On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer and White Sales, Inc. to decide a question that has divided the federal circuit courts and state supreme courts: “whether a provision in an arbitration agreement that exempts certain claims from arbitration negates an other­wise clear and unmistakable delegation of questions of arbitrability to an arbitrator.”… Continue Reading

Briefing is now complete on the petitions for certiorari in the Blair v. Rent-A-Center appeals that could produce the next blockbuster U.S. Supreme Court arbitration decision. At issue is whether the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preempts California’s McGill Rule. Under the McGill Rule, an arbitration agreement that precludes a consumer from pursuing claims for “public” injunctive relief in court or in arbitration is unenforceable under California law.… Continue Reading

On March 26, the American Bankers Association and the Consumer Bankers Association, represented by Ballard Spahr, filed an amicus brief in support of petitions for certiorari asking the Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit’s rulings in the Blair v. Rent-A-Center appeals that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) does not preempt California’s McGill rule.… Continue Reading

After denying the defendants’ petitions for panel and en banc rehearing in the Blair v. Rent-a-Center appeals, the Ninth Circuit has granted their motions to stay the issuance of the Court’s mandates for 90 days pending the filing of petitions for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court. If petitions for certiorari are filed, the stays will continue until final disposition by the Supreme Court.… Continue Reading

We recently posted a discussion concerning the petitions for rehearing filed in the Blair v. Rent-A-Center appeals pending in the Ninth Circuit which raise the issue of whether the Federal Arbitration Act preempts California’s McGill Rule. The McGill Rule derives from the California Supreme Court’s ruling in McGill v. Citibank, N.A.Continue Reading

Last week, we published a Legal Alert discussing the petitions for rehearing filed in the Blair v. Rent-A-Center appeals which ask the Ninth Circuit en banc to overturn a panel decision holding that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) does not preempt California’s “McGill Rule.” The McGill Rule derives from the California Supreme Court’s ruling in McGill v.Continue Reading

According to a forthcoming article by Professors Andrea Chandrasekher and David Horton in the California Law Review, more consumers and their lawyers would take advantage of individual arbitration if states enacted non-waivable statutes allowing an arbitrator who awards a prevailing consumer fees and expenses under a fee-shifting statute to augment the award with an extra “bounty” for winning the arbitration.  … Continue Reading

An Executive Order issued by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on June 12, 2018 seeks to rebuff the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Epic Systems LLC v. Lewis, 138 S. Ct. 1612 (May 21, 2018), by implementing new state procurement procedures that overtly discriminate against companies whose employment agreements contain arbitration provisions with class action waivers. … Continue Reading