Categories of Membership

To make use of the CDA’s dispute avoidance procedures, either the parties to a contract have to be members of the CDA, or a contract or a project can become a member.

The following can qualify as Members:

  1. Persons who are, or intend to be, parties to a contract subject to the CDA Dispute Avoidance Procedures;

  2. commercial contracts;

  3. commercial projects;

  4. mediators; and

  5. adjudicators.

Please refer to the relevant membership category page for more information or to apply for membership.

Submission of Applications

Membership applications can be submitted to the CDA at any time. Parties to a contract or project may wish to make such contract or project subject to the CDA Procedures in advance of any issue arising under a contract, or use the CDA Procedures on an ad-hoc basis as and when issues arise.

Membership applications should be made electronically on the relevant application page on this site: Corporate | Contracts | Projects | Mediator | Adjudicator

Review of Applications

Within seven days of receiving a membership application, the CDA will review the application and come to a decision, in its absolute discretion, as to whether to grant membership to the applicant. The CDA’s decision is final and not subject to appeal.

Following its approval of an application for Membership the CDA shall promptly:

  1. inform the applicant of its decision; and

  2. execute the Membership Agreement submitted with the applicant.

Confidentiality

The CDA shall treat all applications for CDA Membership and any related correspondence as confidential. The CDA shall not disclose such information, other than as required by applicable law.

Applicants shall treat all documentation and correspondence received from the CDA as confidential and shall not disclose such information, other than as required by applicable law; applicants shall not use such confidential information for any purposes other than in connection with the applicant’s membership application.

If you wish to have access to the password-protected areas of this website, please execute this confidentially agreement.

Confidentiality Agreement

1.  We, the Centre for Dispute Avoidance (CDA) understand that you are interested in receiving information relating to the CDA’s business for the purposes of assessing your potential membership of the CDA (Purpose).

2.  In this agreement, Confidential Information means all confidential or proprietary information (however recorded or preserved) relating to the Purpose that is disclosed or made available (in any form or medium) by the CDA to you and this includes all information that is password protected on this website, but excludes information that:

(a)  is, or becomes, generally available to the public other than as a direct or indirect result of the information being disclosed by you in breach of this confidentiality agreement;

(b)  was available to you on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the CDA;

(c)  was, is, or becomes available to you on a non-confidential basis from a person who, to your knowledge, is not under any confidentiality obligation in respect of that information;

(d)  was lawfully in your possession before the information was disclosed by the CDA; or

(e)  we agree in writing is not confidential.

3.  In consideration of the CDA agreeing to disclose Confidential Information to you, you shall:

(a)   keep the Confidential Information secret and confidential;

(b)   not use or exploit the Confidential Information in any way, except for or in connection with, the Purpose; and

(c)   only make disclosure of the Confidential Information to the minimum extent required by any order of any court of competent jurisdiction or any regulatory, judicial, governmental or similar body of competent jurisdiction.

4.  You agree that damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the terms of this confidentiality agreement by you. Accordingly, the CDA shall be entitled to the remedies of injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the terms of this confidentiality agreement.

5.  This agreement and any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.  You irrevocably agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with this confidentiality agreement or its subject matter or formation.

To execute this agreement, please click on the button below.