Category: Arbitration: Class

Arbitration, Class, Existence of Agreement: Court Of Appeal Affirms Order Denying FATCO’s Motion To Compel Arbitration With Potential Class Of 272,037 Members

Failure To Establish Existence Of Actual Agreements To Arbitrate With Any Class Members Dooms Effort To Compel Arbitration.       How should one move to compel arbitration with members of a potential class who are parties to arbitration agreements giving them the opportunity to opt out of arbitration?  Apparently, not the way First American Title Company […]

Arbitration, Severability: Fourth District, Division 1 Two-Fer: Severability Of Unconscionable Provisions Results In Binding Arbitration; Lack of Severability In Another Case Means No Arbitration

  Severability:  General Swallow all-o feasting on a French Fricassee!! William Holland, publisher.  May 1799.  Library of Congress. Success with Severability:  Trabert v. Consumer Portfolio Services.      In Trabert v. Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc., Case No. D065556 (4/1 March 3, 2015) (Haller, Aaron, Irion) (published), the Court of Appeal ordered the trial court (1) to […]

Class, Collective Bargaining, CCP 1281.2: Court Of Appeal Reverses Order Staying Individual Arbitrations Pending Trial Of “Non-Arbitrable Claims”–Because All Claims Are Arbitrable

“Judicial Economy Was Not . . A Proper Basis For Delaying Arbitration.”      What’s a judge to do when confronted with the possibility of compelling thousands of individual grievances to arbitration, versus staying the arbitration of arbitral issues, while one case is tried?  Here, the trial judge expediently stayed the individual arbitrations, and got reversed […]

Arbitration, Record, Waiver, Class Actions: Court Of Appeal Affirms Order Denying FATCO’s Motion To Compel Individual Arbitration

State Of The Record And Substantial Evidence Of Waiver Result In Affirmance.      Defendants appealed the trial court’s order denying First American Title Insurance Company and First American Title Company’s motion to compel individual arbitration of plaintiffs’ claims.  Kaufman v. First American Title Insurance Company, No. B248689 (2/5 Feb. 2, 2010) (Turner, Kriegler, Goodman) (unpublished).  […]

Arbitration, Class, Gateway Issues, Employment: A Rift In Court Of Appeals Decisions As To Whether Judge Or Arbitrator Decides If Agreement Allows Class-Wide Arbitration

Fourth District Says When Agreement Is Silent, Judge Decides; Second District Says Arbitrator Decides – So The California Supreme Court Will Have To Decide.      GATEWAY.  Carol M. Highsmith, photographer.  2013.  Library of Congress.      When the arbitration agreement is silent, who gets to decide whether the arbitration agreement allows for class arbitration?  Judge or […]

Arbitration/Gateway Issues: Judge, Not Arbitrator, Gets To Decide Whether Agreement To Arbitrate Authorizes Class Arbitration When Contract Is Silent – And That Goes For Representative Arbitration Too

PAGA Is A Representative, Not A Class Action, And So Judge Gets To Decide Whether PAGA Action Is Subject To Arbitration.      Defendant and employer Garden Fresh Restaurant Corporation petitioned for a writ of mandate seeking a writ directing the trial court to vacate part of an order leaving it to the arbitrator to determine […]

Arbitration/Collective Bargaining/Federal Arbitration Act: Court of Appeal Finds That Individual Arbitration Agreement Not Inconsistent With Collective Bargaining Agreement Is Enforceable

Where Federal Preemption Applies, The Employee’s Contract Cannot Deprive The Employee Of A Benefit – Such As The Right to File a Lawsuit Instead Of Arbitrating – If The Collective Bargaining Agreement Provides The Benefit.       Denying employer’s motion to compel arbitration, and both parties’ sanction motions, the trial judge explained:  “It’s clear to me […]

Arbitration/Enforceability/Consumers: Reasonable Person Wouldn’t Understand Purchasing A Vehicle Would Simultaneously Bind To Contract With Satellite Radio Service And Require Arbitration

Lack Of Consent Is The Problem With The Arbitration Agreement Here.      In an opinion authored by Judge Pregerson, the Ninth Circuit reverses the district court’s order dismissing a putative class action and granting Sirius XM Radio Inc.’s motion to compel arbitration.  Knutson v. Sirius XM Radio Inc., No. 12-56120 (9th Cir. Nov. 10, 2014) […]

Arbitration/Class Action Waiver: Iskanian v. CLS Transportation Los Angeles Compels Reversal Of Order Denying Ralphs’ Petition To Arbitrate

Legal Rationale Forming The Basis For The Trial Court’s Ruling Has Been Abrogated By Iskanian.      The California Supreme Court held in Iskanian v. CLS Transportation Los Angeles, LLC, 59 Cal.4th 348 (2014) that Gentry v. Superior Court had been abrogated by the SCOTUS decision in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, 563 U.S. __ [131 […]

Court Of Appeal Affirms Order Denying Employee’s Petition To Compel Arbitration And Lays Out Framework For Determining Who Decides Class Arbitration Question And Whether Class Arbitration Is Appropriate

  Fourth District, Division Three Disagrees With U.S. Supreme Court Decision That Found Class Arbitration Question Is A Procedural Issue For Arbitrators To Decide      Affirming a trial court’s order denying an employee’s petition to compel class arbitration of his wage and hour claims, the Court of Appeal in Network Capital Funding Corporation v. Papke, […]