chiac.org

What It Is

ChIAC (Chicago International Arbitration Center) is an international arbitration hearing center located in Chicago, USA, positioned as a high-end dispute resolution venue and service provider for the Americas. It is not a SaaS tool in the traditional sense, but rather a platform-style organization offering in-person venues, hybrid hearings, virtual hearings, and supporting technology services for arbitration, mediation, and ADR proceedings. According to its official website, its new center is located on the 52nd floor of the Aon Center in Chicago and is expected to open in spring 2027.

Core Capabilities

ChIAC’s core services cover in-person, hybrid, and virtual hearings. Its facilities include soundproof hearing rooms for up to 38 or 28 people, breakout rooms for arbitrators and parties, interpreter booths, dual monitors at seats, LFD TVs, and Zoom Huddle Systems. On the technology side, FTI Consulting provides the hearing platform and support team, with capabilities including secure remote video conferencing, real-time transcription, interpretation, electronic evidence presentation, document/dossier management, virtual breakout rooms, and pre-hearing training.

Pricing and Compliance

Pricing for in-person hearings is disclosed fairly clearly: the 38-person hearing room costs USD 5,500 per day on weekdays and USD 7,150 per day on weekends and holidays; the 28-person hearing room costs USD 4,900 per day on weekdays and USD 6,370 per day on weekends and holidays. Virtual and hybrid hearings require custom quotes based on duration, number of remote participants, and time zone arrangements. Reservations follow an installment schedule of a 20% initial fee, 40% due 180 days in advance, and 40% due 60 days in advance. In terms of security, the text explicitly mentions end-to-end encryption, access control, secure file sharing, GDPR compliance, locked storage, and secure document shredding.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths lie in its highly vertical scenario focus, with facilities and workflows designed specifically for arbitration hearings, along with technology and staffing support from FTI Consulting. Its pricing, cancellation, and payment rules are also relatively transparent. The limitations are that it is not general-purpose enterprise software and lacks SaaS-related information such as APIs, a developer ecosystem, self-hosting, and standard subscription plans. Pricing for virtual and hybrid services also requires inquiry.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is better suited for parties to cross-border arbitration, law firms, corporate legal teams, arbitrators, and ADR institutions, especially teams that need high-standard in-person or hybrid hearings in North America. Access from mainland China is not provided in the main text, so it is considered unknown.