ARBITRATION LAW IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CLASS ARBITRATION IN USA AND REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA

Arbitraža je eden izmed načinov alternativnega reševanja sporov, s katerim stranke spora le-tega rešijo izven sodišča. Stranke spora se sporazumejo z arbitražnim sporazumom ali arbitražno klavzulo, da bodo svoj (že obstoječi ali bodoči) spor rešile s pomočjo arbitraže. Odloča eden ali več nepristranskih arbitrov, odločitev je za stranke pravno zavezujoča. V Združenih državah Amerike je temeljni zakon na področju arbitražnega prava Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), ki ga je Kongres sprejel 12. februarja 1925. Zakon določa, da so stranke na podlagi pogodbenega dogovora obvezane razrešiti spor s pomočjo arbitraže, katere odločitev je zanje zavezujoča. Rezultat arbitraže je arbitražna odločba (\u27arbitration award\u27) in ne sodba, kot če o sporu odloči sodišče. Razredna arbitraža je alternativa razrednim tožbam, pri katerih skupina tožnikov razreši spor proti tožencu z arbitražo. Razredne arbitraže so manj pogoste kot razredne tožbe. Slednje so običajno vložene s strani večih posameznikov ali manjših podjetij proti korporacijam. Več tožnikov se odloči za skupinsko oziroma razredno tožbo zaradi nižjih stroškov. Toženec se sporazume s skupino tožnikov, da razrešijo spor izven sodišča (z arbitražo), in tako pride do razredne arbitraže. V zadnjih letih je bilo na vrhovnem sodišču ZDA razsojeno v več pomembnih primerih, ki vplivajo na položaj razrednih arbitraž. Najpomembnejši med njimi so: Green Tree Financial Corp. v. Bazzle, Stolt-Nielsen S.A. v. AnimalFeeds Int\u27l Corp., AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, Oxford Health Plans v. Sutter ter Am. Express Co. v. Italian Colors Restaurant. Sodbe predvsem vplivajo na prihodnost vključevanja klavzul, o (ne)možnosti razrednih tožb ter razrednih arbitraž, v pogodbe.Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution where a dispute between two parties is resolved outside the courts. The parties to a dispute agree with an arbitration agreement or an arbitration clause that they will resolve their (existing or any future) dispute with arbitration. One or more impartial arbitrators impose a decision which is legally binding for both parties. Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) is an act of Congress governing arbitration law in the United States of America, it was enacted on February 12th 1925. The FAA provides for contractually based compulsory and binding arbitration, which results in an arbitration award as opposed to a judgment entered by a court of law. Class arbitration is an alternative to a class action lawsuit in which a number of plaintiffs settle their dispute with a defendant in the form of arbitration. Class arbitration is less common than class action lawsuits. The latter are usually brought by several individuals or small businesses versus corporations. A group of plaintiffs opts for class action lawsuit because of a lower cost. Instead of going to court, the defendant comes to the agreement with plaintiffs to settle their dispute in the form of arbitration, which leads to class arbitration. In recent years, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on several cases regarding class arbitration. The eminent cases of Green Tree Financial Corp. v. Bazzle, Stolt-Nielsen S.A. v. AnimalFeeds Int\u27l Corp., AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, Oxford Health Plans v. Sutter and Am. Express Co. v. Italian Colors Restaurant, hosting the most important of rulings as they predominantly affect the future inclusion of individual arbitration clauses and the (im)possibility of class action lawsuits and class arbitration