FINRA Suspends All Hearings

FINRA has announced that it is postponing all arbitrations and mediations until December 4, 2020. The parties have an option, by consent of all involved, to conduct their proceedings either by telephone or online (Zoom) if they do not want to wait.

Richard Berry, FINRA’s Executive Vice President and Director of Dispute Resolution Services, stated “The safety and well being of parties, arbitrators, witnesses and other participants is of paramount importance.”

FINRA will waive postponement fees when parties stipulate to postpone in-person hearing dates scheduled from December 7 through December 31, 2020 if parties provide written notice of the stipulation to postpone more than 20 days prior to the first scheduled hearing date.

Postponing a hearing will not affect other case deadlines. All case deadlines will continue to apply and must be timely met unless the parties jointly agree otherwise.