BILL NUMBER: AB 897INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gonzalez FEBRUARY 26, 2015 An act to add Section 1297.18 to, and to repeal Article 2 (commencing with Section 1297.351) of Chapter 7 of Title 9.3 of Part 3 of, the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to international commercial disputes. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 897, as introduced, Gonzalez. International commercial disputes: representation and assistance. Existing law includes provisions that govern arbitration and conciliation proceedings for international commercial disputes. Existing law authorizes the parties in a conciliation proceeding to appear in person or be represented or assisted by any person of their choice, and provides that a person representing or assisting a party is not required to be a member of the legal profession or licensed to practice law in California. This bill would recast the provision regarding representation and assistance of parties, thus making the provision applicable to any arbitration or conciliation proceeding conducted pursuant to the statutory provisions that govern arbitration and conciliation of international commercial disputes. The bill would also express the intent of the Legislature that those statutory provisions be broadly construed so as to promote California's interest in becoming a major center for international commercial arbitration. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The statutes governing the arbitration and conciliation of international commercial disputes were enacted in 1988 to recognize, support, and promote the benefits of international commercial arbitration and conciliation in California. (2) California's robust, internationally oriented economy and concentration of large companies occupying positions of global leadership make California an ideal venue for international commercial arbitration. (3) The economic benefits of being a center for international commercial arbitration are substantial, broadly based, and distributed across both state and municipal levels. (b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that the statutes governing the arbitration and conciliation of international commercial disputes be broadly construed so as to promote California' s interest in becoming a major center for international commercial arbitration. SEC. 2. Section 1297.18 is added to the Code of Civil Procedure, to read: 1297.18. In any proceeding or procedure conducted pursuant to this title, the parties may appear in person or be represented or assisted by any person of their choice. A person representing or assisting a party need not be a member of the legal profession or licensed to practice law in California. SEC. 3. Article 2 (commencing with Section 1297.351) of Chapter 7 of Title 9.3 of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure is repealed.