ELEVENTH CIRCUIT RESTRICTS EXTRASTATUTORY JUDICIAL REVIEW OF ARBITRATION AWARDS
The Eleventh Circuit recently limited the authority by which an aggrieved party can obtain judicial review of arbitration awards outside of the four grounds enumerated in the Federal Arbitration Act, ruling that an insurance policy alone could not serve as “an independent basis for the enforcement of an arbitration award.” The plaintiff argued that its right to expanded judicial review was based on the policy’s express language that “[a]ny decision rendered in arbitration is binding on you and us unless judicial review is sought…you and we have the right to judicial review of any decision rendered in arbitration.” The Eleventh Circuit disagreed, holding that if parties wish to allow for more avenues to judicial review, they must explicitly designate the “state statutory or common law alternatives to the FAA in their arbitration agreements.” Otherwise, the contract alone will not suffice as the sole basis for judicial review when the FAA itself does not apply. Campbell’s Foliage, Inc. v. Federal Crop Insurance Corp., No. 13-11896 (11th Cir. Apr. 3, 2014).
This post written by Rollie Goss.
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