11th Cir. Upholds Lower Court’s Refusal to Vacate Award for Evident Partiality

TAMPA, Fla. — A federal appeals court has confirmed an arbitration award issued in an employment action, finding the plaintiffs failed to establish that the arbitrator acted with evident partiality in finding for the employer.

On Aug. 19, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with the lower court that plaintiffs failed to present evidence that the arbitrator had an advertising relationship with the employer’s parent company, therefore vacatur is not warranted pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act.

Kathy Fowler and Lacretia Gonzales sued the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of …