FINRA Mandating Vaccines

FINRA has announced that “ll in-person participants, including arbitrators, mediators, counsel, parties, paralegals, witnesses, and others, must be fully vaccinated to attend FINRA Dispute Resolution Services arbitration hearings or mediation sessions (hearing). In-person participants who attest that there are circumstances that prevent them from being vaccinated can provide proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the start of the hearing and every 72 hours during the course of the hearing. All costs associated with COVID testing are the responsibility of the parties or individuals that incurred them.”

Counsel or pro se parties will file an attestation with their FINRA case administrator that they and all of their parties, paralegals, witnesses, etc. are fully vaccinated or have complied with the COVID-19 testing requirements. Arbitrators and mediators will also be required to file the attestation.

When at a hearing, participants are expected to following these protocols:

• Hearings held in venues large enough to allow social distancing;

• Hand sanitizer provided in each room;

• Masks for all in-person participants and arrangements made to provide masks to participants who do not have them;

• Plexiglas dividers and face shields provided in the event that testifying witnesses must remove their masks; and

• In-person participants provided with information on best practices when traveling to and attending the hearing.

These policies are to remain in effect until July 1, 2022 … but may be extended.