Locale of Arbitrations Was the Concern

What upset me the most about the article on arbitration [“An Arbitrary Process?” July 16] was not the significant differences obtained by attorney Stuart Goldberg for a variety of clients, but the fact that those claims were arbitrated here in California.

The last time I opened a brokerage account, I had to agree to arbitrate all claims within New York City subject to the laws of the state of New York. I am a lifetime resident of California, born in Los Angeles. I have never spent 24 consecutive hours in New York; the last time I was there was in 1976. Before signing the account application, I changed the terms to indicate that arbitration would occur in Los Angeles County under the laws of California. Although the brokerage office was within the city of Los Angeles and the firm is headquartered in California, my account application was rejected. The broker would accept an application only if arbitration would take place on the opposite side of the continent.

How was Goldberg able to obtain California arbitration for these claims? If the need arose, how could I avoid having to deal with New York laws in a dispute with a California broker?

DAVID E. ROSS

Agoura