Portland attorneys grapple over fine print in small business, consumer contracts

An Oct. 31 New York Times story on the advent of arbitration as a means toward resolving consumer and small business grievances struck a chord with attorneys nationwide. The story "Arbitration Everywhere, Stacking the Deck of Justice" asks whether arbitration clauses, essentially as opposed to class-action suits, provide the best avenues in disputes. The story — which takes U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to task for representing a finance company in an early arbitration clause…