A California federal court granted a motion to compel arbitration by retail franchisor Batteries Plus and its two executives, and dismissed a franchisee’s action alleging violations of the California Franchise Investment Law,...more
Issues surrounding unconscionability and severance are commonplace in motions to compel arbitration, especially in California. Under California Civil Code section 1670.5, a court has three options when presented with an...more
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
In a recent decision, EDVA Judge Rossie Alston invalidated the arbitration clause in the terms and conditions for online sales through the Lowe’s Home Centers website on the grounds that the terms and conditions were illusory...more
Arbitration agreements, at their core, are contracts. As with any contract, there must be “mutuality” or, more colloquially, a “meeting of the minds” on what the contract is intended to encompass. For this reason, employment...more
The Ninth Circuit concluded that arbitration agreements were enforceable in two opinions that addressed three significant arbitration issues: (1) the standards applicable to the mutual assent analysis in online transactions;...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
On July 15, 2024, the Supreme Court of California issued a decision that could provide courts in the state with significant discretion to refuse to enforce employment arbitration agreements even if only one term is determined...more
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
In a recent ruling, a California appeals court found an arbitration agreement with an eyewear store employee that was presented on a take-it-or-leave-it basis required an arbitrator to apply the laws of another state,...more
A federal court in California recently granted a motion brought by a franchisor and two of its employees to compel arbitration and dismiss an action alleging violations of the California Franchise Investment Law, breach of...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently reversed a district court’s ruling, which had denied a motion to compel arbitration of Opportunity Financial (OppFi) on the basis that the arbitration clause was...more
In this appeal, the Eleventh Appellate District affirmed the trial court’s decision to grant the defendant summary judgment, finding, among other things, that equitable estoppel was a defense, not affirmative cause of action....more
The Manitoba Court of Appeal (the “Court”) in Pokornik v. SkipTheDishes Restaurant Services Inc., 2024 MBCA 3, recently upheld a lower court decision dismissing a large online meal delivery service’s motion to stay a class...more
A recent case decided by the Ohio Court of Appeals reminds new franchisors to tread carefully when converting existing licensees to future franchisees. In the case of Okolish v. Town Money Saver, Inc., a coupon clipper...more
Noting the court was deciding, as a matter of first impression, “what a party must do to specifically challenge a delegation provision and what a court may consider when evaluating this challenge,” the Ninth Circuit Court of...more
A California appellate court recently denied enforcement of an arbitration agreement because (1) it contained provisions the court found problematic, and (2) the employer presented the agreement to the employee for electronic...more
In Payne v. Savannah College of Art and Design Inc., the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court order denying a motion to compel arbitration of plaintiff Isaac Payne’s discrimination-based claims. The...more
Cincinnati v. PE Alms Hill Realty, LLC, 1st Dist. Hamilton, 2023-Ohio-2784. In this appeal, the First Appellate District affirmed the trial court’s decision to grant commercial lenders summary judgment on their breach of...more
It is not unusual for users of a platform or of software to challenge the enforceability of a company’s terms of use if they take issue with the company’s product or service and decide to bring suit. As most terms of use...more
Employers seeking to move workplace claims from the courthouse to arbitration received some good news Friday from the U.S. Supreme Court. If a trial court denies a party’s request to compel arbitration, the court must pause...more
Employers that face lawsuits from employees often seek to move such claims from the courthouse to arbitration. But what happens if the trial court refuses to compel arbitration and the employer appeals the decision? Should...more
The Second District Court of Appeal issued an opinion in Rocha v. U-Haul Co. of California, et al. (Cal. Ct. App., Feb. 2, 2023, No. B322599) 2023 WL 1462594, addressing questions of procedural and substantive...more
Earlier this week, we wrote about Verizon’s appeal to the Ninth Circuit from a district court ruling that the bellwether provision in its arbitration clause was unconscionable. Both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the...more
The Manitoba Court of King’s Bench recently rejected a motion by a large online meal delivery service to stay a class proceeding in favour of arbitration in accordance with the terms of a new agreement with its couriers. The...more