The Fifth Circuit handed down an opinion (link is to .pdf) today which discusses the qualifications required of a “non-public” arbitrator under the NASD rules. The opinion reverses a trial court decision to vacate an arbitral award on the basis that one of the three arbitrators did not meed NASD standards for arbitrator qualifications. In [...]
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On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court confirmed that Texas law is in line with Federal law holding that a trial court’s order compelling arbitration is final and appealable, and not interlocutory. The opinion is short and provides little in the way of opportunity for pithy commentary, but is useful nonetheless. Childers v. Advanced Foundation Repair, [...]
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Late last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down another opinion holding that a federal statutory cause of action was subject to binding arbitration (link is to .pdf file). This time, the Court ruled that in enacting the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (“USERRA”), Congress did not intend to preclude employers [...]
Continue reading about Fifth Circuit Sends Marine to Arbitration
This morning, the Texas Supreme Court reversed trial court and Tenth Court of Appeals findings that Kroger was liable for injuries one of its employees sustained while helping a customer load grocery bags into her car. The employee in question had placed one hand on the customer’s car door jamb while steadying the cart with [...]
Continue reading about Texas Supreme Court Issues Workplace Safety Opinion
On January 12, 2006, we blogged about the Fifth Circuit decision in the Positive Software case to vacate an arbitral award on the basis of an undisclosed conflict of interest. Today, the Circuit decided to rehear the case(link is to .pdf file) en banc. We will keep you posted on this and other exciting developments [...]
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This morning, the Third Court of Appeals released an opinion reviewing a Travis County trial court decision to dismiss certain claims against an Oak Hill church for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, based on the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, which in turn stems from the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Third Court of Appeals, [...]
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The Texas Supreme Court issued seven opinions this morning. We’re still sorting through them, and we will comment in some detail on the ones that are applicable to this blog, but I wanted to at least note them quickly in case any is of immediate interest to any of our readers. I would also note [...]
Continue reading about Big Morning at the Texas Supreme Court
[ed. note: please welcome Glen Wilkerson's first commentary on our blog] It is difficult to recall a time where there is so much transition in Texas law with respect to “insurance matters”. The reason is that the Texas Supreme Court has now pending (awaiting rulings in the next 2 to 3 months) at least four [...]
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What now, arbitration?
Let’s all admit and accept the truth – within the next 10 years THE primary disputing system for most civil matters will be arbitration. Trial courts, juries and appellate courts will continue to dominate criminal and family matters and some personal injury cases. Who knows what will happen with cases involving Information Law. Whine about [...]
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