David Benck

Neutral has served as the inhouse attorney or General Counsel for four different companies, three of which are publicly traded entities over the last 20+ years. While in his current role, he has served on the Boards for The Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, the American Arbitration Association, USA Gymnastics, The World Games 2022, and the Business Council of Alabama. Neutral has arbitrated over 400 cases.

Experience

Neutral has experience hearing over 400 cases, including a lengthy arbitration argued by a former US Attorney General, and a separate lengthy arbitration argued by a former US Solicitor General. Neutral has heard a broad range of disputes over the past 20+ years involving commercial, real estate, employment, negligence, business law, intellectual property, consumer, trucking, manufacturing, banking, Internet, software, sports and insurance disputes. Served as a Process Arbitrator and participated in Multiple Case Filing matters. Served numerous times as individual arbitrator, and as a panel arbitrator. Member of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (Swiss Tribunal); National Collegiate Athletic Association\"s (NCAA) Independent Resolution Panel; Member of UK Sport Resolutions Panels; Listed on the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) Arbitrator database, and listed in the FINRA arbitrator database. Neutral has served as a publicly traded General Counsel, Chief Privacy Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Chair of Enterprise Risk Management Committee, Chair of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and Chair of CEO Search Committee with various large, nationwide entities.

Work History

SVP and General Counsel, Hibbett, Inc., 2004 – Present; Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Momentum Telecom, Inc. , 2001 – 2004; Divisional Counsel, Technology Solution Division ITC DeltaCom Inc., 2000 –2001 (now Mindspring); Corporate Counsel, Just For Feet Inc., 1997 – 2000; Associate Trial Attorney, Lamar Nelson & Miller P.C., 1994 – 1997; Law Clerk, Honorable Joseph D. Phelps, 1993 – 1994.

Cases

Neutral has heard over 400 cases, including lengthy arbitrations argued by a former US Attorney General, and a separate lengthy arbitration argued by a former US Solicitor General. Neutral has heard a broad range of disputes over the past 20+ years involving commercial, real estate, employment, negligence, business law, intellectual property, consumer, trucking, manufacturing, banking, Internet, software, sports and insurance disputes. Served as a Process Arbitrator and participated in Multiple Case Filing matters. Served numerous times as individual arbitrator, and as a panel arbitrator.

Training

ACE 22 - Process Essentials for AAA Arbitrators, 2022; 2021 AAA-ICDR Panel Conference; ACE21 Impartiality: Do You Know Where Your Biases Are? 2021; ACE20 Cyber Security: A Shared Responsibility, 2019; AAA ACE19 Case Finances: What Arbitrators Need to Know, 2019; Arbitrator Performance and Demeanor ~ Meeting Participant Expectations, 2018; AAA Developments in Arbitration Law: Practice Focused Cases, 2017; AAA/ICDR/Mediation.org Panel Conference, 2016; ACE 05 - Chairing an Arbitration Panel: Managing Procedures, Process & Dynamics; AAA Webinar, Where Do We Draw the Line? Ethics in Arbitration, 2013; FINRA Online Basic Panel Training, 2012; FINRA Expungement Training, 2012, FINRA Chairperson Training, 2012; AAA, What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate, 2012; AAA Maximizing Efficiency & Economy in Arbitration: Challenges at the Preliminary Hearing, 2011; AAA Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding & Writing Awards ACE01, 2003; AAA Arbitrator Update, 2004; AAA Commercial Arbitrator II Training, 2003; AAA Arbitrator I Training-Fundamentals of the Arbitration Process, 2002.

License(s)

Admitted to the Bar: Alabama, 1993. CIPP/US (2017) and CIPM (2019) - Certified Privacy Professional. NACD Certified Board Fellow.

Education

University of Alabama (JD-1993); Birmingham-Southern College (BA-1990). CIPP/US and CIPM Certified Privacy Professional; NACD Certified Board Fellow; Wharton Executive Education- Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets.

Publications

Adjunct Professor of Law, Cumberland School of Law; The Association of Corporate Counsel Annual Meeting 2009, 2012, and 2013; Published in The Web Hosting Industry Review; The Computer Law Associates Bulletin (May 2002); Gigalaw.com; The Society for Human Resource Management; The American Arbitration Association\"s Dispute Resolution Journal; The American Corporate Counsel Association Docket.

Panels

Twenty year member of American Arbitration Association Roster of Neutrals; Member of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (Swiss Tribunal); National Collegiate Athletic Association\"s (NCAA) Independent Resolution Panel; Member of UK Sport Resolutions Panels; Listed on the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) Arbitrator database, and listed in the FINRA arbitrator database.

Associations

American Arbitration Association (Formerly Board of Directors, Former Co-Chair of Large Case Committee, and current National Sports Advisory Committee); Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Birmingham District (Former Board of Directors and Business Inflation Panel Member); Court of Arbitration for Sport (Member Arbitrator); College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA) member; Cumberland School of Law - Formerly Adjunct Professor; Alabama State Bar Association (Member); Formerly Governor\"s Business Litigation & Complex Litigation Study Committee; International Information Systems Forensics Association (Formerly Special Legal Advisor); Association of Corporate Counsel (Litigation Committee, Intellectual Property Committee, Labor and Employment Committee, Insurance Committee, eCommerce Committee, Sports & Entertainment Law Committee - Program Chair, 2013; Secretary, 2014, 2015); Association of Corporate Counsel of Alabama (Past Board of Directors; Alabama Chapter, President-2012); International Council of Shopping Centers (Past Member); Birmingham-Southern College (Norton Board of Advisors); Magic Moments, Inc. (Past Member of Board of Directors); The World Games 2022 Birmingham (Board of Directors); USA Gymnastics (Formerly Ethics, Grievance and Safe Sport Committee and Board Member); USA Track and Field (Former NABR Panelist); USADA (Former AntiDoping Review Board); Formerly Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (Selection Committee); BCA (Board of Directors); Red Mountain Park (Past Member of Fund Board); Sports Law Association (Member); Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA Arbitrator).

Miscellaneous

Dual US/Luxembourg citizen.