy with the Director of Arbitration. The parties shall endeavor to resolve disputes regarding an information request prior to serving any objection to the request. Such efforts shall be set forth in the objection.
(2) Unless a greater time is allowed by the requesting party, information requests shall be satisfied or objected to within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of service. Any objection to an information request shall be served by the objecting party on all parties and filed with the Director of Arbitration.
(3) Any response to objections to an information request shall be served on all parties and filed with the Director of Arbitration within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the objection.
(4) Upon the written request of a party whose information request is unsatisfied, the matter will be referred by the Director of Arbitration to either a pre-hearing conference under paragraph (d) of this Rule or to a selected arbitrator under paragraph (e) of this Rule.
(c) Pre-Hearing Exchange
At least twenty (20) calendar days prior to the first scheduled hearing date, all parties shall serve on each other copies of documents in their possession they intend to present at the hearing and shall identify witnesses they intend to present at the hearing. The arbitrators may exclude from the arbitration any documents not exchanged or witnesses not identified. This paragraph does not require service of copies of documents or identification of witnesses which parties may use for cross-examination or rebuttal.
(d) Pre-Hearing Conference
(1) Upon the written request of a party, an arbitrator, or at the discretion of the Director of Arbitration, a pre-hearing conference shall be scheduled. The Director of Arbitration shall set the time and place of a pre-hearing conference and appoint a person to preside. The pre-hearing conference may be held by telephone conference call. The presiding person shall seek to achieve agreement among the parties on any issue which relates to the pre-hearing process or to the hearing, including but not limited to exchange of information, exchange or production of documents, identification of witnesses, identification and exchange of hearing documents, stipulation of facts, identification and briefing of contested issues, and any other matters which will expedite the arbitration proceedings.
(2) Any issues raised at the pre-hearing conference that are not resolved may be referred to a single member of the arbitration panel for decision.
(e) Decisions by Selected Arbitrator
The Director of Arbitration may appoint a single member of the arbitration panel to decide all unresolved issues under this Rule. In matters involving public customers, such single arbitrator shall be a public arbitrator, except that the arbitrator may be either public or industry when the public customer has requested a panel consisting of a majority from the securities industry. Such arbitrator shall be authorized to act on behalf of the panel to issue subpoenas, direct appearances of witnesses and production of documents, set deadlines for compliance, and issue any other ruling which will expedite the arbitration proceedings. Decisions under this Rule shall be made upon the papers submitted by the parties, unless the arbitrator calls a hearing. The arbitrator may elect to refer any issue under this Rule to the full panel.
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Amended by SR-FINRA-2008-021 eff. Dec. 15, 2008. Amended by SR-NASD-98-91 eff. Jan. 11, 1999. Amended by SR-NASD-95-05 eff. Mar. 23, 1995. Amended eff. May 10, 1989. Selected Notice: 08-57. |