Mutual Negotiations This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents are the product of mutual negotiations by the parties thereto and their counsel, and no party shall be deemed the draftsperson of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document or any provision hereof or thereof or to have provided the same. Accordingly, in the event of any inconsistency or ambiguity of any provision of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, such inconsistency or ambiguity shall not be interpreted against any party because of such party’s involvement in the drafting thereof.
Mediation and Arbitration Any controversy, dispute or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the performance, enforcement, breach, termination or validity thereof, including the determination of the scope of this Agreement to arbitrate, shall first be submitted to non-binding mediation and shall thereafter be determined by final binding arbitration, and not litigation, the agreed venue for mediation and arbitration being in Houston, Texas. The mediation process shall be administered by a mutually acceptable mediator selected in accordance with the Commercial Mediation Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). If any dispute remains unresolved between the parties after the mediation process has been completed, either party may then submit any such unresolved dispute to final and binding arbitration pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration rules of AAA, with all matters related to the enforceability of this arbitration agreement and any award rendered pursuant to this agreement to be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. Section 1-16. The Arbitration Tribunal shall be formed of three (3) arbitrators each of which shall have at least five (5) years’ experience in hotel operation, management, ownership or leasing, one (1) to be appointed by each party and the third (3rd) to be appointed by the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration panel may require and facilitate such discovery as it shall determine is appropriate in the circumstances, taking into account the needs of the parties and the desirability of making discovery expeditious and cost-effective. The arbitration panel shall be empowered to subpoena non-party and party witnesses for deposition and hearing to the full extent provided under the AAA Rules and the Federal Arbitration Act (or the applicable state arbitration statute if the arbitration panel is appointed pursuant to a petition filed in state court). The arbitration panel may also direct the production of documents and other information and the advance identification of witnesses to be called and documents to be admitted. The arbitration panel may issue orders to protect the confidentiality of proprietary information, trade secrets and other sensitive information before it is required to be disclosed in discovery. In addition to monetary damages, or in lieu thereof, the arbitration panel shall have the power to grant all equitable relief (both by way of interim relief and as a part of its final award) as may be granted by any court in the state where the Hotel is located. Monetary damage liability shall be limited to actual damages; the parties hereby waive the right to claim and/or receive punitive damages or exemplary relief. The arbitration panel shall determine whether and to what extent any party is a prevailing party and shall award attorneys’ fees and expenses associated with the arbitration proceeding to the “prevailing party, if any. All proceedings shall be reported by a certified shorthand court reporter and written transcripts of the proceedings shall be prepared and made available to the parties. The fees of the arbitration panel, together with all costs and expenses incurred in conducting the arbitration (but excluding the parties’ respective attorney, witness and related costs and expenses) shall be borne by the party against whom the arbitral award is made and shall be a (the) component of the arbitral award. The arbitration shall take place in Orlando, Florida, and shall be conducted in the English language. The arbitration award shall be final and binding upon the parties hereto and subject to no appeal. Arbitration expenses shall not be an expense in determining House Profit. Judgment upon the award rendered maybe entered into any court having jurisdiction, or applications may be made to such court for an order of enforcement.
Technical Services Party B will provide technical services and training to Party A, taking advantage of Party B’s advanced network, website and multimedia technologies to improve Party A’s system integration. Such technical services shall include:
Mediation/Arbitration Employee agrees that prior to filing any motion or claim against the Company or any of its employees, Employee will offer to engage in informal mediation. Each party shall bear its own costs of mediation and one-half of the cost of the mediator. Additionally, any claim by either party arising out of or related to this Agreement, or its breach, or related in any way to Employee's employment or its termination (except claims of employment discrimination under local, state or federal laws, and requests for equitable relief under Section 9 above), shall be settled by arbitration using a single arbitrator and administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Employment Dispute Resolution Rules. Any arbitration shall take place in Seattle, Washington, and the parties waive the right to a trial de novo or appeal, excepting only for the purpose of enforcing the arbitrator's decision, for which purpose the parties agree that the Superior Court for King County, Washington shall have jurisdiction. The nature, proceedings and results of the mediation or arbitration shall be kept confidential and kept from public disclosure to the extent possible.
Legal Services If this Agreement is for legal services, this section is applicable. Contractor shall: (i) adhere to legal cost and billing guidelines designated by the JBE; (ii) adhere to litigation plans designated by the JBE, if applicable; (iii) adhere to case phasing of activities designated by the JBE, if applicable; (iv) submit and adhere to legal budgets as designated by the JBE; (v) maintain legal malpractice insurance in an amount not less than the amount designated by the JBE; and (vi) submit to legal bill audits and law firm audits if so requested by the JBE, whether conducted by employees or designees of the JBE or by any legal cost-control provider retained by the JBE for that purpose. Contractor may be required to submit to a legal cost and utilization review as determined by the JBE. If (a) the Contract Amount is greater than $50,000, (b) the legal services are not the legal representation of low- or middle-income persons, in either civil, criminal, or administrative matters, and (c) the legal services are to be performed within California, then Contractor agrees to make a good faith effort to provide a minimum number of hours of pro xxxx legal services, or an equivalent amount of financial contributions to qualified legal services projects and support centers, as defined in section 6213 of the Business and Professions Code, during each year of the Agreement equal to the lesser of either (A) thirty (30) multiplied by the number of full time attorneys in the firm’s offices in California, with the number of hours prorated on an actual day basis for any period of less than a full year or (B) the number of hours equal to ten percent (10%) of the Contract Amount divided by the average billing rate of the firm. Failure to make a good faith effort may be cause for nonrenewal of this Agreement or another judicial branch or other state contract for legal services, and may be taken into account when determining the award of future contracts with a Judicial Branch Entity for legal services.
