(710 ILCS 30/10-10)

Sec. 10-10. Appointment of arbitrators.

(a) No person shall be precluded by reason of his or her nationality from acting as an arbitrator, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

(b) The parties are free to agree on a procedure of appointing the arbitrator or arbitrators, subject to the provisions of subsections (e) and (f) of this Section.

(c) In an arbitration with 3 arbitrators and where the parties fail to reach an agreement on an appointment procedure, each party shall appoint one arbitrator, and the 2 arbitrators thus appointed shall appoint the third arbitrator. If a party fails to appoint the arbitrator within 30 days of receipt of a request to do so from the other party or if the 2 arbitrators fail to agree on the third arbitrator within 30 days of their appointment, the appointment shall be made, upon request of a party, by the court or other authority specified in Section 1-30 of this Act.

(d) In an arbitration with a sole arbitrator and where the parties fail to reach an agreement on an appointment procedure, the arbitrator shall be appointed, upon request of a party, by the court specified in Section 1-30 of this Act.

(e) Where, under an appointment procedure agreed upon by the parties, (i) a party fails to act as required under the procedure or (ii) the parties or the two party-appointed arbitrators are unable to reach an agreement expected of them under the procedure or (iii) a third party, including an institution, fails to perform any function entrusted to it under the procedure, any party may request the court specified in Section 1-30 of this Act to take the necessary measure, unless the agreement on the appointment procedure provides other means of securing the appointment.

(f) A decision on a matter entrusted by subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this Section to the court specified in Section 1-30 of this Act is not subject to appeal; provided that this provision shall not preclude the parties from raising any ground for setting aside or refusing to recognize or enforce an arbitral award to the extent otherwise permitted under applicable federal law. The court, in appointing an arbitrator, shall have due regard to any qualifications required of the arbitrator by the agreement of the parties and to any considerations that are likely to secure the appointment of an independent and impartial arbitrator and, in the case of a sole or third arbitrator, shall take into account as well the advisability of appointing an arbitrator of a nationality other than those of the parties.

(Source: P.A. 90-631, eff. 7-24-98.)