Author: calmediation

Arbitration/Waiver: Employer That Quickly Asserted Right To Arbitrate After Concepcion Was Decided Did Not Waive Right To Arbitrate

Timing Is Everything      Plaintiff Reyes, a security officer, filed a class complaint alleging wage and hour violations against Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. (LBI).  The trial judge denied a motion by LBI to compel arbitration, on the grounds that the employer failed to properly and timely assert its right to arbitrate.  LBI appealed the trial court’s […]

Arbitration: Second District Division 1 Construes 3 Separate Agreements And Concludes Parties Did Not Agree To Arbitrate

Incorporation By Reference Argument Fails      Freedom Films, LLC sued Nu Image, Inc., and M3 Media, Inc. for breach of contract, accounting, and fraud, adding doe defendants later as alleged alter egos.  Defendants moved to compel arbitration under an arbitration provision.  The trial court denied the motions on the ground that the parties had not […]

News: Roger D. Fisher, Co-Author of “Getting to Yes,” Dies at 90

August 29, 2012 · News

Mediation Approach Addressed Mutual Interests      On August 27, 2012, Leslie Kaufman reported in the New York Times, that Harvard law professor Roger D. Fisher died at the age of 90.  Professor Fisher was a co-author with William Ury and Bruce Patton, of the mediation ur-text, “Getting to Yes.”  Professor Fisher also co-founded the Harvard […]

Arbitration/Employment/Waiver/Burden of Proof/Construction: Because Collective Bargaining Agreement Did Not “Clearly And Unmistakably” Waive Plaintiffs’ Right to Bring Statutory Claims In Judicial Forum, Employees Did Not Waive Their Rig

Denial of Motion to Compel Arbitration Hinges on Burden of Proof and Existence of Statutory Rights      One of the “hot topics” we have posted about is whether the right to sue in court can be waived when the rights at issue are statutory rights.  See our June 5, 2012 post on Iskanian v. CLS […]

Arbitration/Enforceability/Unconscionability: Fourth District Division 1 Agrees With Trial Court That Automobile Dealership’s Arbitration Provision Is Unconscionable

  However, California Supreme Court Will Likely Make Ultimate Determination of Issues in Pending Sanchez v. Valencia Holding Co. Case      Arbitration clauses in contracts for automobile purchases and leases offer fertile ground for litigation.  See our April 12, 2012 post about Kolev v. Euromotors West/The Auto Gallery, 586 F.3d 1024 (9th Cir. 2011) (opinion […]

Arbitration/Vacatur: “Manifest Disregard Of The Law” Is Manifestly Not A Ground For Vacating Arbitration Award Under California Law

  Second District Division 2 Concludes That Arbitrator Did Not Disregard Choice Of Law Provision      Roller Bearing Company of America (RBC) manufacturers roller bearing assembly parts and Honeywell International use them in engines it manufacturers.  Roller Bearing Company of America, Inc. v. Honeywell International, Inc., Case No. BS127074 (2nd Dist. Div. 2 August 23, […]

International Arbitration/Disclosures: Second District Division 5 Affirms Orders In International Arbitration Denying Vacatur Motion and Confirming Award and Judgment

  California’s Code of Civil Procedure Provisions Governing International Arbitration Differ From Ordinary Domestic Arbitration Provisions      With this post, we inaugurate a new sidebar category: “Arbitration: International.”      Comerica Bank v. Howsam, et al. Case No. B232749 (2nd Dist. Div. 5 August 20, 2012) (Turner, P.J., author)(partially published) involves appeals from orders confirming three […]

Mediation/Condition Precedent/Res Judicata: Fourth District Division 3 Allows Homeowner To Litigate After She Finally Gets Around To Mediating

  Mediation Was A Condition Precedent To Litigating And Failure To Mediate Had Earlier Prevented The Homeowner From Suing To Enforce A Settlement Agreement      The homeowner (an in pro per attorney) and homeowner’s association (HOA) have been involved in a battle royal resulting in four appeals. Appeal No. 1: trial court dismisses homeowner’s lawsuit […]

Arbitration/Enforceability/Homeowners: Privity, Shmivity, Says The California Supreme Court – A Provision To Arbitrate Construction Disputes In Recorded CC&Rs Will Be Honored If Not Unreasonable

  Majority Opinion Draws Two Concurrences and One Dissent      Arbitration is a matter of consent, right? Because there can be no meaningful consent between a developer that drafts covenants, conditions, and restrictions containing a provision requiring arbitration of construction disputes, and a homeowner’s association (HOA) that doesn’t yet exist, how can the HOA in […]