Are all parties to a Creative World School arbitration required to execute a confidentiality agreement?

According to Creative World School's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, all parties involved in an arbitration, including the arbitrator, are restricted from disclosing the details of the arbitration to anyone not directly involved. This encompasses the existence, content, and outcomes of the arbitration, including the hearing records. The only exception to this rule is if disclosure is legally mandated. To share any of this information, all parties involved in the arbitration must provide prior written consent.

This confidentiality clause ensures that the details of any disputes between Creative World School and its franchisees remain private, which can be beneficial for both parties. Franchisees may appreciate the discretion, as it prevents sensitive business information or disagreements from becoming public knowledge. Creative World School also benefits by maintaining a consistent brand image and preventing negative publicity that could arise from publicized disputes.

However, it's important to note that this confidentiality agreement does not prevent either Creative World School or the franchisee from seeking temporary restraining orders or preliminary injunctive relief in a court of law. In such cases, the dispute must also be submitted for arbitration on its merits. This ensures that while some aspects of the dispute may be handled publicly through the courts for immediate relief, the underlying issues are still addressed privately through arbitration.