The Prevalence of Consumer Arbitration Agreements by America’s Top Companies
52 U.C. Davis L. Rev. Online 233 (2019)
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law Research Paper No. 2019-07
28 Pages Posted: 29 Mar 2019
Date Written: January 29, 2019
Abstract
This article present the results of a study that examines the use of arbitration agreements by the top 100 Fortune Magazine-ranked largest domestic companies in the United States. The market power of these companies, which collectively represent more that two-thirds of the U.S. GDP, have enabled them to impose arbitration agreements upon their customers and have removed themselves from the traditional judicial system when disputes arise with their customers.
This study focuses on two main issues: 1) How many of these top companies have used arbitration agreements in connection with customer transactions since 2010; and 2) Of those companies, how many use arbitration agreements containing a “class waiver” requiring customers to waive their right to proceed collectively or as part of a class. The study then concludes with some observations about the prevalence of consumer arbitration agreements among America’s top companies.
Keywords: arbitration, consumer law
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