qualified arbitrators The parties shall each strike two (2) names from the list and the remaining person shall be accepted as the arbitrator. The first party to strike will be determined by the flip of a coin.
Arbitrators (a) Within fifteen days after a valid Arbitration Demand Notice is given, the parties involved in the dispute, controversy or claim referenced therein shall attempt to select a sole arbitrator satisfactory to all such parties.
(b) If such parties are not able jointly to select a sole arbitrator within such fifteen-day period, such parties shall each appoint an arbitrator within thirty days after delivery of the Arbitration Demand Notice. If one party appoints an arbitrator within such time period and the other party or parties fail to appoint an arbitrator within such time period, the arbitrator appointed by the one party shall be the sole arbitrator of the matter.
(c) If a sole arbitrator is not selected pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) above and, instead, two or more arbitrators are selected pursuant to paragraph (b) above, the arbitrators shall, within thirty days after the appointment of the later of them to be appointed, select an additional arbitrator who shall act as the sole arbitrator of the dispute. After selection of such sole arbitrator, the initial arbitrators shall have no further role with respect to the dispute. In the event that the arbitrators so appointed do not, within thirty days after the appointment of the later of them to be appointed, agree on the selection of the sole arbitrator, any party involved in such dispute may apply to the American Arbitration Association to select the sole arbitrator, which selection shall be made by such organization within thirty days after such application. Any arbitrator selected pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall be disinterested with respect to any of the parties and the matter and shall be reasonably competent in the applicable subject matter.
(d) The sole arbitrator selected pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above shall set a time for the hearing of the matter which will commence no later than ninety days after the date of appointment of the sole arbitrator pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above and which hearing will be no longer than thirty days (unless in the judgment of the arbitrator the matter is unusually complex and sophisticated and thereby requires a longer time, in which event such hearing shall be no longer than ninety days). The final decision of such arbitrator will be rendered in writing to the parties not later than sixty days after the last hearing date, unless otherwise agreed by the parties in writing.
(e) The place of any arbitration hereunder will be New York, New York, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
Appointment of Arbitrators 1. Except to the extent that the competent authorities of the Contracting States mutually agree on different rules, paragraphs 2 through 4 shall apply for the purposes of Articles 24A to 24H.
2. The following rules shall govern the appointment of the members of an arbitration panel:
(a) The arbitration panel shall consist of three individual members with expertise or experience in international tax matters.
(b) Each competent authority shall appoint one panel member within 60 days of the date of the request for arbitration under paragraph 1 of Article 24A (Mandatory Binding Arbitration). The two panel members so appointed shall, within 60 days of the latter of their appointments, appoint a third member who shall serve as Chair of the arbitration panel. The Chair shall not be a national or resident of either Contracting State.
(c) Each member appointed to the arbitration panel must be impartial and independent of the competent authorities, tax administrations, and ministries of finance of the Contracting States and of all persons directly affected by the case (as well as their advisors) at the time of accepting an appointment, maintain his or her impartiality and independence throughout the proceedings, and avoid any conduct for a reasonable period of time thereafter which may damage the appearance of impartiality and independence of the arbitrators with respect to the proceedings.
3. In the event that the competent authority of a Contracting State fails to appoint a member of the arbitration panel in the manner and within the time periods specified in paragraph 2 or agreed to by the competent authorities of the Contracting States, a member shall be appointed on behalf of that competent authority by the highest ranking official of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that is not a national of either Contracting State.
4. If the two initial members of the arbitration panel fail to appoint the Chair in the manner and within the time periods specified in paragraph 2 or agreed to by the competent authorities of the Contracting States, the Chair shall be appointed by the highest ranking official of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that is not a national of either Contracting State.
Selecting an Arbitrator The parties will select an arbitrator by mutual agreement or by alternately striking names supplied by the AAA, and will follow the Labor Arbitration Rules of the AAA unless they agree otherwise in writing.
Sole Arbitrator In the event that one party wishes to submit a grievance to Arbitration and is content that the matter be dealt with by a Sole Arbitrator as opposed to a tripartite Board of Arbitration as hereinbefore referred to, the party submitting the grievance to arbitration shall so signify when advising the other party and shall advise as to three (3) alternative choices as to a Sole Arbitrator in addition to that party's nominee to a tripartite board. The recipient of the notice shall in reply advise as to its nominee to a tripartite board and three (3) alternative choices as to a Sole Arbitrator. If the parties can agree to a Sole Arbitrator within twenty (20) days of the notice referring the matter to arbitration the matter shall be determined by a Sole Arbitrator and failing such agreement the regular Arbitration procedure shall apply.
