(a) After the panel is appointed, the Director will schedule an Initial Prehearing Conference before the panel, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this rule.
(b) The Initial Prehearing Conference will generally be held by telephone. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the Director must notify each party of the time and place of the Initial Prehearing Conference at least 20 days before it takes place.
(c) At the Initial Prehearing Conference, the panel will set discovery, briefing, and motions deadlines, schedule subsequent hearing sessions, and address other preliminary matters. The parties may agree to forgo the Initial Prehearing Conference only if they jointly provide the Director with the following information, in writing before the Initial Prehearing Conference is scheduled to be held:
(1) A statement that the parties accept the panel;
(2) Whether any other prehearing conferences will be held, and if so, for each prehearing conference, a minimum of four mutually agreeable dates and times, and whether the chairperson or the full panel will preside;
(3) A minimum of four sets of mutually agreeable hearing dates;
(4) A discovery schedule;
(5) A list of all anticipated motions, with filing and response due dates; and
(6) A determination regarding whether briefs will be submitted, and, if so, the due date for the briefs and any reply briefs.
(d) If a cancellation request is agreed to by the parties or requested by one or more parties within three business days before a scheduled prehearing conference and granted, the party or parties shall be charged a fee of $100 per arbitrator scheduled to attend the prehearing conference. If more than one party requests the cancellation, the arbitrator(s) may allocate the $100 per-arbitrator fee between or among the requesting parties. If one party requests the cancellation, the arbitrator(s) shall allocate the fee to that party; provided, however, the arbitrator(s) may allocate all or a portion of the $100 per-arbitrator fee to the non-requesting party or parties if the arbitrator(s) determine that the non-requesting party or parties caused or contributed to the need for the cancellation. In the event that an extraordinary circumstance prevents a party or parties from making a timely cancellation request, the arbitrator(s) may use their discretion to waive the fee, provided a written explanation of such circumstance is received.
