A West Virginia medical practice lost its bid to undo a $167,030 arbitration award in favor of a former doctor when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled Thursday that the doctor’s employment agreement contained a valid waiver of the right to appeal arbitration decisions.
The ruling considered an issue of first impression in the circuit: whether arbitration agreements governed by the Federal Arbitration Act can include enforceable appellate waivers limiting the right to seek judicial review of an arbitration decision. The court followed a 2005 decision by the Tenth Circuit upholding a similar waiver, reasoning that...