My last article pointed out a situation where parties conflate contractual indemnity and damages clauses. The standard language in Dunce’s Caps’ contract provided for an indemnification of “any and all losses arising from any breach of any representation or warranty in the agreement” and capped those losses at the price of the order. When Dunce’s failed to deliver the promised 100,000 hats, Flat Backs filed an arbitration action seeking recovery of an alleged $4 million in damages, even though the purchase order price was only $500,000. Ignoring Dunce’s damages cap argument, the arbitrator Terry B.L. Judge awarded Flat Backs the full $4 million. Arguing that Judge was not permitted to award Flat Backs more than $500,000, Dunce’s appealed to the state court seeking to overturn the arbitration award because Judge exceeded his jurisdictional limits. Did Dunce’s contractual indemnification provision operate as a cap on the damages that Flat Backs could recover for Dunce’s breach of contract?
Continue Reading The Case of Mistaken Indemnity, Part 2
The Case of Mistaken Indemnity
Nifty Counsel, Dunce’s Caps in-house lawyer, came up with what he thought was a brilliant way to minimize the company’s liability to its customers. Nifty added arbitration provisions to Dunce’s customer purchase order agreements, and included language that the customer agreed the arbitrator could not award the customer damages exceeding the price of the order. Flat Backs, a major retail hat company, filed an arbitration action against Dunce’s after Dunce’s failed to deliver 100,000 Auburn Tigers 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions hats.[1] The demand for arbitration alleged $4 million in damages, even though the purchase order price was only $500,000. Terry B.L. Judge, the arbitrator, ignored Dunce’s arguments that the purchase order’s arbitration clause prohibited Judge from awarding Flat Backs more than $500,000, and awarded Flat Backs the requested $4 million. Dunce’s then asked a court to overturn the arbitration award for the same reason – Judge exceeded his jurisdictional limits.
Continue Reading The Case of Mistaken Indemnity