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Matt's diverse skill set and 30 years of experience make him a go-to attorney for commercial disputes in the U.S. and around the world. His clients turn to him for creative solutions in mediation, counseling, U.S. courtrooms, and arbitration panels.

On February 28, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s denial of a petition to compel individual arbitration against Starz Entertainment, LLC. The court held that the plaintiff, who objected to JAMS’ decision to consolidate arbitration proceedings, was not aggrieved under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) because Starz never failed, neglected, or refused to arbitrate. The consolidation of numerous identical filings by JAMS pursuant to its own rules did not present a gateway question of arbitrability. Furthermore, the FAA did not permit the plaintiff to raise unconscionability as a basis to compel individual arbitration. The decision distinguishes Heckman v. Live Nation Ent., Inc. and provides further guidance to parties seeking to control mass arbitration risk.

In its 12th case regarding arbitration in the last five years, the Roberts court fascination with the dispute resolution method continues. In the second of two decisions regarding arbitration this week, the Court reestablished the primacy of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). In reasoning similar to the line of decisions that have enforced class-action waivers,