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Arbitration CA Supreme Court Employment Contract

Arbitration is a widely-used method for settling disputes between parties. During arbitration, parties submit their dispute to an impartial third person or party, usually chosen by the parties. Typically, parties... more +
Arbitration is a widely-used method for settling disputes between parties. During arbitration, parties submit their dispute to an impartial third person or party, usually chosen by the parties. Typically, parties to arbitration agree in advance to be bound by the arbitrator's decision. Arbitration is an alternative to litigation, but it shares many of the familiar features of litigation. Namely, parties to arbitration hold hearings before neutral decision-makers, present evidence and argue the merits of their position. Parties often choose arbitration due to its perceived advantages over litigation. Those perceived advantages include greater efficiency and flexibility, and lower costs. less -
Fox Rothschild LLP

A Simple Payment Error is not a Waiver of the Right to Arbitrate

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I have some good news for California employers seeking to enforce arbitration agreements. The California Supreme Court just held that non-payment of arbitration fees does not automatically waive the right to arbitrate....more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

California Supreme Court Rules FAA Does Not Preempt Arbitration Fee Deadline, Rejects Strict Penalties

On August 11, 2025, the Supreme Court of California ruled that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) does not preempt a state statute requiring employers to timely pay arbitration fees or forfeit the right to arbitration. The...more

Fenwick & West LLP

CA Supreme Court: Federal Arbitration Act Does Not Preempt State Law on Timely Arbitration Fee Payment

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The California Supreme Court recently held in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) does not preempt a California law that penalizes businesses that have consumer and employee arbitration...more

CDF Labor Law LLP

CA Supreme Court Offers Relief to Employers For Unintentional Arbitration Fee Delays

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Background: The Thirty-Day Arbitration Fee Rule - In 2019, the California legislature amended the California Arbitration Act (CAA) to require the party who drafts an arbitration agreement to pay all required arbitration...more

Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP

“Prejudice” No Longer an Element to Determine Waiver of Right to Compel Arbitration

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In 2003, the California Supreme Court adopted a stringent test to determine whether an employer had waived its right to compel arbitration of an employee’s claims.  The most critical, and often determinative, factor was...more

Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP

Severing Unconscionable Terms in Employment Arbitration Agreements

In August 2000, the California Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling that changed the face of employment arbitration agreements going forward. That case, known as Armendariz v. Foundation Health Psychcare Services,...more

CDF Labor Law LLP

CA Supreme Court: No Three-Strikes Rule For Enforcement of Arbitration Agreements

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In a recent decision, the California Supreme Court held that courts cannot refuse to enforce arbitration agreements simply by finding that three or more provisions are unconscionable. Rather, courts must use a three-prong...more

CDF Labor Law LLP

Discretion: The Better Part of Valor in Defending Against PAGA Claims

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Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Viking River Cruises v. Moriana, employers have been implementing and enforcing arbitration agreements requiring employees to arbitrate their individual Private Attorneys’ General...more

Fisher Phillips

California Supreme Court Provides Valuable Blueprint For Your Arbitration Agreement Strategy

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The California Supreme Court recently handed down an intriguing decision which casts doubt on – and in some cases even condemns – some of the most common practices used by employers in both drafting and presenting arbitration...more

Littler

California Supreme Court Rules that the “Underpaid Wages” Component of Labor Code Section 558 is Not a Civil Penalty under PAGA

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In ZB, N.A. v. Superior Court of San Diego County (Lawson), the California Supreme Court held that unpaid wages are not civil penalties under California Labor Code section 558 and are therefore outside the reach of...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

PAGA Claims Limited to Recovery of Civil Penalties

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Seyfarth Synopsis: The California Supreme Court has held that an individual may not seek unpaid wages under Labor Code section 558. Section 558 can be invoked only by the Labor Commissioner or by an individual suing under...more

Carlton Fields

California Employers Win Major Damage Limitation in Wage and Hour Suits

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California employers just won a major victory this week when the California Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in ZB, N.A. v. Superior Court. The exposure in Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) cases was...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

California Invalidates Wage Arbitration Agreement, Inviting U.S. Supreme Court Review

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Seyfarth Synopsis: The California Supreme Court invalidated an employment arbitration agreement on August 29, 2019. At issue in OTO, LLC v. Kho was an agreement to arbitrate employment claims, including wage claims. Under the...more

Fisher Phillips

Web Exclusive: August 2018: The Top 15 Labor And Employment Law Stories

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It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years—and this past month...more

McGuireWoods LLP

California Court Foils Attempt to Avoid Prohibition on Pre-Dispute Jury Waivers

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While most states permit parties to waive the right to a jury trial by contract before a dispute arises, the California Supreme Court held over a decade ago that California is not one of them. Recently, a California court...more

Carlton Fields

California Supreme Court Holds That Arbitrator, Not Court, May Determine If Arbitration Agreement Permits Class Arbitration

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The California Supreme Court has held that an arbitrator, rather than a court, has the power to decide whether class claims can proceed in arbitration, where the parties’ arbitration agreement is ambiguous on the question....more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Arbitrator, Not Court, Decides If Arbitration Agreement Allows Class Arbitration, California Supreme Court Rules

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A divided California Supreme Court has held that an arbitrator, rather than a court, should determine whether an arbitration clause in an employment agreement allows employees to bring their claims in arbitration on a...more

Carlton Fields

California Supreme Court Holds that Whether Arbitration Will Proceed on Class Basis is an Issue for Arbitrator, not Court

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California’s back-and-forth on arbitrations and class actions continued again this week. In a key 4-3 decision the California Supreme Court held that the arbitrator—not the court—can decide whether an arbitration...more

Carlton Fields

California Supreme Court Enforces Arbitration Agreement, Finding It Is Not Unconscionable

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In this case, a former employee of a retail store appealed to the California Supreme Court seeking reversal of an appellate court decision which found that an arbitration agreement in her employment application was not...more

Goodwin

Business Litigation Reporter October 2015

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Goodwin Procter’s Business Litigation Reporter provides timely summaries of key cases and other developments within dedicated Business Litigation sessions and related courts throughout the country – courts within which...more

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