A collection of the most recent US international arbitration decisions is available here. Decisions can be quickly retrieved by using the filter tools below.

• Cargill Inc. v. Triorient LLC, No. 20-CV-10058 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 15, 2021) 

  04/15/2021

  Court granted petitioner’s motion to confirm a final arbitral award in a case relating to a breach of a charter party.  Court found no genuine factual dispute as to the propriety of the final award and duly confirmed. 

• Diaz v. Popular Securities, LLC, No. 3:19-CV-01065-JAG (D.P.R. Apr. 12, 2021) 

  04/12/2021

  Court denied petitioner’s petition to vacate arbitration award and granted respondent’s cross-motion to confirm the award.  Court found that petitioner had failed to show fraud on the arbitral tribunal, partiality, or arbitrator misbehavior to justify vacating the award. 

• Balwin v. Beeche, No. 4:20-CV-00639-ALM (E.D. Tex. Apr. 12, 2021)

  04/12/2021

  Court granted defendants’ motion to compel arbitration in a contract dispute.  Court held that the claims were within the scope of the arbitration agreement and plaintiffs could be compelled to arbitrate the case in Costa Rica. 

• Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc., v. Adkins, No. 1:19-CV-00685-DRC (S.D. Ohio Apr. 12, 2021)

  04/12/2021

  Court denied defendants’ motion to compel arbitration.  Court rejected defendants’ arguments that equitable estoppel compelled arbitration and that plaintiff was an intended third-party beneficiary and therefore bound by the arbitration agreement. 

• F.T. Maritime Services. Ltd., v. Lambda Shipholding Ltd., No. 1:20-CV-02111-ER (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 12, 2021) 

  04/12/2021

  Court denied plaintiff’s motion to compel arbitration and appoint an arbitrator holding that plaintiff’s claim was barred by collateral estoppel.  Court went on to say that, even if the plaintiff’s claim was not collaterally estopped, it would fail on the merits because it was not clear that any version of plaintiff’s terms and conditions were incorporated into the agreement at issue. 

• JPaulJones, L.P. v. Zurich General Insurance Co. (China) Ltd., No. 3:20-CV-01767 (D. Or. Apr. 9, 2021)

  04/09/2021

  Court granted defendant’s motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens.  Court held that arbitration and forum selection clauses were valid, unambiguous, and did not violate plaintiff’s right to trial by jury under the Oregon Constitution.

• Credit Suisse AG v. Graham, No. 1:21-CV-00951-LJL (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 7, 2021)

  04/07/2021

  Court denied petitioners’ petition for an order enjoining arbitration and granted respondent’s motion to compel arbitration of claims arising out of a failed joint venture.  Court held that it should be up to the arbitrator and not the court to decide whether a second arbitration is barred by res judicata. 

• In re Checking Account Overdraft Litig., No. 19-14097 (11th Cir. Apr. 07, 2021)

  04/07/2021

  Court of appeals affirmed district court’s enforcement of arbitration clauses in the account agreements of five classes of former and current customers in a class action against a bank relating to overdraft fees.  Court held that gateway questions about unconscionability were not for the district court to decide because they had been delegated to the arbitrator under a delegation clause.

• Hearn v. Comcast Cable Communications LLC, No. 19-14455 (11th Cir. Apr. 5, 2021)

  04/05/2021

  Court of appeals reversed lower court decision denying motion to compel arbitration, finding that an arbitration provision applying to all disputes “relating to [defendant]” was applicable where plaintiff’s claim pertained to the underlying agreement even where the dispute arose after the agreement was terminated.

• Norris v. Aon PLC, No.3:21-CV-00932-CRB (N.D. Cal. Apr. 2, 2021)

  04/02/2021

  Court granted defendants’ motion to compel arbitration, finding that the presence of a delegation clause constituted clear and unmistakable evidence that the parties intended gateway issues of arbitrability to be determined by an arbitrator.  

