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Consolidation Of Separate Arbitration Proceedings: Liberal Construction Versus Contractarian Approaches - United Kingdom Of Great Britain V. Boeing Co., Michael L. Decamp

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The Federal Arbitration Act (F.A.A.) provides arbitration agreements with the validity and enforceability afforded other contracts under the law. The F.A.A. does this by vesting the United States district courts with the authority to compel parties to arbitrate according to their agreements. However, when a court must decide whether to consolidate separate arbitration proceedings because they involve common questions of fact and law and common parties, the F.A.A. is silent as to the court's authority. This silence has resulted in courts either allowing consolidation under a liberal interpretation of the act ("liberal construction" approach), or refraining from granting consolidation under …