Arbitration center for metro area proposed

By David Markiewicz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Attorneys don't always agree, but lawyers from many top Atlanta firms have come together to declare support for an initiative they say will bring them more work while benefiting other local industries and the metro area as a whole.

The goal is to develop an international arbitration center where companies and their attorneys from all over the world would come to resolve commercial disputes outside the courts. Arbitration is the most common way to settle conflicts in international commerce.

The center could be an actual building where cases are heard, or it could be just a system in which Atlanta would be one of the main cities where companies come to arbitrate.

Either way, it would mean more work for law firms, as even foreign companies arbitrating here likely would often use Atlanta attorneys. It also would boost the area's image globally and bring business to the hospitality industry, including hotels and restaurants, proponents say.

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