Several times over the past few months, I’ve discussed in this blog court decisions underscoring my belief that more and more state courts now “get it” on Federal Arbitration Act preemption of state laws impinging on arbitration. Two recent decisions by state supreme courts underscore this now undeniable trend. Washington and Crop Insurance The first…
One of the major complaints about consumer arbitration is the hassle and expense of a consumer going on a road trip to attend the arbitration hearing to seek a recovery. A recent Second Circuit decision underscored this problem, and prompted me to write this blog post. In Duran v. The Hass Group, L.L.C., no. 12-3568-cv…
Federal Courts on Frivolous Motions to Vacate Arbitration Awards: “I’m as Mad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Take this Anymore!” The other night, I stumbled upon the classic movie, “Network,” starring Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch. At a pivotal juncture in the movie, the increasingly unhinged Finch urges viewers to open their…
Before we know it, a new hockey season will be upon us. In that spirit, I report on a Federal Arbitration Act “preemption hat trick” that was completed August 12th by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts’ decision in McInnes v. LPL Financial, Inc., SJC-11356. For those not familiar with hockey, a “hat trick” occurs…
Judge Joyner’s August 1st ruling in Goldman Sachs v. Athena Venture Partners, LLC, no. 13-MC-130 (E.D. Pa.), underscored some fairly basic arbitration law: the Federal Arbitration Act requires that arbitrators fully disclose to the parties anything that might cause a reasonable person to question the arbitrator’s impartiality. In Goldman an arbitrator – who was an…
Another generally anti-arbitration court — this one in Massachusetts — seems to have gotten the U.S. Supreme Court’s memo that the Federal Arbitration Act preempts state laws impinging on arbitration. See this excellent analysis of the latest reversal of Feeney v Dell by Deborah LaFetra in the PLF Liberty Blog.
Back in 1997, George Friedman, a member of the ARS Board of Directors, predicted and planned for the economic collapse of 2008, alternative energy needs, hybrid and electric cars, and now the future of arbitration. Check out his predictions that were applauded at the 2013 Securities Experts Roundtable in Boston.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the Federal Arbitration Act preempts a Montana rule of law that invalidated take-it-or-leave-it form contracts that deviated from the “reasonable expectations” of the parties. In Mortenson v. Bresnan Communications, LLC, the court reversed a district court decision refusing to enforce a predispute arbitration agreement found in an internet service provider’s form contact.