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
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Arbitration Clauses in Employee Contracts and Beyond
On the 100th anniversary of the Federal Arbitration Act, it is worth recalling that the law was enacted in 1925 in response to what the U.S. Supreme Court later called, in its 2011 opinion in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion,...more
Arizona employer cannot exclude settlement communications from former employee’s retaliation complaint - In Flores v. Rafi Law Group PLLC, the plaintiff accused her law firm employer of retaliating against her by (i)...more
In 2003, the California Supreme Court adopted a stringent test to determine whether an employer had waived its right to compel arbitration of an employee’s claims. The most critical, and often determinative, factor was...more
On November 6, 2024, in Isernia v. Danville Regional Medical Center, the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia issued an Opinion denying multiple defendants’ motion to compel arbitration. The...more
Two recent decisions from the California Courts of Appeal could have massive ramifications for employers seeking to enforce arbitration agreements. Specifically, each court each held that the Ending Forced Arbitration of...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 (“EFAA”) renders arbitration agreements unenforceable with regard to claims of sexual assault and sexual harassment....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In line with recent anti-arbitration trends, the California Court of Appeal recently decided two cases – Doe v. Second Street Corp. and Liu v. Miniso Depot CA, Inc. – that apply the federal Ending Forced...more
A significant number of employers are opting to elect mandatory arbitration of potential disputes with employees as an alternative to state or federal courts. In some circumstances, arbitration can be quicker than litigation,...more
When a “dispute” arises under the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (EFAA) depends on when the specific facts of the case show a “conflict or controversy” exists between the parties, the...more
Suspense builds as the end of the Michigan Supreme Court’s 2023-2024 term approaches quickly, with scores of argued appeals still unresolved. The 40 appeals that remain undecided reveal interesting trends in the court’s...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
It is generally understood, or at least it has been in the past, that plaintiffs prefer to avoid the application of the Federal Arbitration Act (the “FAA”) and instead present their cases to juries. As such, plaintiffs have...more
Arbitration agreements are useful tools for California employers, but they are replete with potential dangers. An employer contemplating using arbitration in the workplace must evaluate whether it should be mandatory, the...more
Despite its best efforts, the California Legislature has been unable to substantially curtail the popularity of employment arbitrations in California. The hostility to employment arbitration remains evident, however, among...more
After four long years of litigation, AB 51, intended to prohibit mandatory arbitration agreements, has been permanently enjoined. California companies may rejoice in a rare win allowing enforceable arbitration agreements to...more
There are times when one would rather not be proven right. Nearly four years ago, a California district court invalidated AB 51, which sought to prohibit mandatory arbitration by, among other things, calling for criminal...more
Over the past few years, this blog has followed the California Legislature’s concerted efforts to vitiate employment arbitrations in the state. Senate Bill 365 is the next in line....more
Arbitration agreements are a powerful tool used by many employers to compel the utilization of arbitration as a means of alternative dispute resolution. Arbitration allows the parties of a claim to resolve the dispute...more
In Munoz, v. Earthgrains Distribution, LLC, 2023 WL 5986129 (S.D. Cal. Sept. 13, 2023), the plaintiffs, members of a class of independent distributors of baked goods for Earthgrains and other bakeries, alleged that they were...more
Avid readers of Stokes Wagner’s legal updates may be familiar with California’s Assembly Bill 51, a law that, until very recently, prohibited California employers from requiring employees or job applicants to sign arbitration...more
On February 15, 2023, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a 2020 California law that attempted to prohibit employers from requiring employees and job applicants to agree to arbitration as a condition of employment. The...more
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
Historically, courts around the country have approached the enforceability of class action waivers and arbitration provisions in ESOP and Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) plan documents differently,...more
The panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that largely upheld California’s law banning mandatory arbitration agreements in the employment context just withdrew its decision. On August 22, 2022, two of the three...more
Last month, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that an employee’s sworn statement that she never electronically signed (or even saw) an arbitration agreement during the onboarding process were,...more