TV Stars and Producers of "Bones" Get $178.7M Arbitration Award Against Fox

While arbitration, including arbitration awards, normally remain confidential, they become public when a disputing party asks a court to confirm or vacate the arbitration award. As today's NYTimes reports, the big arbitration award against Fox "spilled into public view on Wednesday after the plaintiffs in the case filed a petition to confirm the arbitration award in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The arbitrator, Peter D. Lichtman, said that Fox pocketed tens of millions of dollars that should have gone to the 'Bones' team. He ordered Fox to pay the plaintiffs $50 million in damages and an additional $128 million in punitive damages. Fox is contesting the $128 million ruling."

Arbitration of Trust Disputes, Telephonic Hearing, and Whether Arbitrator Exceeded Powers

All this in an interesting recent 8th Circuit case, Brown v. Brown-Thill.

Arbitration Award Based on Issue Preclusion (Collateral Estoppel) Enforced

A recent second circuit case confirmed an arbitrator's power to rule against a claim on the ground that of issue preclusion (collateral estoppel).  Specifically, the arbitrator found an Administrative Law Judge had already resolved the relevant issue against the claimant.  The case, American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO v. U.S. Postal Service, __F.3d__, 2014 WL 2535249 (2d Cir. June 6, 2014), is discussed here by Liz Kramer.