Some arbitration topics just never die. This post strings together new cases on three of those topics: 1) whether arbitration agreements that call for the now-defunct National Arbitration Forum (NAF) are enforceable; 2) formation fights in nursing home agreements; and 3) the continuing fight between the NLRB and the courts over class action waivers in
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FAA Preempts More State Arbitration Law
The Tenth Circuit ruled last week that arbitration case law from New Mexico is preempted by the FAA. This decision calls into question whether states can find arbitration agreements unconscionable simply for being unilateral, i.e. one party is bound to arbitrate its claims while the other party is free to litigate in court.
In 2012,…
Nursing Home Cannot Compel Arbitration Under Agreement Signed By Deceased Resident's Son
The Eighth Circuit made quick work of a nursing home’s argument in favor of compelling arbitration this week. In a suit alleging negligent care of a resident, the court ruled that the arbitration agreement was not enforceable because the resident never signed it. GGNSC Omaha Oak Grove, LLC v. Payich, __ F.3d __, 2013 WL…
It's A Wrap: 2011 in Arbitration Law
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…