“The Supreme Court Argument Only Underscored the Complexities of Federal Court Jurisdiction Over Arbitration Awards”

This Lexology article, by John Lewis at Baker Hostetler, nicely encapsulates the issues before the U.S. Supreme Court in the recently argued Badgerow v. Walters case. As the Court grapples with the language and intent of the Federal Arbitration Act, in particular regarding the subject matter jurisdiction of the federal courts to confirm or vacate arbitration awards, the practical ramifications involve the deference paid under the FAA to the sanctity of an arbitrator’s award, as compared to a more activist review of the merits that certain state statutes allow their courts to exercise.