Business Law 12th Edition by Roger LeRoy Miller ,Frank Cross

Exercise 13

Arbitration From 1983 to 2002, Bruce Matthews played football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and the Tennessee Titans. As part of his player contract, Matthews had agreed to submit any disputes with the NFL to fi nal and binding arbitration. He had also signed a contract with the Titans stating that Tennessee law would determine all employment issues and matters related to workers' compensation benefi ts. Five years after he left the NFL, Matthews fi led a workers' compensation claim (see Chapter 34) in California. The Titans and the NFL Management Council fi led a grievance against Matthews, and the dispute was arbitrated. The arbitrator ruled that Matthews could pursue a workers' compensation claim in California but that the claim must proceed under Tennessee law. If California did not apply Tennessee law, then Matthews would be required to withdraw his claim. Unsatisfi ed with this ruling, the National Football League Players Association-on behalf of Matthews and all NFL players-fi led a lawsuit asking the court to vacate the arbitration award. For what reasons will a court set aside an arbitrator's award? Should the court set aside the award in this case? Explain. [National Football League Players Association v. National Football League Management Council, ___ F.Supp.2d ___ (S.D.Cal. 2011)]