Arbitral Immunity Bars Claims Against American Arbitration Association, 8th Cir. Affirms

MINNEAPOLIS — A federal appeals court has upheld dismissal of a lawsuit brought against the American Arbitration Association for removing an arbitrator from a panel on the basis of alleged bias, holding that the claims are barred by arbitral immunity.

In the opinion, the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals explained that that the removal of arbitrators is protected by arbitral immunity “because it is just as much a part of the arbitration process as the appointment of arbitrators.”

Timothy Owens was the president and CEO of Voyager Bank. After Voyager terminated him, Owens filed for arbitration against Voyager before …