Arbitration Agreement With Class Action Waiver In New York
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1 In the context of arbitration, waiver occurs when a party consciously and intentionally gives up its right to arbitrate a particular dispute, thereby choosing litigation as the preferred method of dispute resolution.
Arbitration is a procedure in which a dispute is submitted, by agreement of the parties, to one or more arbitrators who make a binding decision on the dispute. In choosing arbitration, the parties opt for a private dispute resolution procedure instead of going to court.
See 9 U.S.C. § 1. In Concepcion, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that class action waivers in arbitration agreements are enforceable.
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.
1 In the context of arbitration, waiver occurs when a party consciously and intentionally gives up its right to arbitrate a particular dispute, thereby choosing litigation as the preferred method of dispute resolution.
Some potential consequences may include: Breach of Contract: If arbitration is a contractual requirement and one party refuses to participate, they may be in breach of the contract. The non-complying party may be held liable for damages resulting from the breach.
Section 7 of the Arbitration Act 1996 confirms that the doctrine of separability applies to arbitration agreements. It makes clear that even if the main contract never came into existence, the arbitration agreement can still be binding.
However, employers that mandate arbitration often include class-action waivers in their employment contracts. This prevents workers from litigating their cases jointly, and instead requires them each to proceed with their relatively small individual claims through arbitration.
Without a valid arbitration agreement, no arbitration can take place or award can be rendered. In other words, a valid arbitration agreement is the cornerstone of any arbitration proceedings. Townsend, J.M., Drafting Arbitration Clauses: Avoiding the 7 Deadly Sins, Dispute Resolution Journal, 2003, p. 1.
