A homeowner sued a contractor and its partner for construction defects. The arbitration clause in the contract only bound the company, not the individual partner. The court ruled that judges—not arbitrators—decide whether non-signatories are bound by arbitration agreements, unless the contract explicitly says otherwise. The partner was not forced into arbitration because he never clearly agreed to it.
If you sign a contract as a company representative, you may not be personally bound by its arbitration clause—courts will decide this, not arbitrators
Arbitration clauses must explicitly state that non-signatories (like individual partners or owners) agree to arbitration, or courts will reject arbitration for them
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