Arbitration agreements often name a particular arbitral forum to conduct an arbitration, but what if, when a dispute arises, that arbitral forum no longer exists or is otherwise unavailable? In Inetianbor v. CashCall, Inc., 768 F.3d 1346, 1350 (11th Cir. 2014), the Eleventh Circuit held that "the failure of the chosen forum precludes arbitration whenever the choice of forum is an integral part of the agreement to arbitrate, rather than an ancillary logistical concern." This ruling reinforced Eleventh Circuit precedent and reflects the law in the majority of Circuit Courts that have considered the question.
Direct Benefits Estoppel -- Compelling Non-Signatories to Arbitrate
The Seventh Circuit recently ruled that a party was bound to an arbitration award despite not being a signatory to the agreement to arbitrate. The court based its decision on the doctrine of "direct benefits estoppel," ruling that, even though the plaintiff was a non-signatory to the franchise agreement that contained an arbitration clause, she had received a direct benefit from the franchise agreement, and thus was bound under the terms of the arbitration award.
