ABOUT E. FRANK CORNELIUS, PhD, JD

Arbitrator & Consultant

Frank Cornelius believes that every dispute merits a sound resolution. He carefully considers all relevant evidence, listening to witnesses and examining exhibits. He scrutinizes briefs and conducts independent research. His decisions are firmly and fairly grounded in fact and law, as evidenced by his published opinions, which are listed and linked under the OPINIONS tab.

Frank Cornelius’ arbitration opinions have been cited:

By federal courts, e.g., Joyce v Clyde Sandoz Masonry, 871 F2d 1119, 1124 (CA DC 1989), and Board of Trustees of the District No. 15 Machinists' Pension Fund v Kahle Engineering Corp, 43 F3d 852, 858, 869 (CA 3 1994), citing his Ludington News opinion, a case of first impression under the Multi-employer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980. When the Federal Circuits split, the Supreme Court settled the issue in Bay Area Laundry and Dry Cleaning Pension Trust Fund v Ferbar Corp, 522 US 192 (1997), precisely as first decided in Ludington News.

By other arbitrators, e.g., (a) DVA and SEIU Local 551, 18-1 ARB 7141 (Kininmonth Arb 2018) (b) Georgia-Pacific Wood Products, 136 LA 1485, 1494 (Sergent Arb 2016) (c) State of Florida, 135 LA 1553, 1557 (Abrams Arb 2016) (d) Dep’t of the Army, 133 LA 1476, 1489; 14-2 ARB 6274 (Kininmonth Arb 2014); (e) Smith's Food and Drug Centers, Inc and United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1564, 129 LA 1384, 1389, 1390 (Jennings Arb 2011) (f) Equistar Chemicals, 126 LA 1480 (Goldstein Arb 2009) (g) Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Ohio Ass’n of Public School Employees, AFSCME, Local 4, AFL-CIO, Local #330, 127 LA 76, 84; 09-2 ARB 4770; 109 LRP 65937 (Sellman Arb 2009) (h) NTEU, Chapter 276 and FDIC, 108 LRP 46603 (Holley Arb 2008) (i) SSA and AFGE, Local 2505, 107 LRP 2297 (Bankston Arb 2007) (j) FDIC and NTEU, 107 LRP 46836 (Dorsey Arb 2006) (k) East Mfg v UBT Local 24, 00-2 ARB 3487 (Oberstein 2000) @ 5941 (l) Piccadilly Cafeterias, Inc and Sheet Metal Workers National Pension Fund, 22 EBC 1745, 1754 (Jaffe Arb 1998) (m) County of Los Angeles, 108 LA 622, 627-628 (Richman Arb 1997.)

In legal treatises, e.g., (a) N. Brand & M. Biren, Eds, Discipline and Discharge in Arbitration (ABA/BNA 2nd ed 2008) 42, n 73; 46, n 100; 53, n 158; 503, ns 257 & 258 (b) ERISA: A Comprehensive Guide (Aspen 3rd ed 2007) 11-11, n 49; 11-15, n 75; 11-38, n 190 (c) Handbook on ERISA Litigation (Aspen 3rd ed 2007) 8-57, n 248; 8-69, n 313 (d) Employee Benefits Law (ABA/BNA 2nd ed 2000), Ch 17, ns 71, 118, 129, 131, 151, 187, 210, 258, 528 (e) Elkouri & Elkouri, How Arbitration Works (Bloomberg BNA 8th ed 2016) 1: 64, 65; 7: 134-37; 8: 199; 15: 56; 18: 202, 219 (f) 2 Labor and Employment Law (Matthew Bender 2nd ed 1988, updated through August 1996 Cum Supp) 40-11 & n 7; 40-18-19 & n 29; 40-52 & n 28; 40-68 & n 83; 40-80 & n 118; 40-107, n 192; 40-113 & n 214; (g) Principles of Federal Sector Arbitration Law (Dewey Publications 6th ed 2019) 57, 89, 99, 152, 218, 236, 247, 248, 249, 260, 261, 266.

In law reviews, e.g., Multi-employer Pension Plan Withdrawal Liability: Limitations Without Limits, 42 Case W Res L Rev 255 (1992), 263, n 40.

In annotations, e.g., Availability of exemption under sec. 4204 of Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) (29 USCS sec. 1384), relieving seller of assets from liability for withdrawal from multi-employer pension plan, 120 ALR Fed 555, 570, 578.

In ALI-ABA course materials, e.g., Employee Benefits Litigation (New Orleans, LA, February 1-3, 1996) 436, 441, 444, 454.

For a complete list of Frank Cornelius' opinions and links and citations to them, click on the OPINIONS tab.

ARBITRATION PANELS

Frank Cornelius has served on arbitration panels maintained by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Alabama Department of Education, Social Security Administration-American Federation of Government Employees, Health Care Financing Administration-AFGE, United States Postal Service-Postal Police Officers Association, and Fort Bragg-AFGE.

He is registered with the System for Award Management (SAM), Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), and Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE).