(a) Option to Combine Related Claims in Court
(1)(A) If a current or former associated person files a sexual assault claim, sexual harassment claim, or statutory employment discrimination claim in court against a member or its associated persons, and asserts related claims in arbitration at FINRA against some or all of the same parties, a respondent who is named in both proceedings may, upon motion, compel the claimant to bring the related arbitration claims in the same court proceeding in which the sexual assault claim, sexual harassment claim, or statutory employment discrimination claim is pending, to the full extent to which the court will accept jurisdiction over the related claims.
(B) The respondent must notify the claimant in writing, before the respondent's time to answer has expired, that it is exercising this option and must file a copy of such notification with the Director. If the respondent files an answer without having exercised this option, it shall have waived its right to compel the claimant to assert related claims in court, except as provided in paragraph (b).
(2)(A) If a member or current or former associated person ("party") has a pending claim in arbitration against a current or former associated person and the current or former associated person thereafter asserts a related sexual assault claim, sexual harassment claim, or statutory employment discrimination claim in court against the party, the party shall have the option to assert its pending arbitration claims and any counterclaims in court.
(B) The party must notify the current or former associated person in writing, before filing an answer to the complaint in court, that it is exercising this option and must file a copy of such notification with the Director. If the party files an answer in court without having exercised this option, it shall have waived its right to assert the pending arbitration claim in court.
(C) The party may not exercise this option after the first hearing has begun on the arbitration claim.
(b) Option Extended When Claim is Amended
(1) If the claimant files an amended statement of claim adding new claims not asserted in the original statement of claim, a respondent named in the amended statement of claim may, upon motion, compel the claimant to assert all related claims in the same court proceeding in which the sexual assault claim, sexual harassment claim, or statutory employment discrimination claim is pending, to the full extent that the court will accept jurisdiction over the related claims, even if those related claims were asserted in the original statement of claim.
(2) The respondent must notify the claimant in writing, before the time to answer the amended statement of claim has expired, that it is exercising this option and must file a copy of such notification with the Director. If the respondent files an answer to the amended statement of claim without having exercised this option, it shall have waived its right to compel the claimant to assert related claims in court.
(c) Requirement to Combine All Related Claims
If a party elects to require a current or former associated person to assert all related claims in court, the party must assert in the same court proceeding all related claims that it has against the associated person to the full extent to which the court will accept jurisdiction over the related claims.
(d) Right of Respondent to Remain in Arbitration
(1) If there are multiple respondents and a respondent has exercised an option under paragraph (a) or (b), but another respondent wishes to have the claims against it remain in arbitration, then any remaining party may apply for a stay of the arbitration proceeding.
(2) If a panel has not been appointed, the Director will appoint a single arbitrator to consider the application for a stay. The single arbitrator shall be selected using the list selection algorithm and is not required to have the special employment arbitrator qualifications described in
Rule 13801(c).
(3) If a panel has been appointed, the panel must stay the arbitration unless the panel determines that the stay would result in substantial prejudice to one or more of the parties.
(e) Pre-Filing Certification
(1) Before or at the same time that the statement of claim is filed, a claimant may file with the Director a certification that it communicated unsuccessfully with the respondent concerning the consolidation of all claims in court prior to filing a statement of claim, in an effort to save the expense of arbitration fees. A copy of such certification must be sent to the respondent at the same time and in the same manner as the filing with the Director.
(2) If, after a certification has been filed, all the respondents later exercise the option to consolidate all claims in court, the Director will return the claimant's filing fee, but will retain the member surcharge and any accrued member process fees. If there are any remaining respondents, the filing fee will be adjusted to correspond to the claims against the remaining respondents.
(f) Motion to Compel Arbitration
If a member or a current or former associated person files in court a claim against a member or a current or former associated person that includes matters that are subject to mandatory arbitration, either by the rules of FINRA or by private agreement, the defending party may, upon motion, compel arbitration of the claims that are subject to mandatory arbitration.