• Synopsys, Inc. v. Siemens Industry Software Inc., No. 3:20-CV-04151-WHO (N.D. Cal. Apr. 2, 2021)

  04/02/2021

  Court denied defendants’ motion to stay arbitration under Section 3 of the FAA where the parties admitted that the conditions precedent to arbitration had not been met – thus staying or ordering arbitration would be premature.  Court noted that had there been a question of whether the conditions precedent had been met, this would be a question for an arbitrator under the parties’ agreement. 

• Northtrop and Johnson Yachts-Ships, Inc. v. Royal Van Lent Skipyard, B.V., No. 20-13442 (11th Cir. March 26, 2021) 

  03/26/2021

  Court of appeals affirmed district court’s order compelling arbitration under the New York Convention, finding plaintiff agreed in writing to arbitrate its claims.  Court of appeals found the reference in the parties’ agreement to a specified commission for the construction of a second yacht was sufficient to bind the parties to the arbitration clause and that the tort and contract claims fell within the broad scope of the arbitration agreement.

• Caillet v. Newman, No. 3:19-CV-00515-JWD-RLB (M.D. La. Feb. 5, 2021)

  02/05/2021

  Court denied plaintiff’s petition to vacate arbitration award. Plaintiff argued that its award should be vacated because it was unable to attend because of a medical emergency.  Court found that plaintiff had failed to meet burden of establishing any prejudice to her rights. 

• Berk v. Coinbase, Inc., No. 19-16594 (9th Cir. Dec. 23, 2020) 

  12/23/2020

  Court of appeals reversed district court’s dismissal of defendant’s motion to compel arbitration.  Court found that even though plaintiffs framed their claim as one for negligence sounding in tort, the claim related to the interpretation and performance of defendant’s user agreement and was therefore subject to the arbitration clause contained within it.

• Keystone Food Holdings Ltd. v. Tyson Foods, Inc., No. 1:19-CV-03888-ALC (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2020) 

  09/30/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to compel arbitration and to stay proceedings in a contract dispute.  Court found that the disputes at issue were purchase price disputes as opposed to alleged breaches of representations and warranties and were therefore within the scope of the arbitration clause.

• Kwik Ticket Inc. v. Spiewak, No. 1:20-CV-01201-FB-SJB (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 23, 2020)

  09/23/2020

  Court denied defendants’ motion for a preliminary injunction to stay litigation pending court’s ruling on motion to compel arbitration and to stay magistrate judge’s order requiring the parties to participate in a settlement conference and initiate discovery.  Court found defendants did not show irreparable harm or a likelihood of success on the merits of the motion to compel arbitration.

• Goobich v. Excelligence Learning Corporation, No. 5:19-CV-06771-EJD (N.D. Cal. Sept. 18, 2020) 

  09/18/2020

  Court granted motion to stay proceedings pending arbitration pursuant to 9 U.S.C. § 3, finding that defendant had not breached the arbitration agreement by refusing to pay the disproportionate filing fee and did not waive the right to compel arbitration by participating in the litigation.

• Tyler v. Uber Technologies, Inc., No. 1:19-CV-03492-ABJ (D.D.C. Sept. 17, 2020)

  09/17/2020

  Court granted defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of employment-related claims.  Court rejected plaintiff’s contention that its claims were exempted by the FAA on the basis that it was a transportation worker.

• Cianchetta v. BMW of North America, LLC, No. 2:20-CV-00241-KJM (E.D. Cal. Sept. 17, 2020)

  09/17/2020

  Court denied defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of claims alleging violations of consumer protection laws.  Court held that plaintiff’s claims against non-signatory defendant were not arbitrable under the terms of the arbitration agreement.

• Sanders v. Allenbrooke Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, LLC, No. 2:20-CV-02001-SHM (W.D. Tenn. Sept. 17, 2020)

  09/17/2020

  Court denied defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of wrongful death claims. Court held that no arbitration agreement had been formed in circumstances where the agreement was signed by a healthcare surrogate before the party on whose behalf the agreement was signed had been determined to lack capacity.

