News & Analysis as of

Federal Arbitration Act Preemption Sexual Harassment

The Federal Arbitration Act is a United States federal statute enacted in 1925 that governs arbitration in contracts implicating interstate commerce. The Act applies in both federal and state courts. 
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Choice-of-Law Provisions Cannot Circumvent Ending Forced Arbitration Act, Court of Appeal Rules

On February 3, 2025, the California First District Court of Appeal held that a party to an arbitration agreement cannot rely on a choice-of-law provision to wire around the federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault...more

Genova Burns LLC

Timing is Everything: NJ Appellate Division Compels Arbitration of Employee’s Sex Harassment Claims

Genova Burns LLC on

On October 26, 2022, the New Jersey Appellate Division in Rourke v. Herr Foods, Inc. once again confirmed that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preempts the 2019 amendment to the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD)...more

Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C.

Court Determines Federal Arbitration Act No Longer Preempts New Jersey Law Preventing Mandatory Arbitration in Sexual Harassment...

On May 25, 2022, the Essex County Superior Court in Sellino v. Galiher, et al., ESX-L-8519-21 (N.J. Super. Ct. May 25, 2022) denied the defendants’ motion to compel arbitration in a sexual harassment case, determining that...more

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

New York Ban on Arbitration of Discrimination Claims Repeatedly Struck Down as Inconsistent With Federal Law

In April 2018, New York enacted Section 7515 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules (CPLR 7515), which invalidated pre-dispute agreements to arbitrate sexual harassment claims “except where inconsistent with federal...more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

New York State Judge Allows Sexual Harassment Claim to Proceed in Court, Invalidating Arbitration Agreement

A New York State Trial Court judge recently ruled that an agreement between a company and an employee to arbitrate sexual harassment claims was unenforceable due to 2018 amendments to New York State’s Human Rights Law, which...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

The New York Supreme Court Enforces New York’s State Law Prohibiting Mandatory Arbitration of Employment Discrimination Claims and...

- On July 13, 2020, the New York Supreme Court in Andowah Newton v. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc., Sup. Ct., N.Y. County, July 13, 2020, J. Nock, Index No. 154178/2019, slip op at p. 16, allowed the plaintiff employee...more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

The Employment Law Landscape in 2020

2019 was a busy year for lawmakers across the nation, underscoring the need for employers to remain apprised of all the new laws that will be taking effect in 2020. Below we summarize some of the significant developments...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

New California Law Prohibits Mandatory Arbitration of State Law Employment Claims

On January 1, 2020, a new California law could prevent employers in that state from requiring arbitration of employment claims brought under state law. The new law was prompted by stories revealed as a result of the #MeToo...more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

New York State Issues Additional Guidance Following Recent Expansion of Workplace Anti-Discrimination Protections

As we previously reported, on August 12, 2019, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law significant legislation to expand workplace anti-discrimination protections. The State has now updated its FAQs to provide...more

Lewitt Hackman

“No more arbitration for you!”: The California #MeToo Affect Continues

Lewitt Hackman on

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed groundbreaking legislation largely impacting mandatory arbitration agreements (Assembly Bill 51) and extending the deadline to file a harassment complaint from one to three years...more

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

Washington State Takes on the Arbitration of Harassment and Discrimination Claims

Like many other states, Washington recently adopted legislation seemingly preventing the arbitration of harassment and discrimination claims in direct response to the #MeToo movement. As we previously reported, on March...more

Polsinelli

Southern District of New York: New York’s Prohibition on Mandatory Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Claims Preempted by Federal...

Polsinelli on

On July 11, 2018, New York State enacted a sweeping new law aimed at combatting sexual harassment in the employment context.  A year later, on July 22, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled...more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

Rock Beats Scissor: Federal Law Cuts Through New York State’s Attempt to Prohibit Mandatory Arbitration of Sexual Harassment...

Proponents of mandatory arbitration in New York can collectively let out a sigh of relief as a federal court judge has weighed in on the question of whether New York State’s law prohibiting mandatory arbitration of sexual...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

Court Strikes Down New York Anti-Arbitration Provisions

As we reported, New York State has enacted laws prohibiting mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment claims and all other discrimination claims under the New York State Human Rights Law. And, as we anticipated, a New York...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Federal Court Rules that the FAA Preempts New York Law Prohibiting Mandatory Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Claims

Ballard Spahr LLP on

In response to the #MeToo movement, New York State has led the way in enacting legislation to expand employee rights to file and recover for sexual harassment claims.  ...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Southern District of New York Invalidates State Ban on Mandatory Arbitration of Harassment and Discrimination

On June 26, 2019, Southern District of New York Judge Denise Cote granted a motion to compel arbitration of a plaintiff’s sexual harassment claims finding that the New York State prohibition on mandatory arbitration of sexual...more

Genova Burns LLC

New York Federal Court Upholds Arbitration Agreement in Sexual Harassment Case Despite State Law Prohibition

Genova Burns LLC on

On June 26, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Mahmoud Latif v. Morgan Stanley, et. al., held that § 7515 of the New York Civil Practice Law & Rules, which prohibits mandatory arbitration...more

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Not So Fast: Southern District of New York Holds Federal Law Pre-Empts State Sexual Harassment Arbitration Law

As we reported on June 21, New York blew the lid off 30 years of sexual harassment and discrimination law by passing legislation that, among other things, bars mandatory arbitration of all claims of discrimination. That...more

BakerHostetler

NY Law Doesn’t Prevent Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Claims

BakerHostetler on

Recent New York legislation in reaction to the #MeToo movement has sought to limit or foreclose arbitration of employment-related disputes. See N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 7515 (“§ 7515”) and its June 19, 2019, amendment, bill...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Federal Arbitration Act Preempts New York’s Bar On Agreements To Arbitrate Sexual Harassment Claims, Court Rules

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

An agreement to arbitrate sexual harassment claims is enforceable pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), federal Judge Denise Cote has ruled, rejecting arguments that New York law voids such an agreement. Latif v....more

Epstein Becker & Green

New Jersey Responds to the #MeToo Era by Broadly Banning “Waiver of Rights” and Nondisclosure Provisions in Employment Agreements

Epstein Becker & Green on

On March 18, 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed S121 (“Law”), a measure that will have immediate and significant impact on the enforceability of “waiver of rights” provisions in employment contracts and...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

New York’s Ban on Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Claims: Can it Survive Federal Preemption?

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: New York’s recently enacted prohibition on arbitration agreements of sexual harassment claims is likely to be preempted by federal law. ...more

Fisher Phillips

Will He or Won’t He? Employment Arbitration Ban Proposal Heads to Governor Brown

Fisher Phillips on

The #MeToo movement and the national focus on sexual harassment have sparked significant legislative activity at the state level designed to address these issues. Here in California, lawmakers introduced over two dozen bills...more

Epstein Becker & Green

Maryland Enacts New Sexual Harassment Law

Epstein Becker & Green on

On May 15, 2018, Maryland Governor Lawrence Hogan approved new legislation intended to respond to the #MeToo movement. Effective October 1, 2018, the “Disclosing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act of 2018” (“Act”)...more

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

Full Disclosure: Maryland’s New #MeToo Law May Do Little to Expose Workplace Harassment

In reaction to a litany of high-profile scandals, Maryland has joined a growing number of states in enacting legislation intended to prevent employers from sheltering perpetrators of sexual harassment. Approved by Governor...more

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