Beverly Hills, California - Oct 5th, 2012.
Agency for Dispute Resolution’s Jeffrey Benz, former chief counsel at the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), will serve as the arbitrator in a dispute involving a coach who allegedly directed a skater to tamper with the skates of a Canadian competitor.
As part of a process required by federal law, athletes may make a “Demand for Arbitration” when they feel as though their ability to compete is at risk. The stakes are high as athletes are subject to harsh sanctions if found guilty, such as banishment from the competition.
Arbitration in this case is slated for October, and involve allegations which, if true, are the most serious in U.S. speedskating. The complaint requests dismissal of the coach accused of physical, verbal, and psychological abuse. As an arbitrator, Jeffrey Benz brings a wide variety of experience which includes having served as an arbitrator in a similar case of physical abuse involving a Korean coach, resulting in a six year ban.
Jeffrey Benz joined the Agency for Dispute Resolution’s distinguished panel of skilled peacemakers and creative problem solvers in 2011, to lead the sports and entertainment mediation and arbitration group.
Agency for Dispute Resolution is a premier provider of alternative dispute resolution services to lawyers, companies and individuals with seemingly intractable conflicts. Our celebrated panel of neutrals includes trained mediators, superior arbitrators, former top-tier judges, senior attorneys, skilled peacemakers and creative problem-solvers that possess unique expertise in a broad range of practice areas.
Media Inquiries: Mark Fotohabadi | (800) 616-1202 | press@agencydr.com