Three New Rule Amendments Proposed by the Advisory Council
One aspect of the Commercial Division that makes it a highly desirable forum for litigators and litigants alike is its focus on the efficient administration of justice. The Commercial Division Advisory Council (the "Advisory Council"), established by New York's Chief Judge to make recommendations to improve and enhance the Commercial Division, recently proposed three amendments to the Rules of the Commercial Division that would each further this objective.
Standard Alternative Forum Selection Clauses
In light of concerns that were raised after the Chief Administrative Judge issued an Administrative Order, dated March 6, 2017, adopting the Advisory Committee's September 2016 proposal to add a sample forum selection clause designating the Commercial Division as the chosen forum, the Advisory Committee recently issued a revised proposal. The concerns centered on the potential for the original sample forum selection clause to limit commercial litigants' access to the New York federal courts. The new proposal addresses this by including two sample forum selection clauses: one designates the Commercial Division exclusively as the chosen forum, while the other provides that the parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of either the Commercial Division or the New York federal courts.
Further Support For Commercial Division Justices to Impose Sanctions
Referencing the finding of the Chief Judge's Task Force on Commercial Litigation in the 21st Century that sanctions are often underutilized in Commercial Division Cases, the Advisory Council proposed an amendment to the Commercial Division Rules intended to provide additional support for Commercial Division judges to impose sanctions. The proposed amendment, which identifies "the need to conserve client resources, to promote efficient resolution of matters, and to increase respect for the integrity of the judicial process" expressly authorizes Commercial Division judges to "impose sanctions . . . against parties (or counsel) who fail to comply with case management deadlines and other discovery orders."
Attorney Certifications Regarding ADR
Finally, the Advisory Council has also proposed a new rule aimed at increasing ADR utilization in the Commercial Division. The proposed rule would require attorneys to certify at the preliminary conference, and at each compliance or status conference, that they have discussed ADR options with their client(s) and to state whether their client(s) is willing pursue mediation during the litigation. If the parties are both willing to mediate their dispute, they would be required to jointly propose a date by which they will select a mediator, but does not require that they set a deadline for the mediation to begin.