Arbitration: How to Enforce Awards and Avoid Costly Court Litigation

An arbitration clause is enforceable under the FAA when it is in writing, covers a transaction involving interstate or foreign commerce, and reflects mutual assent, and the FAA's strong policy favoring arbitration means courts resolve any ambiguity about scope in favor of arbitration. The Supreme Court held in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion that the FAA preempts state law defenses that would invalidate arbitration clauses on grounds not applicable to contracts generally, making a well-drafted class action waiver enforceable in most U.S. .urisdictions.

Business dispute and commercial litigation counsel can advise on the specific FAA and state contract law requirements for an enforceable arbitration clause, assess whether the clause's scope covers the dispute at issue, and develop the motion to compel arbitration or the opposition strategy.

The Kompetenz-Kompetenz doctrine gives arbitrators the authority to rule on their own jurisdiction before a court may intervene, and most major institutional rules including AAA, JAMS, and ICC incorporate this doctrine by assigning threshold arbitrability questions to the tribunal. The separability doctrine, recognized by the Supreme Court in Prima Paint Corp. .. Flood and Conklin Manufacturing Co., holds that an arbitration clause is legally separate from the surrounding contract, so a claim that the entire contract is void does not automatically invalidate the arbitration clause.

Civil litigation and breach of contract counsel can advise on the Kompetenz-Kompetenz and separability doctrines applicable to the arbitration clause at issue, assess whether arbitrability should be decided by the arbitrator or the court, and develop the jurisdictional challenge or defense strategy.

The AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules and JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules govern most domestic U.S. .ommercial disputes, while the ICC Arbitration Rules are preferred for large international matters because the ICC Court of Arbitration provides institutional oversight of the award before issuance. The three institutions differ primarily in fee structure, arbitrator selection methodology, and the availability of emergency relief, and the choice among them should be made at the contract drafting stage rather than after the dispute arises.

International arbitration and international dispute resolution counsel can advise on the selection of arbitral institution, seat, and governing rules for the specific international commercial dispute, assess the procedural and cost implications of each institution's rules, and develop the international arbitration strategy.

The New York Convention requires each of its more than 170 signatory countries to recognize and enforce foreign arbitral awards, subject only to narrow refusal grounds including lack of due process, arbitrator excess of authority, and violation of the enforcing country's public policy. A party that obtains an international arbitration award seated in a signatory country can apply to enforce it in any other signatory country where the losing party holds assets, making international arbitration the most practical mechanism for cross-border commercial dispute resolution.

International business transactions and international trade disputes counsel can advise on the New York Convention enforcement procedures applicable in countries where the losing party holds assets, assess whether any Convention grounds for refusal apply to the award, and develop the cross-border award enforcement strategy.

Under FAA Section 10, a court may vacate an arbitration award only if it was procured by corruption or fraud, the arbitrators were evidently partial or corrupt, the arbitrators committed misconduct in refusing to hear pertinent evidence, or the arbitrators exceeded their powers. The Supreme Court held in Hall Street Associates, LLC v. Mattel, Inc., that parties cannot by contract expand these grounds for judicial review, meaning that even a legally erroneous award is virtually unreviewable unless one of the four statutory grounds is established.

Appellate litigation and judgment enforcement counsel can advise on the specific FAA Section 10 grounds applicable to the award, assess whether any arbitrator misconduct or excess of authority supports a vacatur motion, and develop the award confirmation or vacatur strategy.

Yes, a party can obtain interim relief during arbitration through emergency arbitrator proceedings available under most major institutional rules, which can produce an interim order within one to three days of filing, or through a parallel court application under FAA Section 7 to preserve assets or evidence pending the final award. Courts have consistently held that an arbitration agreement does not deprive a court of authority to grant interim measures necessary to preserve the enforceability of the eventual award.

Injunctive relief and alternative dispute resolution counsel can advise on the availability of emergency arbitrator proceedings and parallel court applications for interim measures, assess whether the specific relief sought satisfies the applicable standard for interim protection, and develop the emergency relief and asset preservation strategy.