(a)
The board of trustees shall, by rule, establish, maintain, and administer a system and procedure for the arbitration, and may establish, maintain, and administer a system and procedure for mediation of disputes concerning fees, costs, or both, charged for professional services by members of the State Bar or by members of the bar of other jurisdictions. The rules may include provision for a filing fee in the amount as the board may, from time to time, determine.
(b)
This article shall not apply to any of the following:
(1)
Disputes where a member of the State Bar of California is also admitted to practice in another jurisdiction or where an attorney is only
admitted to practice in another jurisdiction, and he or she maintains no office in the State of California, and no material portion of the services were rendered in the State of California.
(2)
Claims for affirmative relief against the attorney for damages or otherwise based upon alleged malpractice or professional misconduct, except as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 6203.
(3)
Disputes where the fee or cost to be paid by the client or on his or her behalf has been determined pursuant to statute or court order.
(c)
Unless the client has agreed in writing to arbitration under this article of all disputes concerning fees, costs, or both, arbitration under this article shall be voluntary for a client and shall be mandatory for an attorney if commenced by a client. Mediation under this article shall be voluntary
for an attorney and a client.
(d)
The board of trustees shall adopt rules to allow arbitration and mediation of attorney fee and cost disputes under this article to proceed under arbitration and mediation systems sponsored by local bar associations in this state. Rules of procedure promulgated by local bar associations are subject to review by the board or a committee designated by the board to ensure that they provide for a fair, impartial, and speedy hearing and award.
(e)
In adopting or reviewing rules of arbitration under this section, the board shall provide that the panel shall include one attorney member whose area of practice is either, at the option of the client, civil law, if the attorney’s representation involved civil law, or criminal law, if the attorney’s representation involved criminal law, as follows:
(1)
If the panel is composed of three members the panel shall include one attorney member whose area of practice is either, at the option of the client, civil or criminal law, and shall include one lay member.
(2)
If the panel is composed of one member, that member shall be an attorney whose area of practice is either, at the option of the client, civil or criminal law.
(f)
In any arbitration or mediation conducted pursuant to this article by the State Bar or by a local bar association, pursuant to rules of procedure approved by the board of trustees, an arbitrator or mediator, as well as the arbitrating association and its directors, officers, and employees, shall have the same immunity which attaches in judicial proceedings.
(g)
In the conduct of arbitrations under this article the arbitrator or
arbitrators may do all of the following:
(1)
Take and hear evidence pertaining to the proceeding.
(2)
Administer oaths and affirmations.
(3)
Issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, and documents pertaining to the proceeding.
(h)
Participation in mediation is a voluntary consensual process, based on direct negotiations between the attorney and his or her client, and is an extension of the negotiated settlement process. All discussions and offers of settlement are confidential and shall not be disclosed pursuant to any state law, including, but not limited to, the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), and may not be disclosed
in any subsequent arbitration or other proceedings.