Arbitration News

Attorney General's Statement On Tobacco Arbitration Decision

"My office will continue to fight attempts by Big Tobacco to reduce payments that it committed to pay in settling our lawsuit. We are helping to lead all states affected like ours by this arbitration decision.

"This decision will have no immediate effect on our tobacco funds, anticipated to be about $100 million this year and totaling $800 million since 1998. We will take steps promptly to forestall and fight any reduction because we have completely and properly fulfilled all the conditions for continued full funding by Big Tobacco.

"We hope and expect that the state will prevail in this battle.

"For payments to diminish, a court would have to find that Connecticut failed to properly enforce its tobacco laws in 2003. We did enforce our statutes that year and continue to do so.

"I am determined to fight as relentlessly as ever against tobacco addiction and disease by using resources from Big Tobacco that we won through our lawsuit. I will stop Big Tobacco from shamelessly shirking its obligations under the settlement agreement."

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	Did You Know?
	Arbitration is different than mediation. Mediation is a method of dispute resolution whereby the disputing parties achieve a mutually-satisfactory resolution with the assistance of a mediator. Unlike arbitration sessions, mediation sessions are not “decided” in favor of one party or another; rather, the mediator simply facilitates the negotiation process between the parties. Mediating parties are not bound to resolve their dispute (although mediated settlements, once reached, can be made binding if the parties decide to draft a contract called a settlement agreement). Arbitrating parties, on the other hand, receive a final decision from the arbitrator, which is either binding or non-binding depending on the terms of the arbitration agreement.