Common use of Separation of Functions Clause in Contracts

Separation of Functions. The Parties acknowledge that they have no rights against each other or obligations to each other under this Agreement with respect to any relationship between the Parties in which SCE is acting in its capacity as an owner or provider of electrical interconnection, transmission, or distribution service or equipment, and that this Agreement conveys no rights or obligations with respect to electrical interconnection, transmission, or distribution service or equipment. The Parties further acknowledge that SCE is not responsible for or liable in any way for any delay or failure by Seller to achieve the Initial Delivery Date by the Expected Initial Delivery Date or Initial Delivery Deadline, as applicable, and Seller’s non-performance of any provision of this Agreement shall not be excused to any greater extent due to any action or inaction of SCE in its capacity as an owner or provider of electrical interconnection, transmission, or distribution service or equipment than it would be if the non-performance were due to any action or inaction of a person other than SCE. DISPUTES Dispute Resolution. Other than requests for provisional relief under Section 12.04 (Provisional Relief), any and all Disputes which the Parties have been unable to resolve by informal methods after undertaking a good faith effort to do so, must first be submitted to mediation under the procedures described in Section 12.02 (Mediation) below, and if the matter is not resolved through mediation, then for final and binding arbitration under the procedures described in Section 12.03 (Arbitration) below. The Parties agree that there will be no interlocutory appellate relief (such as writs) available. Any Dispute resolution process pursuant to this Article 12 (Disputes) shall be commenced within one (1) year of the date of the occurrence of the facts giving rise to the Dispute, without regard to the date such facts are discovered; provided, if the facts giving rise to the Dispute were not reasonably capable of being discovered at the time of their occurrence, then such one (1) year period shall commence on the earliest date that such facts were reasonably capable of being discovered, and in no event more than four (4) years after the Dispute occurred. If any Dispute resolution process pursuant to this Article 12 with respect to a Dispute is not commenced within such one (1) year time period, such Dispute shall be barred, without regard to any other limitations period set forth by law or statute. Mediation. Either Party may initiate mediation by providing Notice to the other Party in accordance with Section 14.02 of a written request for mediation, setting forth a description of the Dispute and the relief requested. The Parties will cooperate with one another in selecting the mediator (“Mediator”) from the panel of neutrals from Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (“JAMS”), its successor, or any other mutually acceptable non-JAMS Mediator, and in scheduling the time and place of the mediation. Such selection and scheduling will be completed within forty-five (45) days after Notice of the request for mediation. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, the mediation will not be scheduled for a date that is greater than one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of Notice of the request for mediation. The Parties covenant that they will participate in the mediation in good faith, and that they will share equally in its costs (other than each Party’s individual attorneys’ fees and costs related to the Party’s participation in the mediation, which fees and costs will be borne by such Party). All offers, promises, conduct and statements, whether oral or written, made in connection with or during the mediation by either of the Parties, their agents, representatives, employees, experts and attorneys, and by the Mediator or any of the Mediator’s agents, representatives and employees, will not be subject to discovery and will be confidential, privileged and inadmissible for any purpose, including impeachment, in any arbitration or other proceeding between or involving the Parties, or either of them, provided, evidence that is otherwise admissible or discoverable will not be rendered inadmissible or non-discoverable as a result of its use in the mediation. Arbitration. Either Party may initiate binding arbitration with respect to the matters first submitted to mediation by providing Notice in accordance with Section 14.02 of a demand for binding arbitration before a single, neutral arbitrator (the “Arbitrator”) within sixty (60) days following the unsuccessful conclusion of the mediation provided for in Section 12.02 (Mediation). If Notice of arbitration is not provided by either Party within sixty (60) days following the unsuccessful conclusion of the mediation provided for in Section 12.02, the Dispute resolution process shall be deemed complete and further resolution of such Dispute shall be barred, without regard to any other limitations period set forth by law or statute. The Parties will cooperate with one another in selecting the Arbitrator within sixty (60) days after Notice of the demand for arbitration and will further cooperate in scheduling the arbitration to commence no later than one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of Notice of the demand. If, notwithstanding their good faith efforts, the Parties are unable to agree upon a mutually-acceptable Arbitrator, the Arbitrator will be appointed as provided for in California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1281.6. To be qualified as an Arbitrator, each candidate must be a retired judge of a trial court of any state or federal court, or retired justice of any appellate or supreme court. