SCOTUS Tells Cali. Federal Arbitration Act Preempts PAGA

Washington, DC
06/15/2022

Washington, D.C. – Deborah White, Retail Litigation Center (RLC) President, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision issued today in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v Angie Moriana:

“Retailers are pleased to see the Supreme Court overrule the California judiciary’s attempt to thwart the Federal Arbitration Act. Imbuing the state Private Attorneys General Act with the power to circumvent individual arbitration agreements runs afoul to the FAA. California’s transparent ploy to elevate its own law at the expense of a rational federal program for dispute resolution was rightfully repudiated today in an opinion that was joined in relevant part by 8 of the 9 justices.”

The RLC on behalf of the nation’s leading retailers submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the petitioner in this case. The RLC’s brief was drafted by RLC Law Firm Member Tom Goldstein of Goldstein & Russell.

###

Directed by the chief legal officers of the country's leading retail companies, the Retail Litigation Center (RLC) is the only organization dedicated to advocating for the industry's top priorities in the federal and state judiciary. The RLC also works with leading law firms and retail corporate counsel to develop forward-thinking strategies to combat meritless mass action litigation. Founded by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) in 2010 as an independent organization, the RLC is a 501(c)(6) membership association open to all retailers and select law firms.