On September 27, 2021 a
Motion-Secondary
was filed
involving a dispute between
Childress, Akilee,
and
Does 1 To 50,
Vitco Distributors, Inc.,
for Complex Civil Unlimited
in the District Court of San Bernardino County.
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LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH LLP
NIMA DAROUIAN, SB# 271367 PERK
FILED NA
E-Mail: Nima.Darouian@lewisbrisbois.com
SAHRA NADINE AGHAREZAEI, SB# 333637 SAI
E-Mail: Sahra.Agharezaei@lewisbrisbois.com Oo
633 West 5" Street, Suite 4000 AUS 25 2022
Los Angeles, California 90071
Telephone: 213.250.1800
Facsimile: 213.250.7900
ay PROL
Attorneys for Defendant
VITCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, SAN BERNARDINO DISTRICT
10
AKILEE CHILDRESS on behalf of himself Case No. CIVSB2127492
Il and all others similarly situated
CLASS ACTION
12 Plaintiff,
MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND
13 AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF
vs. DEFENDANT VITCO DISTRIBUTORS,
14 INC.’S MOTION TO COMPEL
VITCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC., a California ARBITRATION AND STAY
15 corporation, and DOES 1 through 50, PROCEEDINGS
inclusive,
16 [Filed Concurrently with Notice of Motion and
Motion to Compel Arbitration and Stay
17 Defendants. Proceedings; Declarations of Ed Gavidia and
Nima Darouian; and [Proposed] Order]
18
Assigned for All Purposes to Hon. David Cohn
19 Dept. S-26
20 Date: November 16, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m.
21
Action Filed: September 27, 2021
22 Trial Date: None Set
23
24
25
26
27
28
LEWIS
BRISBOIS 4883-1659-8319.1 1
BISGAARD MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANT VITCO DISTRIBUTORS,
‘&SMIHUP
ATTORNEYS ATLAW INC.’S MOTION TO COMPEL ARBITRATION AND STAY PROCEEDINGS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION seneeeeees steetereteeterseeseseseon: Error! Bookmark not defined.
Il SUMMARY OF FACTS.
A Vitco Conducts Business in Multiple States seeeeeeseaseseeesenanseneeseseerensenenacseneersenenatseseee
B Plaintiff Agreed to Arbitrate His Claims Against Vitco stesesenescsseseenesesensseneenees
Cc Plaintiff Refuses to Arbitrate His Claims. seaseceseeeeseseseeseseeeesescereaeseensoeseensseseentaee® a
Ill. PLAINTIFF’S CLAIMS SHOULD BE COMPELLED TO ARBITRATION
A. The FAA Applies to this Employment Dispute .. 10
10 B The FAA Mandates Resolution of this Dispute Through Arbitration 11
1 Cc Plaintiff Is Not Exempt from FAA Coverage seaeaeeteneseerenssesseaesessesuseteneseeseaeseeneneseeas 12
12 D. The Parties Agreed to Be Bound by the Terms of the Arbitration Agreement seeeeees 14
13 The Arbitration Agreement Encompasses Plaintiff's Claims wees 16
14 Plaintiff's Claims Should Be Arbitrated on an Individual Basis . 16
15 1 Plaintiff's Class Claims Should Be Dismissed . sesseeeeeeseeeesee 17
16 2 Plaintiff's Individual PAGA Claim Should Be Arbitrated seeeeseseeeeseseeeeeeeeenee 17
17 3 Plaintiff's Representative PAGA Claim Should Be Dismissed seeeteeseneneeeenee 18
18 The Arbitration Agreement Satisfies the Armendariz Requirements. teteseeeeeeseneeneee 18
19 1 There Is No Procedural Unconscionability 18
20 2. There Is No Substantive Unconscionability seeseseenenesenenseseeenseeeesaseceetsenenenaens 19
21 (@) Neutral Arbitrator seeteseseeseseeeenestenseeseenen 19
22 (b) Adequate Discovery. aeeescsseseeesesseseseess a 19
23 © Written Award seeeeeeatenseeseenteeseeee . sesso woes 20
24 (a) No Limitation on Statutory Remedies. aeseeseseeeseseseeeeseseeseseererensereeeseeee 20
25 (e) Costs Unique to Arbitration teneasensnsasersesscesesescserernseesnenaceserseeereees: 20
26 @ Bilateral Obligation seseceeeneneeseseeeeseaeeaeneesesenecaeassceetsenenenaenenen 20
27 || IV. THE COURT SHOULD SEVER ANY UNCONSCIONABLE PROVISIONS seeeeeeeeneseeee 21
28] V. THESE PROCEEDINGS SHOULD BE STAYED seeeeneeeeeeee . wee 21
LEWIS
2
& MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANT VITCO DISTRIBUTORS,
ATONE