• Convergen Energy LLC v. Brooks, No. 1:20-CV-03746-LJL (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 16, 2020)

  09/16/2020

  Court granted defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of claims relating to the sale of a power plant.  Court rejected plaintiff’s argument that the contract containing the arbitration agreement was not concluded because plaintiff’s signatory did not have authority to bind it.  Court also rejected plaintiff’s argument that the forum selection clause in another agreement between the parties controlled the subject matter of the dispute.  Court held that the claims at issue fell within the scope of the arbitration agreement.

• Fedor v. United Healthcare, Inc., No. 19-CV-2066 (10th Cir. Sept. 16, 2020)

  09/16/2020

  Court of appeal vacated district court order granting motion to compel arbitration of claims alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and New Mexico’s wage law.  Court of appeal held that the district court erred by failing to first determine whether an agreement to
  arbitrate was formed before sending the case to the arbitrator.

• Grantham v. TA Operating, LLC, No. 1:20-CV-01108-RMB (D. N.J. Sept. 16, 2020)

  09/16/2020

  Court granted defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of claims brought under the Family Medical Leave Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.  Court rejected plaintiff’s argument that the arbitration agreement was void as against the public policy of New Jersey.

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1393 v. Carroll White Rural Electric Membership Corporation, No. 1:20-CV-1689-JMS (S.D. Ind. Sept. 16, 2020)

  09/16/2020

  Court granted petition to compel arbitration of claims arising under a collective bargaining agreement.  Court held that the terms of the collective bargaining agreement were wide enough to encompass the claims at issue.

• Arnaud v. Doctor’s Associates, Inc., No. 19-CV-3057 (2d Cir. Sept. 15, 2020)

  09/15/2020

  Court of appeal affirmed district court order denying motion to compel arbitration of claims alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.  Court of appeal held that no arbitration agreement existed between the parties because the terms and conditions of the alleged agreement were not reasonably clear and conspicuous on the online form relied upon by defendant-appellant.

• Cheatham v. Virginia College, LLC, No. 1:19-CV-04481-SDG (N.D. Ga. Sept. 15, 2020)

  09/15/2020

  Court grated defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of claims brought by students against a private college.  Court held that the parties delegated the question of arbitrability to the arbitrator.

• Johnson v. Westlake Portfolio Management, LLC, No. 8:20-CV-00749-SCB (M.D. Fla. Sept. 15, 2020)

  09/15/2020

  Court denied defendant’s motion to compel arbitration of consumer debt claims.  Court held that plaintiff, who was a non-signatory to the arbitration agreement, was not equitably estopped from avoiding the arbitration agreement because its claims fell outside the contract containing the arbitration agreement.

• Allen v. Shutterlfy, Inc., No. 5:20-CV-02448-BLF (N.D. Cal. Sept. 14, 2020)

  09/14/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to compel arbitration of fraud claims.  Court held that the arbitration agreement delegated gateway questions of arbitrability to the arbitrator and that the plaintiff assented to the online arbitration agreement.

• Carillo v. ROICOM USA, LLC, No. 3:20-CV-00147-ATB (W.D. Tex. Sept. 14, 2020)

  09/14/2020

  Court denied defendant’s motion to compel arbitration of claims brought under the False Claims Act.  Court held that the arbitration agreement was procedurally unconscionable because plaintiff, a Spanish speaker, was incapable of understanding the contents of the English-language agreement and because of misrepresentations by defendant regarding the arbitration agreement.

• MZM Construction Company, Inc. v. New Jersey Building Laborers Statewide Benefit Funds, No. 18-CV-03791 (3d Cir. Sept. 14, 2020)

  09/14/2020

  Court of appeal affirmed district court order enjoining arbitration of employee benefits claims pending resolution of factual issues bearing upon whether fraud in the execution vitiated the formation or existence of the contract containing the arbitration provision.  Court of appeal held that pursuant to 9 USC § 4, the validity of the arbitration agreement concerned questions about the “making of the agreement to arbitrate” and was therefore a matter for the courts to decide in the absence of the parties having clearly and unmistakably referred those issues to arbitration in a written contract whose formation was not in issue.