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, the individual acting as the Mediator will be disqualified from serving as the Arbitrator in the dispute, although the Arbitrator may be another member of the JAMS panel of neutrals or such other panel of neutrals from which the Parties have agreed to select the Mediator. Upon Notice of a Party’s demand for binding arbitration, such Dispute submitted to arbitration, including the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, will be determined by binding arbitration before the Arbitrator, in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws. Except as provided for herein, the arbitration will be conducted by the Arbitrator in accordance with the rules and procedures for arbitration of complex business disputes for the organization with which the Arbitrator is associated. Absent the existence of such rules and procedures, the arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the California Arbitration Act, California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1280 et seq. and California procedural law (including the Code of Civil Procedure, Civil Code, Evidence Code and Rules of Court, but excluding local rules). Notwithstanding the rules and procedures that would otherwise apply to the arbitration, and unless the Parties agree to a different arrangement, the place of the arbitration will be in Los Angeles County, California. Also notwithstanding the rules and procedures that would otherwise apply to the arbitration, and unless the Parties agree to a different arrangement, discovery will be limited as follows: Before discovery commences, the Parties shall exchange an initial disclosure of all documents and percipient witnesses which they intend to rely upon or use at any arbitration proceeding (except for documents and witnesses to be used solely for impeachment); The initial disclosure will occur within thirty (30) days after the initial conference with the Arbitrator or at such time as the Arbitrator may order; Discovery may commence at any time after the Parties’ initial disclosure; The Parties will not be permitted to propound any interrogatories or requests for admissions; Discovery will be limited to twenty-five (25) document requests (with no subparts), three (3) lay witness depositions, and three (3) expert witness depositions (unless the Arbitrator holds otherwise following a showing by the Party seeking the additional documents or depositions that the documents or depositions are critical for a fair resolution of the Dispute or that a Party has improperly withheld documents); Each Party is allowed a maximum of three (3) expert witnesses, excluding rebuttal experts; Within sixty (60) days after the initial disclosure, or at such other time as the Arbitrator may order, the Parties shall exchange a list of all experts upon which they intend to rely at the arbitration proceeding; Within thirty (30) days after the initial expert disclosure, the Parties may designate a maximum of two (2) rebuttal experts; Unless the Parties agree otherwise, all direct testimony will be in form of affidavits or declarations under penalty of perjury; and Each Party shall make available for cross examination at the arbitration hearing its witnesses whose direct testimony has been so submitted. Subject to Section 11.01 (Limitation of Remedies, Liability and Damages), the Arbitrator will have the authority to grant any form of equitable or legal relief a Party might recover in a court action. The Parties acknowledge and agree that irreparable damage would occur if certain provisions of this Agreement are not performed in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, that money damages would not be a sufficient remedy for any breach of these provisions of this Agreement, and that the Parties shall be entitled, without the requirement of posting a bond or other security, to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief as a remedy for a breach of Sections 1.01, 6.03, 6.05(d) (Duties Related to Resource Adequacy Resources), 9.03(k)(vii) and (viii), 9.04, 10.05 and 14.05 (Confidentiality). Judgment on the award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. The Arbitrator must, in any award, allocate all of the costs of the binding arbitration (other than each Party’s individual attorneys’ fees and costs related to the Party’s participation in the arbitration, which fees and costs will be borne by such Party), including the fees of the Arbitrator and any expert witnesses, against the Party who did not prevail. Until such award is made, however, the Parties will share equally in paying the costs of the arbitration. At the conclusion of the arbitration hearing, the Arbitrator shall prepare in writing and provide to each Party a decision setting forth factual findings, legal analysis, and the reasons on which the Arbitrator’s decision is based. The Arbitrator shall also have the authority to resolve claims or issues in advance of the arbitration hearing that would be appropriate for a California superior court judge to resolve in advance of trial. The Arbitrator shall not have the power to commit errors of law or fact, or to commit any abuse of discretion, that would constitute reversible error had the decision been rendered by a California superior court. The Arbitrator’s decision may be vacated or corrected on appeal to a California court of competent jurisdiction for such error. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, all proceedings before the Arbitrator shall be reported and transcribed by a certified court reporter, with each Party bearing one-half of the court reporter’s fees.

