Fourth Circuit Takes Pendent Jurisdiction Over Appeal of Trial Court Order to Compel Arbitration Despite A Seeming Prohibition in Federal Arbitration Act

The Federal Arbitration Act establishes a federal policy in favor of arbitration agreements and provides for enforcement in federal court of many agreements to arbitrate.  9 USC §§ 1, 4.  Section 16(b) of the Arbitration Act goes so far as to say that a federal trial court’s interlocutory order compelling the parties to engage in…

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