AT LAW INC.’S MOTION TO COMPEL ARBITRATION AND STAY PROCEEDINGS
Document Filed Date
August 25, 2022
Case Filing Date
September 27, 2021
Category
Complex Civil Unlimited
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LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH LLP NIMA DAROUIAN, SB# 271367 PERK FILED NA E-Mail: Nima.Darouian@lewisbrisbois.com SAHRA NADINE AGHAREZAEI, SB# 333637 SAI E-Mail: Sahra.Agharezaei@lewisbrisbois.com Oo 633 West 5" Street, Suite 4000 AUS 25 2022 Los Angeles, California 90071 Telephone: 213.250.1800 Facsimile: 213.250.7900 ay PROL Attorneys for Defendant VITCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC. SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, SAN BERNARDINO DISTRICT 10 AKILEE CHILDRESS on behalf of himself Case No. CIVSB2127492 Il and all others similarly situated CLASS ACTION 12 Plaintiff, MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND 13 AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF vs. DEFENDANT VITCO DISTRIBUTORS, 14 INC.’S MOTION TO COMPEL VITCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC., a California ARBITRATION AND STAY 15 corporation, and DOES 1 through 50, PROCEEDINGS inclusive, 16 [Filed Concurrently with Notice of Motion and Motion to Compel Arbitration and Stay 17 Defendants. Proceedings; Declarations of Ed Gavidia and Nima Darouian; and [Proposed] Order] 18 Assigned for All Purposes to Hon. David Cohn 19 Dept. S-26 20 Date: November 16, 2022 Time: 10:00 a.m. 21 Action Filed: September 27, 2021 22 Trial Date: None Set 23 24 25 26 27 28 LEWIS BRISBOIS 4883-1659-8319.1 1 BISGAARD MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANT VITCO DISTRIBUTORS, ‘&SMIHUP ATTORNEYS ATLAW INC.’S MOTION TO COMPEL ARBITRATION AND STAY PROCEEDINGS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION seneeeeees steetereteeterseeseseseon: Error! Bookmark not defined. Il SUMMARY OF FACTS. A Vitco Conducts Business in Multiple States seeeeeeseaseseeesenanseneeseseerensenenacseneersenenatseseee B Plaintiff Agreed to Arbitrate His Claims Against Vitco stesesenescsseseenesesensseneenees Cc Plaintiff Refuses to Arbitrate His Claims. seaseceseeeeseseseeseseeeesescereaeseensoeseensseseentaee® a Ill. PLAINTIFF’S CLAIMS SHOULD BE COMPELLED TO ARBITRATION A. The FAA Applies to this Employment Dispute .. 10 10 B The FAA Mandates Resolution of this Dispute Through Arbitration 11 1 Cc Plaintiff Is Not Exempt from FAA Coverage seaeaeeteneseerenssesseaesessesuseteneseeseaeseeneneseeas 12 12 D. The Parties Agreed to Be Bound by the Terms of the Arbitration Agreement seeeeees 14 13 The Arbitration Agreement Encompasses Plaintiff's Claims wees 16 14 Plaintiff's Claims Should Be Arbitrated on an Individual Basis . 16 15 1 Plaintiff's Class Claims Should Be Dismissed . sesseeeeeeseeeesee 17 16 2 Plaintiff's Individual PAGA Claim Should Be Arbitrated seeeeseseeeeseseeeeeeeeenee 17 17 3 Plaintiff's Representative PAGA Claim Should Be Dismissed seeeteeseneneeeenee 18 18 The Arbitration Agreement Satisfies the Armendariz Requirements. teteseeeeeeseneeneee 18 19 1 There Is No Procedural Unconscionability 18 20 2. There Is No Substantive Unconscionability seeseseenenesenenseseeenseeeesaseceetsenenenaens 19 21 (@) Neutral Arbitrator seeteseseeseseeeenestenseeseenen 19 22 (b) Adequate Discovery. aeeescsseseeesesseseseess a 19 23 © Written Award seeeeeeatenseeseenteeseeee . sesso woes 20 24 (a) No Limitation on Statutory Remedies. aeseeseseeeseseseeeeseseeseseererensereeeseeee 20 25 (e) Costs Unique to Arbitration teneasensnsasersesscesesescserernseesnenaceserseeereees: 20 26 @ Bilateral Obligation seseceeeneneeseseeeeseaeeaeneesesenecaeassceetsenenenaenenen 20 27 || IV. THE COURT SHOULD SEVER ANY UNCONSCIONABLE PROVISIONS seeeeeeeeneseeee 21 28] V. THESE PROCEEDINGS SHOULD BE STAYED seeeeneeeeeeee . wee 21 LEWIS 2 & MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANT VITCO DISTRIBUTORS, ATONE AT LAW INC.’S MOTION TO COMPEL ARBITRATION AND STAY PROCEEDINGS