Builder Says Miss. Drywall Claims Fall Under Arbitration Agreement

NEW ORLEANS - A builder named in a Mississippi Chinese drywall lawsuit has moved for summary judgment based on a mandatory arbitration agreement that the plaintiffs signed upon purchasing their home. Perry v. Knauf Gips KG, et al., No. 09-05500 (E.D. La.).

Sun Construction filed the motion Nov. 10 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, arguing that the arbitration clause in Timothy and Tracey Perry's purchase agreement is "valid, irrevocable and enforceable" under state and federal laws.

The Perry's Chinese drywall claim was transferred to the federal MDL in New Orleans from Mississippi, where they purchased …