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Court Lets Go Of The Reins: Runaway Escrow Agent Binds Principals To Arbitration Agreement - 99 Commercial Street, Inc. V. Goldberg, Karen E. Martin

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Arbitration agreements are a step in the right direction for alternate dispute resolution. Obviously, before a court can grant a motion to compel arbitration pursuant to such an agreement, it must find that both parties are, indeed, bound by that agreement.' Although a traditional contract law analysis is ordinarily used to determine who is bound to a contract containing an arbitration provision, when an escrow agent acting on behalf of one party to a contract binds that party to an agreement to arbitrate, traditional contract law analysis must be altered to take into account the extent of an escrow agent's …