• United Government Security Officers of America International Union v. G4S Regulated Security Solutions, No. 1:19-CV-10373-ADB (D. Mass. Sept. 14, 2020)

  09/14/2020

  Court granted plaintiff’s motion to compel arbitration of overtime compensation claims brought under a collective bargaining agreement.  Court held that the overtime claims fell with the scope of the collective bargaining agreement and the arbitration agreement contained in it.

• Yeomans v. World Financial Group Insurance Agency, Inc., No. 3:19-CV-00792-EMC (N.D. Cal. Sept. 11, 2020)

  09/11/2020

  Court denied defendants’ motion to compel arbitration of employment-related claims.  Court held that the arbitrability issue was governed by the FAA because the dispute affected interstate commerce.  Court also held that four of the five plaintiffs were properly put on notice of the arbitration agreements in their employment contracts, but that one of the plaintiffs was not.  Court found that the arbitration agreement was procedurally and substantively unconscionable.

• Morris CM Enterprises, LLC v. Wingstop Franchising, LLC, No. 2:19-CV-02306-KJM (E.D. Cal. Sept. 11, 2020)

  09/11/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to stay the case pending arbitration of claims relating to franchise agreements.  Court found that the parties had agreed to delegate to the arbitrators the issue of arbitrability, including the plaintiff’s allegation that the arbitration agreement was unconscionable.

• Mattos v. National Western Life Insurance Company, No. 1:20-CV-22887-DPG (S.D. Fla. Aug. 30, 2020)

  08/30/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to compel arbitration, finding that the parties manifested a clear and unmistakable intent to arbitrate gateway issues of arbitrability when they provided a valid delegation clause.  Court declined to address plaintiffs’ challenges to the arbitration agreement, finding that it was not appropriate where there was no challenge to the delegation provision specifically.

• McCoy v. The Buccaneer, Inc., No. 1:15-CV-00033-WAL-GWC (D.V.I. Aug. 28, 2020)

  08/28/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to compel arbitration, finding that the arbitration provision was enforceable despite lacking a method for selecting the arbitrator or relevant rules governing the proceedings.  Court found that absent certain terms, parties can rely on gap-filling provisions provided by the FAA.

• Westfall v. USAA Savings Bank, No. 2:19-CV-02093-GMN-DJA (D. Nev. Aug. 27, 2020)

  08/27/2020

  Court granted defendant’s unopposed motions dismiss and to compel arbitration, finding that plaintiff agreed to the terms of the arbitration agreement after conducting his first transaction using defendant bank’s credit card.  Court found that plaintiff’s failure to exhaust non-judicial remedies, including pursuing arbitration, made dismissal without prejudice appropriate.

• Colonial Oaks Assisted Living Lafayette, LLC v. Hannie Development, Inc., No. 19-30995 (5th Cir. Aug. 25, 2020)

  08/25/2020

  Court of appeals affirmed district court order finding that fraud claims were properly severed from the underlying arbitration and that non-fraud claims were properly dismissed as arbitrable, when the arbitration agreement exempted claims for fraud from its scope.  Court found that non-fraud claims that were decided in the underlying arbitration could not be relitigated in the courts.

• Hickerson v. Pool Corporation, No. 1:19-CV-02229-CMA-STV (D. Colo. Aug. 25, 2020)

  08/25/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to compel arbitration, finding that the underlying arbitration provision was enforceable notwithstanding an absence of defendant’s signature when defendant manifested its intent to be bound by the provision.

• Russo v. Trans Union, LLC, No. 2:19-CV-04007-GEKP (E.D. Pa. Aug. 24, 2020)

  08/24/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to compel arbitration, finding that defendant did not waive its right to arbitrate when it waited eight months to file its motion to compel arbitration but did not engage in any non-merits motion practice.  Court found that defendant’s invocation of the arbitration agreement in its answer weighed against a finding of waiver.

• Arkin v. DoorDash, Inc., No. 1:19-CV-04357-NGG-RER (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 24, 2020)

  08/24/2020

  Court granted defendants’ motion to compel arbitration, finding that broad language regarding the scope of the arbitration agreement evidenced clear and unmistakable intent to arbitrate issues of arbitrability.  Court found that plaintiff’s arguments concerning the validity of the arbitration agreement were subject to arbitration.

