Bar Arbitration Does Not Cover Wrongful Discharge Claim Of Former In-House Counsel

The Alaska Supreme Court has held that an employer may not invoke the arbitration process of the State Bar in litigation filed by former in-house corporate counsel for wrongful termination.

The court concluded that the bar’s arbitration process applied to only a small part of the disputed claims. The civil litigation instituted by the discharged attorney involved employment claims rather than issues relating to disputed legal fees. Thus, the matters are not subject to arbitration rather than litigation. (Mike Frisch)