In a series of decisions beginning in the 1980s, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the reach of the FAA, requiring enforcement of arbitration agreements to statutory claims,11 including in employment contracts.
Contact the Texas Comptroller's Arbitration team at 800-252-9121 or ptad.arbitration@cpa.texas. You have certain rights under Government Code Chapters 552 and 559 to review, request and correct information we have on file about you. Contact us at the email address or phone number listed in these instructions.
Texas law will routinely uphold arbitration clauses. However, before submitting to arbitration, all Texans who want their day in court should be sure that the agreement is enforceable. It is tough but you can still avoid an arbitration clause.
The brief should include identification of the parties, a concise description of the facts, and applicable case law and statutes. The briefs should be submitted to the arbitrator at least 2 days prior to the arbitration hearing.
However, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled that an employer can simply notify at-will employees of the details of an arbitration program it is adopting, and the employees can be bound to that arbitration program by continuing their employment, even if they never sign anything.
In some instances, you may be able to sue if you signed a valid arbitration agreement. While courts generally favor arbitration agreements, they will allow you to file a lawsuit if either you didn't understand your rights or your claims fall outside the arbitration provision's scope.
Validity of Arbitration Agreements Under Section 171.001 of the TAA, written agreements to arbitrate are generally valid and enforceable in Texas. This section ensures that, barring any specific legal exceptions, parties bound by a written agreement to arbitrate must settle their disputes outside of court.
Arbitration is where you resolve differences in front of a private arbitrator rather than a lawsuit in a civil court. Arbitration agreements are typically found in your employment contract when you first get hired.
Arbitration agreements require that persons who signed them resolve any disputes by binding arbitration, rather than in court before a judge and/or jury. What is binding arbitration? Binding arbitration involves the submission of a dispute to a neutral party who hears the case and makes a decision.