Recent Developments in “Mass Arbitrations” (Presented by The Federal Bar Association Annual Meeting & Convention 2025 sponsor JAMS)

Behdad Sadeghi | Zimmerman Reed LLP

Behdad Sadeghi is a partner at Zimmerman Reed LLP. His practice focuses on plaintiff side representation of individuals and public entities in consumer fraud, data privacy, and civil rights disputes. He has litigated numerous mass arbitration cases from initiation to conclusion with JAMS, AAA, and NAM, involving relief for tens of thousands of claimants. He also has experience litigating the enforceability of arbitration provisions in federal courts.

Collin Vierra | Eimer Stahl LLP

Collin Vierra is a partner at Eimer Stahl LLP and Chair of the firms Mass Arbitration, and Data Privacy and AI, practice groups. Collin has helped companies respond to approximately a quarter-million individual demands for arbitration and is known or pioneering techniques for the fair and efficient resolution of mass claims. Collin also frequently litigates over arbitration and other issues at the trial and appellate levels.

The Hon. Ellen L. Maas | JAMS

The Hon. Ellen L. Maas (Retired) serves as a JAMS arbitrator and mediator and has helped resolve numerous related, consumer law disputes. During her 28-year career as a Minnesota District Court Judge, she routinely was assigned and requested to preside over complex civil litigation matters. In addition to a six-week jury trial that arose from a train collision involving multiple fatalities, Judge Maas presided over hundreds of product liability, employment, professional liability, and consumer law matters. While in private practice, Judge Maas had an active trial practice in the areas of toxic tort, product liability, negligence, employment and municipal liability, and insurance coverage.

Steve Lucke | JAMS

Steve Lucke serves as a JAMS arbitrator and mediator, including with respect to the arbitration of disputes involving similar claims brought by consumers. Prior to joining JAMS, Steve litigated class action and other complex matters, including a “mass action” brought against over 300 health plans and their claims administrator that the trial judge described as “perhaps the most complex case pending in [the United States District Court for] the Central District of California.” Steve also teaches Complex Litigation at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

I. Background of claims aggregation through arbitration , adopted rules and procedures for consolidated and streamlined arbitration proceedings, including altered fee structures, for “mass arbitrations.” | 2:00pm – 2:20pm

II. What courts have considered when and under what circumstances parties may be subject to ADR rules providing for consolidated and streamlined arbitration proceedings | 2:20pm – 2:40pm

III. Principles, potential mechanisms, and best practices for administering mass arbitrations | 2:40pm – 3:00pm