Arbitration Of Fee Fight Upheld

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has affirmed an abritration award that resolved a dispute over the allocation of attorneys’ fees in a class action suit that had been litigated in California.

The arbitration involved several attorneys and law firms, most based in the District of Columbia. After receiving the arbitrator’s award, appellants… unsucessfully attempted to reopen the attorneys’ fees issue in the California trial court. When that efort failed on procedural grounds, [they] filed a motion in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to vacate the arbitration award on the ground that the arbitrator exceeded his powers and committed misconduct by denying them due process.

The class action case involved discrimination claims by television writers over the age of 40.

Senior Judge Reid wrote for the unanimous court in affirming the trial court judgment. (Mike Frisch)