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NC Court of Appeals Clarifies When a Nonsignatory Can Compel Arbitration

By Bryan Scott and Steven Hemric

Generally, only signatories to an arbitration agreement can compel one another to arbitrate their claims. However, in certain situations a nonsignatory may take advantage of an arbitration agreement between other parties. One such situation arises when a signatory to an arbitration agreement is “equitably estopped” from refusing to arbitrate its claims against a nonsignatory, under the doctrine of equitable estoppel, concepts of fairness prevent the signatory from refusing to arbitrate its claims. See, e.g. Am. Bankers Ins. Group, Inc. v. Long, 453 F.3d 623, 627 (4th Cir. 2006). In (Smith Jamison Construction v. APAC-Atlantic, Inc.,) the North Carolina Court of Appeals recently clarified what types of claims by a signatory against a nonsignatory give rise to equitable estoppel. The key issue, according to the Court of Appeals, is whether the claims rest on the terms of the contract containing the arbitration clause at issue.

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