Separation of Functions. The Parties acknowledge that they have no rights against each other or obligations to each other under this Agreement with respect to any relationship between the Parties in which SCE is acting in its capacity as an owner or provider of electrical interconnection, transmission, or distribution service or equipment, and that this Agreement conveys no rights or obligations with respect to electrical interconnection, transmission, or distribution service or equipment. The Parties further acknowledge that SCE is not responsible for or liable in any way for any delay or failure by Seller to achieve the Initial Delivery Date by the Expected Initial Delivery Date or Initial Delivery Deadline, as applicable, related to electrical interconnection, transmission, or distribution service or equipment, and Seller’s non-performance of any provision of this Agreement shall not be excused to any greater extent due to any action or inaction of SCE in its capacity as an owner or provider of electrical interconnection, transmission, or distribution service or equipment than it would be if the non-performance were due to any action or inaction of a person other than SCE. DISPUTES Dispute Resolution. Other than requests for provisional relief under Section 12.04 (Provisional Relief), any and all Disputes which the Parties have been unable to resolve by informal methods after undertaking a good faith effort to do so, must first be submitted to mediation under the procedures described in Section 12.02 (Mediation) below), and if the matter is not resolved through mediation, then for final and binding arbitration under the procedures described in Section 12.03 (Arbitration) below). The Parties agree that there will be no interlocutory appellate relief (such as writs) available. Any Dispute resolution process pursuant to this Article 12 (Disputes) shall be commenced within one (1) year of the date of the occurrence of the facts giving rise to the Dispute, without regard to the date such facts are discovered; provided, if the facts giving rise to the Dispute were not reasonably capable of being discovered at the time of their occurrence, then such one (1) year period shall commence on the earliest date that such facts were reasonably capable of being discovered, and in no event more than four (4) years after the Dispute occurred. If any Dispute resolution process pursuant to this Article 12 with respect to a Dispute is not commenced within such one (1) year time period, such Dispute shall be barred, without regard to any other limitations period set forth by law or statute. Mediation. Either Party may initiate mediation by providing Notice to the other Party in accordance with Section 14.02 of a written request for mediation, setting forth a description of the Dispute and the relief requested. The Parties will cooperate with one another in selecting the mediator (“Mediator”) from the panel of neutrals from Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (“JAMS”), its successor, or any other mutually acceptable non-JAMS Mediator, and in scheduling the time and place of the mediation. Such selection and scheduling will be completed within forty-five (45) days after Notice of the request for mediation. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, the mediation will not be scheduled for a date that is greater than one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of Notice of the request for mediation. The Parties covenant that they will participate in the mediation in good faith, and that they will share equally in its costs (other than each Party’s individual attorneys’ fees and costs related to the Party’s participation in the mediation, which fees and costs will be borne by such Party). All offers, promises, conduct and statements, whether oral or written, made in connection with or during the mediation by either of the Parties, their agents, representatives, employees, experts and attorneys, and by the Mediator or any of the Mediator’s agents, representatives and employees, will not be subject to discovery and will be confidential, privileged and inadmissible for any purpose, including impeachment, in any arbitration or other proceeding between or involving the Parties, or either of them, provided, evidence that is otherwise admissible or discoverable will not be rendered inadmissible or non-discoverable as a result of its use in the mediation. Arbitration. Either Party may initiate binding arbitration with respect to the matters first submitted to mediation by providing Notice in accordance with Section 14.02 of a demand for binding arbitration before a single, neutral arbitrator (the “Arbitrator”) within sixty (60) days following the unsuccessful conclusion of the mediation provided for in Section 12.02 (Mediation). If Notice of arbitration is not provided by either Party within sixty (60) days following the unsuccessful conclusion of the mediation provided for in Section 12.02, the Dispute resolution process shall be deemed complete and further resolution of such Dispute shall be barred, without regard to any other limitations period set forth by law or statute. The Parties will cooperate with one another in selecting the Arbitrator within sixty (60) days after Notice of the demand for arbitration and will further cooperate in scheduling the arbitration to commence no later than one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of Notice of the demand. If, notwithstanding their good faith efforts, the Parties are unable to agree upon a mutually-acceptable Arbitrator, the Arbitrator will be appointed as provided for in California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1281.6. To be qualified as an Arbitrator, each candidate must be a retired judge of a trial court of any state or federal court, or retired justice of any appellate or supreme court. