Second Circuit Vacates District Court's Confirmation Of Class Certification Award

The question presented was whether the arbitrator had the authority to certify a class that included absent class members, i.e., employees other than the named plaintiffs and those who have opted into the class. Finding the district court improperly relied on Jock v. Sterling Jewelers, Inc., 646 F.3d 113, 124 (2d Cir. 2011) ("Jock I"), the law of the case did not conclusively resolve this question. The Court also distinguished Justice Alito's concurrence in Oxford Health Plans LLC v. Sutter, 133 S.C.t. 2064, 2066 (2013), as the case did not speak to whether an arbitrator has authority to certify a class containing absent class members. The Second Circuit vacated and remanded for further consideration of the issue of whether the arbitrator exceeded her authority in certifying a class that contained absent class members who have not opted in.