Employer Had No Duty To Call Arbitration Agreement To Attention Of Employee. When Michael Conyer became employed by Hula Media, the employer's handbook did not have an arbitration clause. Several months later, Conyer signed the "receipt and acknowledgment" page, which was the final page of a revised employee handbook that did include an arbitration […]
Rules Of Statutory Interpretation Rather Than History Of The Statute Offer The Best Explanation. When I posted on August 31, 2020 about Rittmann v. Amazon, the case holding that AmFlex workers who carry out the "last mile" of Amazon deliveries, are exempt from arbitration under the statutory exemption found in 9 […]
The FAA Exempts Transportation Workers Engaged In Interstate Commerce From Arbitration — What About The Amazon Delivery Person Who Brings The Package To Your Door? Many of us trying to avoid shopping during the pandemic have become familiar with the delivery of an Amazon package to our door. The delivery workers often drive their own […]
Plaintiff/Appellant Unsuccessfully Argued Following California Commercial Code Required Legal Proceeding, Not Arbitration. Plaintiff/Appellant Prima Donna Development Corporation appealed from a judgment confirming an arbitration award in favor of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., and challenged an order compelling arbitration and denying its motion to vacate the award. Prima Donna Development Corporation v. Wells Fargo […]
An Order Denying A Judicial Reference Is Not Appealable, Even When Coupled With An Order Denying Arbitration, Which Is Appealable. A frequent source of confusion with motions to arbitrate is an arbitration provision that refers to both the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) and California law. Indeed, that was the source of confusion (somewhat […]
McGill v. Citibank Held Agreement To Waive Right To Seek Public Injunctive Relief Is Unenforceable. In McGill v. Citibank, N.A. (2017), the California Supreme Court held that a contract purporting to waive a party's right to seek public injunctive relief in any forum is unenforceable under California law. The key issue in Blair […]
Majority Rejects State Law Rule That Ambiguous Contracts Are Interpreted Against The Drafter Because . . . Frank Varela, an employee of Petitioner Lamps Plus, Inc., sued Lamps Plus because a hacker tricked Varela's employer into disclosing tax information about 1,300 employees. Mr. Varela was understandably miffed after a fraudulent income tax return was […]
Opinion Explains How Contract And Arbitration Agreement Are Treated As Separate Agreements. Jackpot Harvesting, Inc. v. Applied Underwriters, H044953 (6th Dist. 3/28/19) (Danner, Greenwood, Grover), provides a detailed discussion of whether the court or the arbitrator has authority to enforce an arbitration agreement, and how the concept of "severability" helps the analysis. […]
Driver Did Not Need To Cross State Lines To Engage In Interstate Commerce. The Federal Arbitration Act contains a statutory exemption for "contracts of employment of seamen, railroad employees, or any other class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce." 9 U.S.C. section 1 (italics added). Thus, a truck driver engaged in […]
Case Contains Rich Discussion Of Arbitration, PAGA, Federal Preemption, And Divergence Of State And Federal Law. Plaintiffs sued their former employer, alleging wage and hour violations and seeking civil penalties under California's Private Attorney General Act of 2004 (PAGA). Employer successfully petitioned to arbitrate, with one exception: the trial court held that under Iskanian v. […]