Terms & Conditions

Chicago International Arbitration Center (ChIAC) Booking Terms and Conditions 1. Definitions a. “Booking” means any confirmed reservation by the Booking Party for any hearing, mediation, meeting, conference, hybrid or virtual proceeding, including the hire of one or more Hearing Room or Breakout Room on the Premises and the provision of any Support Services. b. “Booking Fee” means the fees payable to ChIAC with respect to and associated with a Booking, in accordance with Clauses 2 and 3 below. c. “Booking Inquiry Form” means the form a prospective Booking Party must submit online through the ChIAC website in relation to a potential Booking. d. “Booking Party” means any person, law firm or corporate entity that enters into a binding contract for the provision by ChIAC of hearing, meeting or conference facilities at the Premises, in accordance with Clause 2 below. e. “Breakout Room” means designated conference or meeting room on or off the Premises provided to parties or neutrals for private use during the course of the Hearing. f. “Cancellation Fee” means any fees charged or retained by ChIAC in the case of a cancellation of a Booking. g. “Due Date” means the date upon which a Booking Party’s Booking Fee is due, in accordance with Clause 3 below. h. “Hearing” means any formal proceedings reserved for the purposes of presenting evidence, arguing, or adjudicating an arbitration claim in front of an arbitrator. i. “Hearing Room” means any room on or off the Premises provided for the purposes of conducting a Hearing. j. “Hearing Room Bundle” means a standard bundle of Hearing Room and three (3) Breakout Rooms for the tribunal and the parties. k. “Premises” means the Chicago International Arbitration Center, located on the 52nd floor of 200 East Randolph Drive in Chicago, or any other premise where ChIAC provides hearing or conference facilities and related services from time to time. l. “Rebooking” means the rescheduling of any Booking by the same Booking Party. m. “Rebooking Fee” means the fee associated with any Rebooking. n. “Support Services” means any technology, supplies, concierge services or additional facilities supplied by ChIAC, in accordance with Clause 5 below. o. “Total Booking Fee” means the entire sum payable to ChIAC for a Booking. 2. Booking Procedure a. ChIAC facilities are available for arbitrations, mediations, conciliations and related events. i. Bookings for Hearings are taken up to a year in advance. ii. Bookings for mediations requiring a Hearing Room Bundle may be made up to sixty (60) days in advance. iii. Bookings for non-hearing events bookings up to thirty (30) days in advance. b. Bookings are initiated when a Booking Party submits a Booking Inquiry Form. i. The Booking Inquiry Form must include contact information for representatives of each party responsible for payment. ii. The Booking Inquiry Form must provide all required information for a timely and accurate Booking. Booking Inquiry Forms containing incomplete or inaccurate information may cause delays or inaccurate services proposals and quotes on fees. c. Within three (3) business days of receiving a completed Booking Inquiry Form, ChIAC will respond with: i. The availability of the selected dates and the specified Hearing Room, if any specified. ii. Confirmation of the availability of additional services (e.g., FTI Consulting’s hearing support, technical support and/or remote hosting services, etc.) requested by the Booking Party. iii. Total Booking Fee, and each party’s portion of the Total Booking Fee, if details of apportionment were provided in the Booking Inquiry Form. iv. A booking agreement entailing the terms of the Booking. v. A billing and payment schedule. vi. The cancellation and rebooking policy. d. Bookings are confirmed only upon ChIAC’s receipt of an executed booking agreement and payment of the initial Booking Fee, in accordance with Clause 2(e)(iii) and Clause 3 below. e. ChIAC facilities will be available for non-hearing events in accordance with Clause 2(a) above. i. Pricing for Hearing Room, Breakout Room, conference room or lounge spaces for non-hearing events will be provided upon request. ii. Bookings for non-hearing events may be initiated by submitting a Booking Inquiry Form online, or by emailing ChIAC directly at Contact@chiac.org. iii. Full payment of the Total Booking Fee will be due in order to confirm all non-hearing Bookings. f. After-hours use of ChIAC facilities for in-person, hybrid and virtual Hearings or for the setup for in-person Hearings will be offered subject to availability, and additional fees may apply. i. Parties must let ChIAC know as soon as possible, but no later than 1 pm of the same day, if Hearings, mediations or meetings are anticipated extend past 6 pm. ii. Weekend and holiday use of ChIAC facilities are at the discretion of ChIAC, and subject to availability. 3. Payment and Billing Policy a. An initial booking fee 20% of the Total Booking Fee shall be payable at the time of Booking. b. 40% of the Total Booking Fee shall be payable a hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the first day of Booking. c. 40% of the Total Booking Fee shall be due sixty (60) days prior to the first day of Booking. d. Booking Fees will be invoiced to the parties responsible for payment fourteen (14) days prior to the Due Date. Payment must be remitted within fourteen (14) days of billing by the close of business of the Due Date. i. Failure to remit payment within fourteen (14) days past the Due Date may result in forfeiture of the Booking should there be other parties interested in all or part of the dates of the Booking. ii. Forfeiture of the Booking due to non-payment will be subject to the Cancellation Policy outlined in Clause 4 below. e. For Bookings for non-hearing events, including mediations, the Total Booking Fee is due in order to confirm the Booking. 4. Cancellation and Rebooking Policy a. If the Booking is cancelled more than a hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the first day of the Booking, the Cancellation Fee shall be 20% of the Total Booking Fee. b. If the Booking is cancelled less than a hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the first day of the Booking, the Cancellation Fee shall be 60% of the Total Booking Fee. c. If the Booking is cancelled less than sixty (60) days prior to the first day of the Booking, the Cancellation Fee shall be 100% of the Total Booking Fee. d. In the case an alternative booking is made by an alternative party for the cancelled day(s), the portion of the Total Booking Fee that is reserved by the alternative booking will be refunded to the Booking Parties within thirty (30) days of the last day of the original Booking. e. In the case of a Hearing being reset for a later date, a Rebooking will be subject to availability of the new dates and will incur a Rebooking Fee of 5% of the Total Booking Fee. 5. Hearing Room and Service Details a. ChIAC will provide the following food and beverages services: i. A complimentary continental breakfast of assorted pastries and standard beverage service of coffee, tea, and bottled beverages at each Hearing Room service bar. ii. An all-day complimentary standard beverage service of coffee, tea, and bottled beverages for the lounge and each Hearing Room. iii. Coordination of midday meal service in the Breakout Rooms or provide a list of recommended restaurants. Please inquire directly for assistance with meal service. b. ChIAC will provide the following technology equipment and services: i. Each Breakout Room will have an LFD TV and a Zoom Huddle System. ii. Each seat in the Hearing Room will be provided with 2 monitors. iii. Each Hearing Room will be provided with 2 dedicated, built-in interpreter rooms. iv. In the case FTI’s electronic presentation of evidence (EPE), transcription, translation or other hearing or pre-hearing electronic document management services are engaged, FTI’s onsite technical support will be available during the Hearing. c. ChIAC will provide the following document services: i. Complimentary secure document shredding. ii. A recommended list of local document services companies. iii. Printing and photocopying services for smaller or last-minute document preparations, for a fee to be quoted by ChIAC staff at the time of service. d. ChIAC will provide the following miscellaneous services: i. Receipt and storage of documents up to a week in advance of a Hearing. ii. Coordination of mailing any documents or materials to the Party’s designated address at the conclusion of a Hearing. iii. Discounts on hotel accommodation. iv. Discounts on airfare with United Airlines for traveling to and from ChIAC for Hearings. v. Subject to availability, coordination of “war room” space in and around Aon Center.