Cases: Arbitration

Arbitration, Fee Clause Interpretation, Indemnity: Narrow Fee Clause, Allowing Recovery In Arbitration Only, Did Not Confer Fee Recovery For Fees Relating To Litigation

Cases: Arbitration, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Indemnity

Indemnity Clause Gave No Basis For Fee Recovery, Because It Was Unilateral In Favor Of Unsuccessful Party, Not Allowing For Fee Entitlement–$628,587.50 In Fees Went Away!             In Club Acacia Community Assn. v. Professional Community Management of California, Inc., Case No. G056313 (4th Dist., Div. 3 July 11, 2019) (unpublished), a long-time dispute between an […]

Appeal Sanctions, Arbitration: Broad Operating Agreement Fees Clause Justified $238,000 Fees/Costs Award To Arbitration Prevailing Party, Plus Fees For Winning On Appeal

Cases: Appeal Sanctions, Cases: Arbitration

Appealing Party Just Avoided Sanctions For Frivolous Appeal, But Fees On Appeal Found To Be The Appropriate Remedy.             Walters v. Boustead Securities, LLC, Case No. G056250 (4th Dist., Div. 3 July 11, 2019) (unpublished) is an interesting Fourth District, Division 3 opinion affirming a $238,000 fees/costs arbitration award in favor of a prevailing party

Arbitration, Section 998: $1,036,773.68 Fees/Costs Award To Losing Arbitration Claimant Affirmed On Appeal

Cases: Arbitration, Cases: Section 998

Arbitrator’s Consideration of 998 Offer After Close Of Evidence Did Not Alter The Result.             In Hartzler v. 110 Management, Inc., Case No. B290134 (2d Dist., Div. 4 June 12, 2019) (unpublished), property manager of Amy Lee Hartzler, who co-founded the rock band Evanescence, sued for alleged unpaid commissions under a management agreement with a

Appeal Sanctions, Arbitration: $55,764.40 Fee Award By An Arbitrator In Defective Car Case Could Not Be Reviewed On The Merits

Cases: Appeal Sanctions, Cases: Arbitration

Appeal Sanctions Was Not Imposed For Frivolous Appeal Because Respondent’s Request Was Patently Excessive.             Justice Goethals, in Housen v. Ultimate Autoline, Case No. G055878 (4th Dist., Div. 3 June 10, 2019) (unpublished), reminds litigants and practitioners that the merits of arbitrator’s decisions are by and large not reviewable and that the arbitrator has limited

Arbitration, Section 998: California Supreme Court Announces Bright-Line Rule For Presentation of Rejected CCP § 998 Offers To Arbitrators—Within 15 Days After Issuance Of Final Award

Cases: Arbitration, Cases: Section 998

However, Arbitrator Still Has Wide-Ranging Discretion To Allow Costs-Shifting Or Not.             The California Supreme Court, in Heimlich v. Shivji, Case No. S243029 (Cal. Supreme Court May 30, 2019), in a 7-0 opinion authored by Justice Corrigan, established a bright-line rule for presentation of a rejected CCP § 998 offer to an arbitrator for fee/cost-shifting

Arbitration: Arbitration Claimants Losing Real Estate Dispute With Different Respondents Could Not Obtain Review Of Arbitrator’s Rulings By Which $1.3 Million In Adverse Fee Awards Were Granted

Cases: Arbitration

Merits Of Fee Rulings Were Beyond Review.             As we have posted on many occasions, contractual interpretation or merits rulings are generally beyond trial court or appellate review in a vast majority of situations under Moncharsh v. Heily & Blaise, 3 Cal.4th 1, 11-12, 33 (1992).  The arbitrator, in a real estate dispute, found against

Arbitration, Ethics: Ethics Lapse Not Violating Any Rules Of Professional Conduct Did Not Disqualify Law Firm From Collecting Unpaid Receivable

Cases: Arbitration, Cases: Ethics

However, Arbitrator’s Decision Not To Award Almost $1 Million In Arbitration Fees Based On Trope Prohibition Was Nonreviewable “Arbitrator Judgment Call.”             In eGumball, Inc. v. Call & Jensen, et al., Case Nos. G055852 and G055989 (4th Dist., Div. 3 May 17, 2019) (unpublished), a well-known Orange County law firm initiated arbitration to collect unpaid

Arbitration, Section 998: 2/2 DCA Affirms Denial Of All But $60 Post-Confirmation Award Filing Cost To Prevailing Arbitration Claimant

Cases: Arbitration, Cases: Section 998

Rejected CCP § 998 Offer Did Not Change The Result, Because Claimant Did Not Ask Arbitrator To Cost Shift And Failed To Show Contractual Expenses Were Post-Offer In Nature.             In Lipton & Margolin, APC v. Ko, Case No. B288038 (2d Dist., Div. 2 February 7, 2019) (unpublished), former law firm sued client for $39,455.45

Arbitration: 2/7 DCA Decides, Absent Clearly Worded Arbitration Submission, That Arbitrator Refusing To Award Contractual Fees To Prevailing Party Can Do So Without Fearing Reversal

Cases: Arbitration

Appellate Court Follows Safari Over DiMarco, Although Reversing Denial Of Postarbitration Fees To Prevailing Party In Superior Court Proceedings.             The Second District, Division 7, in Cohen v. TNP 2008 Participating Notes Program, LLC, Case No. B266702 (2d Dist., Div. 7 Jan. 29, 2019; posted Jan. 30, 2019) (published) dealt with a situation where a

Arbitration, Prevailing Party: Party Defeating Petition To Compel Arbitration, The Only Contractual Claim, Was Entitled To Fee Recovery Despite No Completed Arbitration On The Noncontract Claims

Cases: Arbitration, Cases: Prevailing Party

Finality Was Present With Respect To The One Contractual Issue, Justifying Civil Code Section 1717 Recovery.             In an earlier published decision, general contractor was found to have waived the right to compel arbitration in construction defect and mechanic’s lien cases which ultimately were consolidated. The winning party on the arbitrability dispute, the only contractual

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