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This excerpt taken from the ABII 10-Q filed Nov 14, 2008. ARBITRATION 1. Any controversy or claim arising out of, relating to or in connection with this Agreement, or the breach thereof, shall be settled by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in accordance with its then existing Commercial Arbitration rules and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. 2. It is the express agreement of the parties that the provisions of this Section, including the rules of the AAA , as modified by the terms of this Exhibit C, shall govern the arbitration of any disputes arising pursuant to this Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the law of the State of California, the law of the arbitral location, and the U.S. Arbitration Act (Title 9, U.S. Code), with respect to any arbitration conducted pursuant to this Agreement, to the extent permissible, it is the express intent of the parties that the law of California, as modified herein, shall prevail. Either party (the Initiating Party) may commence an arbitration by submitting a Demand for Arbitration under the AAA Rules and by notice to the other Party (the Respondent) in accordance with Section 16. Such notice shall set forth in reasonable detail the basic operative facts upon which the Initiating Party seeks relief and specific reference to the clauses of this Agreement, the amount claimed, if any, and any non-monetary relief sought against the Respondent. After the initial list of issues to be resolved has been submitted, the arbitrators shall permit either party to propose additional issues for resolution in the pending proceedings. 3. The place of arbitration shall be Los Angeles, or any other place selected by mutual agreement. 4. The parties shall attempt, by agreement, to nominate a sole arbitrator for confirmation by the AAA. If the parties fail so to nominate a sole arbitrator within thirty (30) days from the date when the Initiating Partys Demand for Arbitration has been communicated to the other party, a board of three arbitrators shall be appointed by the parties jointly or, if the parties cannot agree as to three arbitrators within thirty (30) days after the commencement of the arbitration proceeding, then one arbitrator shall be appointed by each of Executive and the Company within sixty (60) days after the commencement of the arbitration proceeding and the third arbitrator shall be appointed by mutual agreement of such two arbitrators. If such two (2) arbitrators shall fail to agree within seventy-five (75) days after commencement of the arbitration proceeding upon the appointment of the third arbitrator, the third arbitrator shall be appointed by the AAA in accordance with its then existing rules. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any party shall fail to appoint an arbitrator within the specified time period, such arbitrator and the third arbitrator shall be appointed by the AAA in accordance with its then existing rules. For purposes of Section 10, the commencement of the arbitration proceeding shall be deemed to be the date upon which the Demand for Arbitration has been received by the AAA. Any award shall be rendered by a majority of the members of the board of arbitration.
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5. An award rendered in connection with an arbitration pursuant to Section 10 shall be final and binding upon the parties, and any judgment upon such an award may be entered and enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction. 6. The parties agree that the award of the arbitral tribunal will be the sole and exclusive remedy between them regarding any and all claims between them with respect to the subject matter of the arbitrated dispute. The parties hereby waive all jurisdictional defenses in connection with any arbitration hereunder or the enforcement of any order or award rendered pursuant thereto (assuming that the terms and conditions of this arbitration clause have been complied with). 7. With respect to any award issued by the arbitrators pursuant to this Agreement, the parties expressly agree (i) that such order shall be conclusive proof of the validity of the determination(s) of the arbitrators underlying such order; and (ii) any federal court sitting in Los Angeles, California, or any other court having jurisdiction, may enter judgment upon and enforce such order, whether pursuant to the U.S. Arbitration Act, or otherwise. 8. The arbitrators shall issue a written explanation of the reasons for the award and a full statement of the facts as found and the rules of law applied in reaching their decision to both parties. The arbitrators shall apportion to each party all costs (other than attorneys fees) incurred in conducting the arbitration in accordance with what the arbitrators deem just and equitable under the circumstances. The prevailing party shall be entitled to recover its attorneys fees from the other party. Any provisional remedy which would be available to a court of law shall be available from the arbitrators pending arbitration of the dispute. Either party may make an application to the arbitrators seeking injunctive or other interim relief, and the arbitrators may take whatever interim measures they deem necessary in respect of the subject matter of the dispute, including measures to maintain the status quo until such time as the arbitration award is rendered or the controversy is otherwise resolved. The arbitrator shall have the authority to award any remedy or relief that a court of the State of California could order or grant, including, without limitation, specific performance of any obligation created under this Agreement, the issuance of an injunction, or the imposition of sanctions for abuse or frustration of the arbitration process, but specifically excluding punitive damages (the parties specifically agree that punitive damages shall not be available in the event of any dispute). 9. The parties may file an application in any proper court for a provisional remedy in connection with an arbitrable controversy, but only upon the ground that the award to which the application may be entitled may be rendered ineffectual without provisional relief. 10. Except as expressly provided in the following sentence, neither party may disclose to any person or entity (i) any testimony or evidence presented or submitted in the arbitration proceedings, (ii) the nature or terms of any award or judgment rendered in such arbitration, or any portion thereof or (iii) the opinion of the arbitrator or arbitration panel, or any portion thereof (collectively, the Arbitration Information) . To the extent either party brings an action pursuant to Section 7(ii) above to enforce or appeal any such judgment or award, then the filing party shall (x) file under seal all documents filed or submitted in such action (including all Arbitration Information) and (y) fully cooperate with the non-filing party in ensuring that all documents filed or submitted in such action (including all Arbitration Information) shall be kept confidential.
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11. THE PARTIES ALSO UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THIS AGREEMENT CONSTITUTES A WAIVER OF THEIR RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY CLAIMS OR CONTROVERSIES COVERED BY THIS AGREEMENT. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT NONE OF THOSE CLAIMS OR CONTROVERSIES SHALL BE RESOLVED BY A JURY TRIAL. 12. THE PARTIES FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS AGREEMENT WITH THEIR LEGAL COUNSEL AND HAVE AVAILED THEMSELVES OF THAT OPPORTUNITY TO THE EXTENT THEY WISH TO DO SO.
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