Press Releases

On May 16, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on forced arbitration. The hearing will focus on forced arbitration clauses which are often buried in the fine print of employment contracts and signed in haste by employees as a precondition for employment, without the benefit of legal counsel. These clauses are often used by businesses to limit scrutiny and accountability for unlawful conduct, eviscerating workers’ statutory and common law rights against abuse in the workplace.

Witnesses:                  Myriam Gilles, Professor of Law, Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Deepak Gupta, Founding Principal, Gupta Wessler PLLC

Kevin Ziober, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy Reserves

Gretchen Carlson, journalist, author, advocate, and former Fox News anchor 

Phil Goldberg, Managing Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Andrew Pincus, Partner, Mayer Brown L.L.P.

Date:                           May 16, 2019

Time:                          10:00 a.m.

Location:                    2141 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington D.C.

Livestream:               The hearing will stream live here.

Forced arbitration clauses restrict Americans’ access to justice by stripping consumers and workers of their right to go to court. Instead, consumers and workers are forced into an unfair arbitration system where corporations can write the rules; everything can be done in secret, without public rulings; discovery can be limited, making it hard for consumers to get the evidence they need to prove their case; and there’s no meaningful judicial review, so consumers and employees are often unable to appeal a decision even if the arbitrator gets it wrong. 

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