• Goulart v. Edgewell Personal Care Company, No. 4:19-CV-02568-RLW (E.D. Mo. Aug. 24, 2020)

  08/24/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to compel arbitration, finding that the parties’ incorporation of the JAMS rules evidenced an intent to arbitrate issues of arbitrability.

• Namisnak v. Uber Technologies, Inc., No. 18-15860 (9th Cir. Aug. 24, 2020)

  08/24/2020

  Court of appeals affirmed district court order denying defendant’s motion to compel arbitration of federal statutory claims, finding that two plaintiffs did not download defendant’s mobile application or agreed to defendant’s terms and conditions.  Court reasoned nonsignatory plaintiffs could not be equitably estopped from bringing federal statutory claims when those claims were not “dependent upon or inextricably intertwined with the obligations imposed by the contract containing the arbitration clause.”

• BLC Lexington SNF, LLC v. Craig., No. 5:19-CV-00376-REW-MAS (E.D. Ky. Aug. 13, 2020) 

  08/13/2020

  Court granted motion to compel arbitration and enjoin defendant from further pursuing its claims in state court, finding the arbitration clause was valid and all claims fell within its scope.  Court rejected defendant’s argument for abstention, finding the FAA expresses a preference for federal litigation and the circumstances did not provide justification for court to surrender jurisdiction, and it stayed the action pending arbitration.

• Boyles v. Langmore Capital, LLC, No. 1:20-CV-00545-CCE-LPA (M.D.N.C. Aug. 13, 2020) 

  08/13/2020

  Court ordered a trial to decide the motion to compel arbitration pursuant to § 4 of the FAA, finding there was a disputed question of material fact as to whether plaintiff signed the arbitration agreements.

• Bautista v. Juul Labs Inc., No. 4:20-CV-01613-HSG (N.D. Cal. Aug. 12, 2020) 

  08/12/2020

  Court denied defendants’ motion to compel arbitration and stay the proceedings, finding the plaintiffs’ labor code claims did not fall within the scope of the arbitration agreement.

• Ma v. Gross, No. 2:20-CV-00081-RSM (W.D. Wash. Aug. 12, 2020)

  08/12/2020

  Court granted plaintiff’s motion to compel arbitration and dismiss the action, finding that the language of the arbitration agreement clearly and unambiguously selected the AAA to serve as the administrator.

• Born and Chauhan v. Progrexion Teleservices, Inc., No. 2:20-CV-00107-RJS-DAO (D. Utah Aug. 11, 2020) 

  08/11/2020

  Court granted defendant’s motion to compel arbitration pursuant to the FAA.  Court found that the issue of waiver by litigation conduct was for the court to decide and that defendant had not waived its right to arbitrate.  However, court concluded the parties clearly and unmistakably agreed to submit the issues of unconscionability and class arbitration to the arbitrator by incorporation of the AAA Rules in the arbitration agreement. 

• Diversicare Leasing Corp. v. Robinson, No. 0:19-CV-00117-HRW (E.D. Ky. Aug. 11, 2020) 

  08/11/2020

  Court granted motion to compel arbitration pursuant to the FAA, finding the arbitration agreement was valid and enforceable and defendant’s claims fell within the scope of the agreement.  Court granted motion to enjoin defendant from proceeding with a parallel action in state court.

• Ely v. East Coast Restaurant and Night Clubs, LLC, No. 1:20-CV-00442-JD (D.N.H. Aug. 11, 2020) 

  08/11/2020

  Court granted motion to compel arbitration pursuant to the FAA, finding that the delegation provision meant the question of whether the arbitration agreement was valid and enforceable was for the arbitrator.

• First World Limited v. MIBC Holdings, LTD., No. 2:18-CV-01997-KJD-VCF (D. Nev. Aug. 10, 2020) 

  08/10/2020

  Court granted motion to compel arbitration, finding pursuant to the FAA that the arbitration agreement was valid and plaintiff’s pending claims fell within its scope.  Court held that parties’ choice of ICC arbitration and the selection of Nevada substantive law did not render the arbitral provision ambiguous or impossible to enforce.