Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: “Accidental Arbitration” -- A New Theory that Would Rein in Consumer Arbitration Clauses and the Scope of the FAA
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: A Discussion of Industry and Consumer Perspectives on Mass Arbitration
California Employment News: The State of Mandatory Arbitration Agreements in California Employment
Podcast: California Employment News - The State of Mandatory Arbitration Agreements in California Employment
#WorkforceWednesday: NLRB Focuses on Severance Agreements, Supreme Court Opens Overtime to HCEs, Ninth Circuit Rejects CA's Mandatory Arbitration Ban - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday: SCOTUS Rules on PAGA, Fifth Circuit Rules on COVID-19 Under WARN, Illinois Expands Bereavement Leave - Employment Law This Week®
California Employment News: US Supreme Court “Viking River” Decision Brings PAGA Relief for CA Employers
#WorkforceWednesday: EEOC COVID-19 Charges Surge, NYC’s Pay Transparency Law, SCOTUS Considers PAGA - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday: New Law on Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Claims, Cyber War Ramps Up, Salaried Nonexempt Status - Employment Law This Week®
Employment Law Now VI-114-Banning Arbitration of Sexual Harassment/Assault Claims
Update and Discussion on Legal and Practical Issues
DE Under 3: OFCCP Contractor Portal & Request for Comments for Functional Affirmative Action Programs (FAAPs)
Employment Law This Week®: FAA Arguably Preempts California Law, New CA Employment Laws for 2020, CA Consumer Privacy Act Amended
Arbitration is an alternative dispute resolution method where parties can pursue their claims in a forum other than court. It is often favored for its confidentiality, efficiency and ability to provide a specialized forum for...more
In the recent decision Soar.Earth Ltd v. Mahaffie, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado addressed what happens when competing forum selection and arbitration clauses in separate contracts apply to a single...more
A Fourth Circuit panel affirmed the denial of a motion to compel arbitration, finding that the law firm and debt collector who sought to compel arbitration of a class action had waived the right to arbitrate by previously...more
This one should be obvious by now– I mean I even took the slide on this subject out of my deck for Contact.io because I have covered it too many times. But it looks like folks need a reminder: Just because you are on the...more
On August 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit reversed a lower court’s decision and ordered arbitration in a dispute under the FCRA involving a consumer reporting agency. The plaintiff alleged that a consumer...more
In July 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals considered enforcement of an arbitration agreement contained in an attorney representation agreement, and in Barnett v. Am. Express Nat'l Bank, the court of appeals reiterated...more
After a debt collector filed suit to collect an expired debt, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that the debt collector could not later compel arbitration of the debtor’s class action because arbitration...more
In Barnett v. American Express National Bank, 24-CA-60391 (5th Cir. 7/29/2025), the U.S. Fifth Circuit reaffirmed that a waiver of the right to arbitrate by “substantially invoking the judicial process” requires a showing...more
How can a company ensure that its clickwrap agreements for services are worth more than just the pixels they’re displayed on? In a recent ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the answer may be as...more
June 2025 saw opinions from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals addressing issues including the authority of a court to dismiss a case that had been stayed pending an arbitration and the sequence of decision-making when a...more
The Eighth Circuit partially reversed a district court ruling denying OptumRx, Inc. (“OptumRx”)’s motion to compel arbitration of Lackie Drug Store, Inc. (“Lackie”)’s putative class action, concluding OptumRx waived...more
As we have reported time and again, California courts have applied extra scrutiny to employee arbitration agreements in recent years, and have not hesitated to deny arbitration where there is a reasonable basis for doing so. ...more
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s decision to deny the plaintiff’s motion to compel arbitration, finding that the plaintiff was not an “aggrieved” party within the meaning of the Federal...more
On March 11, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of a motion to compel arbitration in two class-action lawsuits. The decision potentially has far-reaching implications for the...more
Proponents of arbitration received a victory in federal court this past Tuesday when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued its published decision in Dhruva v. CuriosityStream, Inc. ...more
On February 28, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s denial of a petition to compel individual arbitration against Starz Entertainment, LLC. The court held that the plaintiff, who...more
It happens every so often: someone signs an agreement to arbitrate legal claims, the agreement has a solid clause delegating arbitrability issues to an arbitrator, and then a member of that person’s family files a claim in...more
A federal court in California recently granted franchisor Spiffy Franchising, LLC’s motion to compel arbitration of a franchisee’s claims, but found the North Carolina forum selection and choice of law provisions in the...more
The plaintiff sued the trustee of his retirement plan, his former employer, and others for breach of fiduciary duties in connection with the plan’s purchase of shares of the employer’s parent company for more than fair market...more
A recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirming a decision compelling arbitration provides a “how to” guideline for using online terms and conditions to form a binding agreement....more
As reported in Public Citizen’s Consumer Law & Policy Blog, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently agreed to review Chilutti v. Uber Technologies, Inc., in which a divided panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court (and later...more
On August 14, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania decided an arbitration provision was valid and enforceable in a class action regarding interest rates against a lender. The plaintiffs had filed a...more
A California appellate court recently denied a motion to compel arbitration, finding the agreement unconscionable in part because it (1) applied to all claims rather than just those arising from employment, (2) was unlimited...more
The Risk of Litigating Before Moving to Arbitrate - Many employers in California ask or require their employees to execute arbitration agreements. When a claim arises, the employer has a choice—proceed with litigation...more
Courts are finding more workers who do not physically transport goods or people across state lines to be transportation workers exempt from arbitrating their claims under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The U.S. Court of...more