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, the individual acting as the Mediator will be disqualified from serving as the Arbitrator in the dispute, although the Arbitrator may be another member of the JAMS panel of neutrals or such other panel of neutrals from which the Parties have agreed to select the Mediator. Upon Notice of a Party’s demand for binding arbitration, such Dispute submitted to arbitration, including the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, will be determined by binding arbitration before the Arbitrator, in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws. Except as provided for herein, the arbitration will be conducted by the Arbitrator in accordance with the rules and procedures for arbitration of complex business disputes for the organization with which the Arbitrator is associated. Absent the existence of such rules and procedures, the arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the California Arbitration Act, California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1280 et seq. and California procedural law (including the Code of Civil Procedure, Civil Code, Evidence Code and Rules of Court, but excluding local rules). Notwithstanding the rules and procedures that would otherwise apply to the arbitration, and unless the Parties agree to a different arrangement, the place of the arbitration will be in Los Angeles County, California. Also notwithstanding the rules and procedures that would otherwise apply to the arbitration, and unless the Parties agree to a different arrangement, discovery will be limited as follows: Before discovery commences, the Parties shall exchange an initial disclosure of all documents and percipient witnesses which they intend to rely upon or use at any arbitration proceeding (except for documents and witnesses to be used solely for impeachment); The initial disclosure will occur within thirty (30) days after the initial conference with the Arbitrator or at such time as the Arbitrator may order; Discovery may commence at any time after the Parties’ initial disclosure; The Parties will not be permitted to propound any interrogatories or requests for admissions; Discovery will be limited to twenty-five (25) document requests (with no subparts), three (3) lay witness depositions, and three (3) expert witness depositions (unless the Arbitrator holds otherwise following a showing by the Party seeking the additional documents or depositions that the documents or depositions are critical for a fair resolution of the Dispute or that a Party has improperly withheld documents); Each Party is allowed a maximum of three (3) expert witnesses, excluding rebuttal experts; Within sixty (60) days after the initial disclosure, or at such other time as the Arbitrator may order, the Parties shall exchange a list of all experts upon which they intend to rely at the arbitration proceeding; Within thirty (30) days after the initial expert disclosure, the Parties may designate a maximum of two (2) rebuttal experts; Unless the Parties agree otherwise, all direct testimony will be in form of affidavits or declarations under penalty of perjury; and Each Party shall make available for cross examination at the arbitration hearing its witnesses whose direct testimony has been so submitted. Subject to Section 11.01 (Limitation of Remedies, Liability and Damages), the Arbitrator will have the authority to grant any form of equitable or legal relief a Party might recover in a court action. The Parties acknowledge and agree that irreparable damage would occur if certain provisions of this Agreement are not performed in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, that money damages would not be a sufficient remedy for any breach of these provisions of this Agreement, and that the Parties shall be entitled, without the requirement of posting a bond or other security, to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief as a remedy for a breach of Sections 1.01, 6.032.05, 6.05(d) 6.03(a), 9.02(e), 9.03(g), 9.03(k)(vii), 9.03(k)(viii), 9.04 (Duties Related to Resource Adequacy Resources), 9.03(k)(vii) and (viii), 9.04, 10.05 and or 14.05 (Confidentiality). Judgment on the award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. The Arbitrator must, in any award, allocate all of the costs of the binding arbitration (other than each Party’s individual attorneys’ fees and costs related to the Party’s participation in the arbitration, which fees and costs will be borne by such Party), including the fees of the Arbitrator and any expert witnesses, against the Party who did not prevail. Until such award is made, however, the Parties will share equally in paying the costs of the arbitration. At the conclusion of the arbitration hearing, the Arbitrator shall prepare in writing and provide to each Party a decision setting forth factual findings, legal analysis, and the reasons on which the Arbitrator’s decision is based. The Arbitrator shall also have the authority to resolve claims or issues in advance of the arbitration hearing that would be appropriate for a California superior court judge to resolve in advance of trial. The Arbitrator shall not have the power to commit errors of law or fact, or to commit any abuse of discretion, that would constitute reversible error had the decision been rendered by a California superior court. The Arbitrator’s decision may be vacated or corrected on appeal to a California court of competent jurisdiction for such error. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, all proceedings before the Arbitrator shall be reported and transcribed by a certified court reporter, with each Party bearing one-half of the court reporter’s fees.