I am celebrating five years of blogging by publishing one “listicle” per day this week. Monday, the topic was the five biggest surprises in arbitration law; Tuesday it was the five states most hostile to arbitration; Wednesday it was the five arbitration cases lawyers really ought to know. Today, we leave case law behind and
arbitration
Five States Most Hostile To Arbitration (Blogiversary Listicle #2)
I am celebrating five years of blogging by publishing one “listicle” per day this week. Yesterday, the topic was the five biggest surprises in arbitration law. Today, it is the five states where I would not want to argue in favor of arbitration — either compelling arbitration or confirming an award. In other words, these…
Five Biggest Surprises In Arbitration Law (Blogiversary Listicle #1)
Do you hear the corks popping, friends?? You should, because the imaginary champagne was just opened and the balloons have been released to the far corners of the internets in honor of ArbitrationNation’s FIFTH ANNIVERSARY! At the end of this week, I will have published 253 posts over the course of five years.
Taking inspiration…
Is Refusal To Pay Fees A Way Out Of Arbitration?
The 9th Circuit recently allowed a claimant to proceed in court after her arbitration had been terminated due to her failure to pay half the arbitration fees. Tillman v. Tillman, __ F.3d __, 2016 WL 3343785 (9th Cir. June 15, 2016).
The case involved a client’s malpractice claim against her lawyers, which…
What’s in a Name?: Defining Arbitration Across the Circuits
What is “arbitration”? Although courts often use and apply the word, rarely do they stop to define it. While the FAA concerns agreements to “settle by arbitration a controversy,” the FAA does not define “arbitration,” leaving the question to the courts. Lacking definitive guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court, two lines of cases have developed…
Federal Courts Teach Arbitration 101 In Recent Opinions
While state courts have been busy articulating novel interpretations of arbitration law this summer, federal courts seem intent on getting back to basics. In recent weeks, federal appellate courts have reminded parties who has the burden of proving an agreement to arbitrate, what should happen to the case when arbitration gets compelled, how parties waive…
Three Blockbuster Summer Arbitration Decisions
While regular people count down the days to summer blockbusters that come in the form of high-paid actors fighting aliens or robots, I prefer my summer blockbusters in the form of arbitration opinions that have been months in the making (maybe finally released because the clerks are about to turn over?). Today, I report on…
Don't Find Yourself SOL: Know Whether the Statute of Limitations Applies to Your Arbitration
Statutes of limitations provide peace of mind for many attorneys and clients, knowing previous conduct cannot lead to liability after a prescribed time period. But, do statutes of limitations apply to arbitration proceedings? The answer is: not necessarily. Because of that, advocates and parties need to know when statutes of limitation may apply as well…
New Jersey Becomes Third Recent State Court to Refuse To Enforce Delegation Clause
In a decision that appears intentionally controversial, the Supreme Court of New Jersey yesterday refused to enforce the delegation clause in a for-profit college’s enrollment agreement in a 5-1 opinion. Morgan v. Sanford Brown Institute, 2016 WL 3248016 (N.J. June 14, 2016). Although the delegation clause had never been specifically challenged by the plaintiffs, as…
Out On A Limb, 7th Circuit Creates Circuit Split Over Class Arbitration For Employees
Of all the federal circuit courts, I was not expecting the 7th Circuit to venture out on a limb to support the NLRB’s interpretation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) as precluding class arbitration waivers. After all, the 7th Circuit gets affirmed more than other circuit courts by SCOTUS, earning it a reputation for…