The Sixth and Second Circuits addressed whether to vacate an arbitrator’s award recently. The Sixth Circuit vacated the award of an arbitrator who “exceeded his powers,” while the Second Circuit refused to vacate for “evident partiality.”
Based on the parties’ agreement, the Sixth Circuit considered vacatur under the Michigan Arbitration Act. In particular, the appellant
A reasonable person may have thought that the Supreme Court effectively killed off class arbitrations with its decisions in Stolt-Nielsen and Concepcion, but at least two government agencies have recently made decisions that ensure financial consumers and employees can bring classwide claims in some arbitrations.
FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, regulates all securities
Applying Texas law, the Fifth Circuit recently found that an employer cannot compel arbitration under an agreement that gives the employer the right to unilaterally change the terms of the agreement. Carey v. 24 Hour Fitness, USA, Inc., __ F.3d __, 2012 WL 205851 (5th Cir. Jan. 25, 2012).
The employee in the case
In the latest serve in a four-year ping-pong match between it and the Supreme Court, the Second Circuit has re-re-affirmed its holding that American Express may not compel arbitration of antitrust claims by a class of national merchants. In Re Am. Express Merchants’ Litig., ___ F.3d ___, 2012 WL 284518 (2d Cir. Feb. 1,
In a 2-1 decision, the Third Circuit held last week that the arbitration agreement in a personal computer purchase was valid, despite its mandate of a defunct arbitral forum. Its decision, Khan v. Dell Inc., ___ F.3d ___, 2012 WL 163899 (3d Cir. Jan. 20, 2012), is in line with the decision of the
The highest court in the District of Columbia has held that piercing the corporate veil is outside the scope of the arbitration clause in Giron v. Dodds, 2012 WL 18574 (D.C. Ct. App. 2012). But the case’s reasoning may extend to all cases in which a party must bring a court case in order
Big day here at Arbitration Nation.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a new arbitration decision and Arbitration Nation was named one of the best legal blogs in Minnesota! I am honored to be in the company of such great legal writing.
In a very narrow decision today, the U.S. Supreme Court found that the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) does not preclude the arbitration of consumer suits alleging violations of that Act. CompuCredit Corp. v. Greenwood, 565 U.S. ___ (2012). The 8-1 decision was written by (who else?) Justice Scalia, with a concurring opinion filed
Earlier in 2011, courts in both Pennsylvania and Illinois issued decisions finding that when a consumer’s arbitration agreement called for the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) to administer the arbitration, but the NAF no longer administered consumer disputes, the arbitration agreements were unenforceable. Those courts found the parties’ choice of NAF was “integral” to the arbitration
As we pile up the cardboard boxes that held holiday gifts for the recycling truck and select our new year’s resolutions for 2012, here are a few reflections on the last twelve months in arbitration law. I would summarize it as another year where the U.S. Supreme Court was playing whack-a-mole, trying to tamp