(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.

All rulings and determinations of the panel must be made by a majority of the arbitrators, unless the parties agree, or the Code or applicable law provides, otherwise.

The panel has the authority to interpret and determine the applicability of all provisions under the Code. Such interpretations are final and binding upon the parties.

The Director may exercise discretionary authority and make any decision that is consistent with the purposes of the Code to facilitate the appointment of arbitrators and the resolution of arbitrations.

After the Director sends the list(s) generated by the list selection algorithm to the parties, but before the first hearing session begins, the Director may remove an arbitrator for conflict of interest or bias, either upon request of a party or on the Director's own initiative.

Any party may ask an arbitrator to recuse himself or herself from the panel for good cause. Requests for arbitrator recusal are decided by the arbitrator who is the subject of the request.

(a) Before appointing arbitrators to a panel, the Director will notify the arbitrators of the nature of the dispute and the identity of the parties.

(a) If a party is added to an arbitration after the Director sends the lists generated by the list selection algorithm to the parties, but before the ranked lists are due to the Director, the Director will send the lists to the newly added party, with employment history for the past 10 years and other background information for each arbitrator listed.