FINRA announced yesterday that due to the continuing covid-19 disease pandemic all in-person arbitration and mediation proceedings scheduled through July 3, 2020 are administratively postponed. Parties who have cases scheduled for in-person hearings through that date will be contacted by FINRA staff about the options of rescheduling the hearing or proceeding with a remote hearing conducted via Zoom. The postponement order does not affect case deadlines, which must be timely met unless the parties jointly agree or the arbitrators order otherwise.
FINRA also stated that it would waive postponement fees when parties stipulate to adjourn in-person hearing dates scheduled from July 6 through September 4, 2020. To obtain a waiver of postponement fees, parties must file a written notice of their agreement to adjourn more than 20 days prior to the first scheduled hearing date.
FINRA’s announcement may be viewed here.