Complete Arbitration Rule Bars Federal Court Claims, 8th Circuit Affirms

ST. LOUIS — The complete arbitration rule precludes a party from pursuing statutory remedies in federal court until the arbitration is complete, the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has affirmed. Wootten v. Fisher Investments Inc., No. 11-2476 (8th Cir.).

On July 26, the appellate court upheld a Missouri federal court’s dismissal of Missouri statutory claims based on the arbitration agreement’s Delaware choice-of-law provision.

Thomas A. Wootten initiated arbitration against his former investment advisor, Fisher Investments Inc., with the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services. During the arbitration, Fisher Investments moved to dismiss Wootten's Missouri statutory claims based on the arbitration …