NFIB Small Business Legal Center Files Brief in Support of Arbitration
www.NFIB.com
For Immediate Release
Contact: Eric Reller
202-314-2073 or [email protected]
NFIB Small
Business Legal Center Files Brief in Support of Arbitration
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 21,
2014 — Karen
Harned, Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center, made the
following statement in response to NFIB’s amicus brief filing in Arshavir Iskanian v. CLS Transportation Los
Angeles, LLC. NFIB is asking the Supreme Court to take a case that would affirm
whether employers have the right to resolve legal disputes through
arbitration rather than through costly court battles. Specifically, the case
asks whether the Federal Arbitration Act preempts state laws that would inhibit
employers from entering arbitration agreements with employees on terms that may
require an employee to waive the right to impose additional penalties—on top of
a judgment for damages.
“For employers, defending employment lawsuits has become a
significant part of running a business. Unfortunately small business owners lack
the resources of larger corporations such as in-house counsel. When a small
business owner is forced to spend resources on legal fees in order to defend
disputes in court – the business suffers. Because arbitration is a way to
resolve these disputes without costly legal fees, employers should be allowed
to enter arbitration agreements freely—and employees should be free to accept
terms that may preclude other monetary penalties.
“Arbitration is a fair and neutral process for the resolution
of employment disputes. Any time parties can resolve their difference without a
lengthy and costly court battle – it should be considered a win for both sides.”
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The
NFIB Small Business
Legal Center is a 501(c)(3)
organization created to protect the rights of America’s small business owners
by providing advisory material on legal issues and by ensuring that the voice
of small business is heard in the nation’s courts. The National Federation of
Independent Business is the nation’s leading small business association, with
offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals
