Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons^™

Unfair By Default: Arbitration's Reverse Default Judgment Problem, Alexi Pfeffer-Gillett

Scholarly Articles

It is a foundational principle of civil law that a defendant who fails to respond to allegations is deemed to have admitted those allegations and can be subjected to default judgment liability. This threat of default judgment incentivizes defendants to respond to claims, thereby discouraging delay tactics and helping ensure cases are resolved efficiently on the merits.

In consumer and employment arbitration, though, the fairness and efficiency benefits of traditional default judgment are flipped, rewarding rather than punishing unresponsive defendants. This difference from civil litigation arises out of arbitration’s fee structures: if a defendant-company fails to pay its share of …

Note, Appearance Of Bias As Grounds For Vacating An Arbitrator’S Award – Implications Of Commonwealth Coatings Corp. V. Continental Casualty Co. For Labor Arbitration, Roger C. Hartley

Scholarly Articles

Commonwealth Coatings Corp. v. Continental Casualty Co. involved the arbitration of a dispute between two contractors. The reasoning of the opinion of the court contains possible implications for the review of labor arbitration awards challenged on the ground of alleged partiality of the arbitrator. The federal district courts find jurisdiction to vacate labor arbitration awards under Section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), but nowhere in the LMRA is there an express test of partiality the courts can apply. Section 10 of the United States Arbitration Act provides a statutory test of "evident partiality,"'-but it has been held …