History of the CCA

Prior to the formation of the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA), the founders believed there was no selective body of experienced professionals in service of commercial arbitrators who devote substantial portions of their time to such work.

Thus, the user public lacked the assurance of qualification and performance that such a professional body could provide.

In 1995, Stephen Hayford published an article entitled “Commercial Arbitration in Evolution: An Assessment and Call for Dialogue.” Professor Hayford asserted that “the task of shepherding commercial arbitration to maturity is most appropriately taken up by the mainline arbitrators who sit at its center.”

He went on to aver that those core neutral practitioners were best suited to lead the development of the shared professional identity and conscience that would be essential to the institutionalization of commercial arbitration as an essential, permanent part of the American alternative dispute resolution milieu.

Two years later Stephen was approached by Richard Chernick and Larry Waddington. Rich and Larry proposed to move forward with the formation of the commercial arbitrators’ organization Stephen had first advocated in 1995. Under Rich and Larry’s leadership, the group met in 1999 and took the first steps toward the creation of the College of Commercial Arbitrators. In 2001, the group formed and incorporated the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA).