SUMMARY

Vikas Mahendra, an arbitration lawyer and co-founder of the online dispute resolution platform CORD, explains why the dispute resolution clauses in most contracts make justice inaccessible. He argues for a tiered approach to contract drafting that makes arbitration affordable for everyone, not just large institutional litigants.

In this conversation:

- How do standard contracts block access to justice?

- What makes traditional arbitration so expensive for small claims?

- How can contract clauses make dispute resolution affordable?

- What is the role of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in this new model?

Transcript

The discussion focuses on how to reform the dispute resolution clause in commercial agreements to improve access to justice. Vikas explains the problems with one-size-fits-all institutional arbitration, which often leads to prohibitive legal costs for smaller disputes. By rethinking contract drafting and incorporating online dispute resolution (ODR) for lower-value claims, companies can create a fairer and more efficient system.

Guest links:

- CORD (Online Dispute Resolution): https://resolveoncord.com/

- Vikas Mahendra's Profile (Keystone Law): https://keystone.law/our_team/vikas-mahendra/

- LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/vikas-mahendra-47349514

- TERES (Technology Enabled RESolution): https://teres.ai/