HMAA Terms & Conditions

Effective Date: August 18, 2026

Welcome to the website of the Houston Maritime Arbitrators Association (“HMAA,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the website located at https://hmaatexas.org/ (the “Site”), including any content, features, and services offered on or through the Site.

By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Site.

1. About HMAA and the Site

HMAA is a not-for-profit association of arbitrators, mediators, and expert witnesses serving the maritime, oil & gas, energy, and transportation industries. The Site provides information about HMAA, its members, published arbitration rules, and related resources.

HMAA does not administer arbitrations, mediations, or other alternative dispute resolution processes. The Site facilitates access to a pool of qualified professionals for self-administered proceedings.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to use the Site. By using the Site, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

3. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to:

Use the Site in any way that violates applicable federal, state, local, or international law.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Site, related systems, or networks.
Interfere with or disrupt the Site or servers/networks connected to the Site.
Use any robot, spider, scraper, or other automated means to access the Site for any purpose without our express written permission.
Transmit any viruses, malware, or other harmful code.
Misrepresent your identity or affiliation.
Collect or harvest any personal information from the Site without authorization.
Use the membership directory or other content for commercial solicitation, spamming, or any purpose other than legitimate professional inquiry related to dispute resolution.

We reserve the right to restrict or terminate access for any violation of these Terms.

4. Intellectual Property

The Site and its entire contents, features, and functionality (including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, member listings, rules, and software) are owned by HMAA or its licensors and are protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may view and print limited portions of the Site for your personal, non-commercial use, provided you do not remove any copyright or proprietary notices. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, or exploit any content from the Site without our prior written consent, except as expressly permitted.

The HMAA name, logo, and related marks are trademarks of HMAA. You may not use them without our prior written permission.

5. Membership Directory and Professional Information

The membership directory and related professional listings are provided for informational purposes to assist parties in identifying potential arbitrators, mediators, or expert witnesses. Inclusion in the directory does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee of any individual’s qualifications, availability, or performance.

You are solely responsible for conducting your own due diligence before engaging any professional listed on the Site.

6. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT, INFORMATION, AND SERVICES PROVIDED ON OR THROUGH THE SITE ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HMAA DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

HMAA DOES NOT WARRANT THAT:

The Site will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.
The information on the Site is accurate, complete, current, or reliable.
Any defects will be corrected.

Any reliance you place on information from the Site is strictly at your own risk.

7. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL HMAA, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, MEMBERS, AGENTS, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) THE SITE, REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY (CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE), EVEN IF HMAA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

HMAA’S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SITE SHALL NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (USD $100).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

8. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless HMAA and its officers, directors, members, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to your use of the Site, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

9. Third-Party Links and Content

The Site may contain links to third-party websites or resources. HMAA is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of any third-party sites. Accessing third-party sites is at your own risk and subject to their terms and policies.

10. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Site shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Harris County, Texas. You consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these Terms at any time by posting the updated version on the Site and updating the “Effective Date.” Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

12. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Site at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including violation of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Site ceases immediately. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including ownership, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification) will survive.

13. Severability and Waiver

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and HMAA regarding the Site and supersede all prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications, and proposals.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us through the contact form on the Site at https://hmaatexas.org/ .

Houston Maritime Arbitrators Association
Website: https://hmaatexas.org/