These days, arbitration doesn't seem so 'final'

The advantage of choosing to arbitrate rather than litigate are that former option is cheaper, faster, private and final. But how final is a decision made by an arbitrator? According to a story in the National Law Journal, there’s been an increase in parties effectively appealing arbitration decisions by challenging them in court with a “motion to vacate”. The number do appear to be climbing: In 2000 US state and federal courts issued 125 written decisions on motions to vacate arbitration awards. In 2005, that total was 141 decisions. In 2010, the number was 208.

These days, arbitration doesn't seem so 'final' blogs.wsj.com Wed, Feb 16, 2011