A recent decision by the United States Supreme Court in American Express Co. et al. v. Italian Colors Restaurant et al., __ U.S. __ (June 20, 2013) marks a victory for many seeking to minimize their class action exposure through execution of arbitration agreements with consumers or employees.
Read MoreThe Supreme Court has confirmed in Ust-Kamenogorsk Hydropower Plant JSC (JSC) v AES Ust-Kamenogorsk Hydropower Plant LLP [2013] UKSC 35 that English courts may order an injunction to stay foreign proceedings which have been started in breach of an arbitration agreement, even where no arbitration proceedings are proposed or underway.
Read MoreIn the conjoined cases of Beijing Jianlong Heavy Industry Group v Golden Ocean Group and Beijing Jianlong Heavy Industry Group v Ship Finance International Ltd [2013] EWHC 1063, Judge Mackie QC held that arbitration clauses which were included in certain guarantee contracts were enforceable, even if the guarantees themselves might be unenforceable.
Read Moren Oxford Health Plans LLC v. Sutter, 569 U.S. ____ (2013), the Supreme Court all but ordered the federal courts to not decide whether one person can pursue arbitration on behalf of a class of other people. Dr. John Sutter had a contract with Oxford Health Plans to provide his services to people Oxford insured. In exchange, Oxford would pay him.
Read MoreIn Bunga S.A. v. Kyla Shipping Company Limited [2012] EWHC 3522 (Comm), the Commercial Court considered whether an arbitrator had made an error of law under Section 69 of the Arbitration Act 1996. The court concluded that a continuing warranty to maintain hull insurance created an assumption of risk and responsibility, defeating the contention that a charterparty had been frustrated.
Read MoreIn State of Wash. Dep’t of Transp. v. James River Ins. Co., No. 87644-4 (Wash. Jan. 17, 2013), the Washington Supreme Court recently determined that a state statute prohibits binding arbitration clauses in insurance policies. The decision arose out of an insurance coverage dispute between James River Insurance and one of its insureds, the Washington State Department of Transportation (the “Department”).
Read MoreIn a recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that the doctrine of issue preclusion barred an insured from litigating the applicability of an insurance policy exclusion where an arbitration panel had previously addressed a related, but not identical, question of law. The case is Manganella v. Evanston Insurance Company, No. 12-1137. A copy of the decision is available here.
Read MoreIn Turville Heath Inc v Chartis Insurance UK Limited [2012] EWHC 3019 (TCC), Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart in the High Court refused the defendant’s application for a stay of proceedings under s. 9 of the Arbitration Act 1996 (Arbitration Act) but granted a stay using the court’s inherent jurisdiction under s. 49 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 (SCA).
Read MoreIn Itochu Corporation v Johann MK Blumenthal GMBH [2012] EWCA Civ 996 the Court of Appeal refused to grant permission to appeal an order granted by Mr Justice Andrew Smith that a sole arbitrator be appointed in an arbitration between the applicants, Itochu Corporation (Itochu) and the respondents, Johann MK Blumenthal GMBH (Johann).
Read MoreIn Latvian Shipping Co v Russian People’s Insurance Co (ROSNO) Open Ended Joint Stock Co [2012] EWHC 1412 (Comm) the Court considered the appeal of an arbitration award on the grounds of serious irregularities within the Tribunal’s findings.
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