Author: calmediation

Arbitration: Waiver: 3 ½ Years Of Litigation, Complete With Removals/Remands From Federal Court, Discovery, And Trial Continuances, Supported Trial Court’s Conclusion That Arbitration Was Waived On The Cusp Of Another Continued Trial Date

June 20, 2018 · Arbitration: Waiver

Prejudice Did Occur Plus Bad Faith Inference That Late Motion To Compel Arbitration Was Sought For Strategic Purposes.             The Fourth District, Division Three has a rich body of case law on arbitration waiver as enunciated through a trio of cases: Burton v. Cruise, 190 Cal.App.4th 939 (2010); Adolph v. Coastal Auto Sales, Inc., 184 […]

Arbitration: Burden Of Proof: 4/3 DCA Affirms Trial Court’s Conclusion That Arbitration Agreement Did Not Exist In The Face Of Conflicting Evidence

Former Employee Did Not Sign Arbitration Clause, Denied Receiving Letter Where Employer Tried To Create A Ratification, And Subsequent Compensation Program Signature Did Not Evince An Agreement To Arbitrate.             The facts of this case were hotly contested. Former employee, after 13 years with employer, was presented with a handbook containing an arbitration agreement to […]

Arbitration: Nonsignatories; Section 1281.2: Brokers Were Third Parties Not Compelled To Arbitrate And Prospect Of Conflicting Rulings Further Justified Denial Of Petition To Compel Arbitration In Seller-Purchaser Dispute

Different Tracks For Different Parties, Creating Chaos, Was Good Back-Up Reasoning For Denial.             In Kim v. Kim, Case No. B283786 (2d Dist., Div. 8 June 13, 2018) (unpublished) (Rogan, J., Orange County Superior Court Judge sitting by assignment, concurred in by Rubin, Acting P.J. and Grimes, J.), defendants (all residential property seller affiliates) appealed […]

Arbitration: Choice of Law; Standard of Review: Arbitrator’s Award Of $183,000 In Allocated Fees To One Successful Defendant In Joint Defense Arrangement And Trial Court’s $21,000 In Post-Arbitration Fees To All Defendants Were Proper

Losing Plaintiff Claimed Arbitration Award Was “Manifest Disregard Of Law,” But This Was A Federal Standard Rather Than The More Limited State Standard Applicable To Review Of Arbitration Awards.             HUB International Ins. Services v. Morales, Case No. E067095 (4th Dist., Div. 2 June 14, 2018) (unpublished) was an imbroglio involving non-interference, non-solicitation, confidential disclosure, […]

Book Reviews: Jeffrey Rosen’s American Prophet: Louis D. Brandeis

June 12, 2018 · Reviews

Marc's Review of Jeffrey Rosen's American Prophet: Louis D. Brandeis, Has Been Published in California Litigation.     With the permission of California Litigation, the journal of the litigation section of the California Lawyers Association, Marc's review of Jeffrey Rosen's book about Justice Louis D. Brandeis and his thought is made available here.

Arbitration: Construction Of Agreement; Delegation; Scope: Plaintiff Uber/Lyft Driver’s Suit Relating To Uber Use Of Fake Lyft Accounts Was Not Within Scope Of Arbitration Agreements With Uber

Appellate Court Accepted Delegation Of Arbitrability Gateway Determination To Arbitrator, But Found Uber’s Arbitrability Assertion Was “Wholly Groundless” Because Dispute Was Patently Beyond The Scope of Parties’ Arbitration Agreement.             Smythe v. Uber Technologies, Inc., Case No. A149891 (1st Dist., Div. 3 June 8, 2018) (published) (Siggins, J., concurred in by McGuiness, Acting P.J. (retired […]

Arbitration: Waiver: Mechanics Lien Claimant’s Failure To Preserve Arbitration Rights When Filing Enforcement Foreclosure Action Waived Claimant’s Rights Both In The Lien Foreclosure Action And Separate Action Filed By Owner For Construction Defects

June 6, 2018 · Arbitration: Waiver

It Did Not Matter That Mechanic’s Lien Action Was Separate From Other Action Which Was Potentially Arbitrable.             Von Becelaere Ventures, LLC v. Zenovic, Case No. D072620 (4th Dist., Div. 1 June 6, 2018) (published) (McConnell, P.J., concurred in by Huffman, J. and O’Rourke, J.) is an interesting case interpreting the application of Code of […]

Arbitration: Agents: 2/2 DCA Reverses As A Matter Of Law Denial Of Motion To Compel Arbitration Given That Defendant Agent Was Not An Independent Third Party

May 30, 2018 · Arbitration: Agents

Rather, Agents Of Statutory Defendant Are Entitled To Benefit Of An Arbitration Agreement.           In Hernandez v. AutoZone, Inc., Case No. B280206 (2d Dist., Div. 2) (May 30, 2018) (unpublished; Justice Victoria Chavez, concurred in by Justice Judith Ashmann-Gerst, A.P.J., and Justice Brian M. Hoffstadt), ex-employer AutoZone moved to compel arbitration against a former employee […]

Arbitration: Delegation/Unconscionability: Trial Court Is The One Deciding Any Contractually Applicable Defenses, Including Whether Delegation Clause Is Unlawful And Void

Arbitration Clause Was Infirm Because It Was A “Side Agreement” Neither Filed With Nor Approved By California’s Insurance Commissioner.             Nielsen Contracting, Inc. v. Applied Underwriters, Inc., Case No. D072393 (4th Dist., Div. 1 May 3, 2018, modified on May 23, 2018) (published) (Haller, J., author, concurred in by McConnell, P.J. and Huffman, J.) decided […]

Arbitration: Class Action, Waiver, FAA, Employment: Employment Contract Providing For Individualized Arbitration Provisions Not Invalidated By The Federal Arbitration Act’s Savings Clause, The Fair Labor Standards Act, Or National Labor Relations Act

FAA Collective Actions And Related State Law Class Actions Governed By Individualized Arbitration Proceedings Under Employment Contract.           On May 21, 2018, the United State Supreme Court issued its decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, 584 U.S. __, No. 16-285. SCOTUS decided that the FAA instructed federal courts to enforce individualized arbitration proceedings under an […]