TX STATETexas Supreme Court
2015

G.T. Leach Builders, LLC v. Sapphire V.P., Lp

458 S.W.3d 502Texas Supreme Court • Decided 2015Enforced

HOLDING

A Texas developer sued its general contractor and other parties over a construction project. The Texas Supreme Court ruled that the developer must arbitrate its claims against the general contractor because they had a valid arbitration agreement. The court also decided that disputes about whether a deadline prevents arbitration must be decided by the arbitrators themselves, not the courts. This matters to subcontractors because it shows Texas courts will enforce arbitration clauses and won't let parties avoid arbitration by claiming deadlines have passed.

KEY FINDINGS

Arbitration Agreement

If your contract has an arbitration clause, courts will likely force disputes into arbitration rather than allowing lawsuits—even if the other party argues a deadline has expired

Dispute Resolution

Arbitration deadlines and procedural objections are decided by arbitrators, not judges, so don't expect a court to dismiss a case based on timing arguments

FULL COURT OPINION