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This excerpt taken from the WYNN 10-Q filed Nov 8, 2005. DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND GOVERNING LAW
22.1 Arbitration. Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the Contract, or the breach, termination or validity thereof (including any tortious or statutory claim) (any of the foregoing being a Dispute) shall, upon the written request (Request) of either party hereto, be resolved through good faith negotiation between upper-level management of the parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the parties are unable to resolve a Dispute through negotiation within thirty (30) days after receipt by the receiving party of the Request (the expiration of such thirty-day period being the Dispute
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Date), then the Dispute shall be finally settled by arbitration in accordance with the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) then in effect (the ICC Rules), except as modified herein. The place of arbitration shall be, and the award shall be rendered in, Hong Kong, and the language of the arbitration proceedings and of the award shall be English. There shall be three (3) arbitrators. Each arbitrator shall (a) have a good background in common law practice, (b) be experienced in a construction project of the size and nature of the Project, and (c) in no event be (i) involved in any way with any other casino or gaming project in Macau, (ii) related or involved in any way with any of the parties to this Agreement, (iii) an owners representative or contractor, or (iv) a national of the country where Contractors parent or Owners parent were formed or maintain their respective principal place of business. Leighton, China/HK and China/Macau shall jointly nominate one arbitrator and Owner shall nominate one arbitrator, in each case in accordance with the relevant provisions of the ICC Rules. The two arbitrators so nominated shall (following their confirmation by the ICC Court) nominate the third arbitrator, who shall serve as chair of the tribunal, within 30 days of the confirmation of nomination of the second arbitrator. If either Owner or Contractor fails to timely nominate an arbitrator, then at the request of the other party, or if the two arbitrators appointed by the parties fail to appoint the third arbitrator, then at the request of either party, any arbitrator not so nominated shall be appointed by the ICC Court of Arbitration in accordance with the ICC Rules. The arbitration hearing shall be held as soon as practicable after the appointment of the arbitrators but in any case within six (6) months after signing, or finalization of, the Terms of Reference (as defined in the ICC Rules). Consistent with the expedited nature of arbitration, each party will provide the other with copies of documents upon which it intends to rely in support of or in opposition to any claim or defense. The parties shall be entitled to the production of all documents relevant to the dispute; and on the request of any party, the arbitrators shall order a party to produce all such relevant documents. Any arbitral award shall be final and binding upon the parties, and shall be the sole and exclusive remedy between the parties regarding any claims, counterclaims, issues, or accountings presented to the arbitral tribunal. To the fullest extent allowed by law, each party hereby waives any right to appeal such award. Judgment upon any award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. By agreeing to arbitration, the parties do not intend to deprive any court of its jurisdiction to issue a pre-arbitral injunction, pre-arbitral attachment or other order in aid of arbitration proceedings and the enforcement of any award. Nevertheless, without prejudice to such interim or provisional remedies as may be available under the jurisdiction of a national court, the arbitral tribunal shall itself have full authority to grant interim or provisional remedies, including authority to order the parties to request that a court modify or vacate any interim or provisional remedy issued by a such court, and to award damages for the failure of any party to respect the arbitral tribunals orders to that effect. The arbitral tribunal shall not, under any circumstances, assume the powers of an amiable compositeur or decide ex aequo et bono, but shall reach its decision in accordance with the terms of the Contract and applicable Laws. This agreement to arbitrate shall be binding upon the successors, assigns and any trustee or receiver of each party. The existence of any claim, dispute or legal proceeding shall not relieve Contractor from its obligation to properly perform its Work as set forth in the Contract Documents.
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22.2 Consolidation of Disputes. In order to facilitate the comprehensive resolution of related disputes, all disputes between Owner and Contractor that arise under or in connection with the Contract or any other agreements entered into by these parties (including all Disputes, as defined in this Agreement) that are being arbitrated under this Article 22 may be brought in a single arbitration under this Article 22. Accordingly, upon the request of any party to an arbitration proceeding constituted under this Article 22, the arbitral tribunal shall consolidate such arbitration proceeding with, or order the hearing of such proceeding together with, any other arbitration proceeding relating to such disputes or Disputes, provided that the arbitral tribunal shall first determine that (i) there are issues of fact or law common to the proceedings so that a consolidated proceeding would be more efficient than separate proceedings, and (ii) no party would be unduly prejudiced as a result of such consolidation through undue delay or otherwise. Where different tribunals have been or are in the process of being appointed in relation to such proceedings, the decision as to whether the proceedings are to be consolidated or heard at the same time shall be made by the arbitral tribunal which was first in time to be fully appointed in respect of those proceedings. If consolidation is so ordered, the parties to each of the proceedings that is the subject of the order will be treated as having consented to the consolidated proceedings and the disputes or Disputes in question being finally decided by the arbitral tribunal which ordered the consolidation. The entities comprising Contractor hereunder shall be treated as one party for all purposes of this Article 22.
22.3 Legal Fees. The non-prevailing party (in accordance with the determination of the arbitral tribunal) in any proceeding instituted pursuant to this Article 22 shall promptly pay to the prevailing party all costs, disbursements and reasonable attorneys fees incurred by the prevailing party in connection with such proceeding; provided that if the arbitral tribunal shall award costs otherwise, the parties shall comply with such decision and allocation.
22.4 Continued Performance. In the event of a Dispute under this Agreement or any other Contract Document, the parties shall not be excused from and shall continue to perform their respective obligations thereunder; provided, however, that if a Dispute relates to the payment of an amount by Owner under this Agreement, Owner shall be entitled to withhold the payment of such disputed amount pending resolution of the Dispute. In the event the arbitral tribunal shall have determined that any amounts so withheld by Owner shall have been wrongfully withheld in violation of this Agreement, Contractor shall be entitled to interest at the then existing prime rate of Bank of China (Hong Kong) plus one percent (1%) from the date when such amounts should have been paid by Owner through the date when such amounts are finally received by Contractor.
22.5 Governing Law. The Contract Documents shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of England (including, without limitation, the laws specifying the nature and scope of the warranties to be provided by Contractor hereunder).
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22.6 Non-Waiver. In resolving disputes arising out of this Contract, it is expressly agreed that no action or failure to act by Owner, Contractor or any agent, representative, employee or officer of either of them (including Owners Representative and Contractors Representative) shall constitute a waiver of any right or duty afforded to either party in the Contract Documents. It is likewise expressly agreed that any action or failure to act by either party shall not constitute approval of or acquiescence in any breach of this Contract, except as are specifically agreed to in writing by the parties corporate officers.
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