Opinion
No. 08-10805.
March 31, 2009.
Robert Glenn Chadwick, Jr., Campbell Leboeuf, Dallas, TX, for Movants-Appellants.
William O. Wuester, Douglas Wuester Stenholm, Fort Worth, TX, for Claimants-Appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, No. 4:06-CV-641.
Before SMITH, GAEZA, and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.
The movants seek to overturn an adverse arbitration award. The district court denied the motion to vacate the award.
The number of grounds for challenging an arbitration award has been substantially reduced in light of Hall Street Assocs., L.L.C. v. Mattel, Inc., ___ U.S. ___, 128 S.Ct. 1396, 170 L.Ed.2d 254 (2008), and Citigroup Global Mkts., Inc. v. Bacon, 562 F.3d 349 (5th Cir. 2009). Now these movants focus on their contention that the award is flawed because the arbitrator exceeded her authority and engaged in misconduct.
We have reviewed the briefs and pertinent portions of the record and have heard the arguments of counsel. The district court did not err in refusing to vacate the award. Essentially, the movants only complain of rulings with which they disagree. Given the deference accorded to arbitration awards, there is no flaw in these arbitration proceedings that would justify upsetting the result. In particular, there is nothing in the actions of the arbitrator that even remotely approaches the level of what could be termed misconduct, and counsel for the movants is warned that such attacks on the integrity of an arbiter should not be leveled without sufficient grounds.
The judgment is AFFIRMED.