FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT APR 21 , 2006 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 05- 14387 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 04 -001 37 -C V -A A A -1 M I K E H . S A M A D I , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s M B N A A M E R I C A B A N K , N .A ., D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lle e .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e S o u th e rn D is tr ic t o f G e o r g ia

_________________________ ( A p r i l21, 2006) B efo re B L A C K , C A RN E S an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: M i ke H . S a m a di , pr oc e e di ng p ro se , appe a l s the di s m i s s a l of hi s c om pl a i nt w ith o u t p r e

ju d ic e f o llo w in g th e g r a n t o f

M B N A ’s m o tio n to c o m p e l a rb itr a tio n .2

S a m a d i a s s e r ts th e a rb itr a tio n a g r e e m e n t w a s n o t b in d in g . T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id n o te rr , a n d w e a f

f i rm. I . M B N A c ont e nds thi s C our tl a c ks j ur i s di c t i on be c a us e S a m a di ’ s not i c e of appe a l f a i l e d t o i de nt i f

y the c our tt o w hi c h the appe a l w a s t a ke n, a s r e qui r e d by F e d e r a l R u le o f

A p p e lla te P r o c e d u r e 3 ( c ) ( 1 ) . A n o tic e o f ap p e a l “m u s t: ( A ) s p e c if

y th e p a r ty o rp a r tie s ta k in g th e ap p e a l . . .; ( B ) d e s ig n a te th e ju d g m e n t, o r d e r , o rp a r t th e r e o f

b e in g ap p e a le d ; a n d ( C ) n a m e th e c o u r t to w h ic h th e ap p e a l is t a ke n. ” F e d. R . A pp. P . 3( c ) ( 1) . H ow e ve r , “ [ a ] n appe a l m us tnotbe di s m i s s e d f or in f o rm a lity o f

f o rm o rtitle o f

th e n o tic e o f

ap p e a l, o rf

o rf a ilu r e to n a m e ap a r ty w h o s e in te n t to ap p e a l is o th e rw is e c le a rf r o m th e n o tic e .” F e d . R . A p p . P . 3 ( c ) ( 4 ) . A d d itio n a lly , p ro se litig a n ts ’ p le a d in g s a r e to b e lib e r a lly c o n s tru e d . T anne nbaum v. U ni ted Stat es , 14 8 F . 3d 12 62 , 12 63 (11th C i r. 19 98 ). A lth o u g h S a m a d i’s n o tic e o f ap p e a l d id n o t s p e c if

y h e w a s ap p e a lin g to th is C our t , hi s not i c e w a s t i m e l y f i l e d i n the c orr e c tdi s tr i c tc our ta nd i de nt i f i e d the c orr e c tpa r t i e s t o the s ui ta nd the di s tr i c tc our t ’ s c a s e num be r . C ons trui ng S am ad i ’ s p ro se fi l i n g l i b eral l y, h i s n o t i ce o f ap p eal w as cl ear an d o th erw i se c o m p lie d w ith th e r e q u ir e m e n ts o f R u le 3 ( c ) , a n d w e h a v e ju r is d ic tio n o v e rth is ap p e a l.3 II . W e r e v ie w th e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s d e c is io n to c o m p e l a rb itr a tio n d e n o v o . C al ey v . G ul f s tr e am A e r os

pac e C or p. , 4 2 8 F .3 d 1 3 5 9 , 1 3 6 8 n .6 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) , pe t i t i on f or ce rt. f i led , ( U . S . J a n 30, 2006) ( N o. 05- 959) . “ I f a l l the pr ovi s i ons of

the a rbi tr a t i on c l a us e a r e e nf or c e abl e , the n the c our tm us tc om pe l a rbi tr a t i on a c c or di ng t o the t erm s of the agree m ent . ” T e rm i ni x I nt ’ l . C o. , L P v . P alm e rR anc h L td. P ’s h ip , 4 3 2 F .3 d 1 3 2 7 , 1 3 3 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . T he val i di ty of a n arbi tra t i on agre em enti s gener al l y gov erned b y the F eder al A rbi tr a t i on A c t( F A A ) . 9 U . S . C . §§ 1 et se q . 9 U . S . C . § 2 st at es: A w ri tt en prov i si on i n any m ar i t i m e tra nsac t i on or a c on tra ct e vi de nc i ng atr a ns a c t i on i nvol vi ng c om m e r c e t o s e tt l e by a rbi tr a t i on a c ontr ove r s y the r e a f

t e ra r i s i ng outof

s uc h c ontr a c tortr a ns a c t i on, or the r e f us a l t o pe r f

orm the w hol e ora ny pa r tthe r e of , ora n a gr e e m e nt i n w r i t i ng t o s ubm i tt o a rbi tr a t i on a n e xi s t i ng c ontr ove r s y a r i s i ng out of such a c on tra ct , tra nsac t i on , or re fusa l , shal l be val i d, i rr evocabl e, a n d e n f o r c e ab le , s a v e u p o n s u c h g r o u n d s a s e x is t a t la w o rin e q u ity f o rth e r e v o c a tio n o f

a n y c o n tr a c t. “ [ W ] hi l e the F A A r e qui r e s tha tthe a rbi tr a t i on a gr e e m e ntbe i n w r i t i ng, i tdoe s not re qu i re thati tbe si gn ed by the part i es . ” C al ey , 428 F . 3d a t1368. I f as ui tbr ought i n the di s tr i c tc our tc ont a i ns “ a ny i s s ue r e f e r abl e t o a rbi tr a t i on unde ra n a gr e e m e nt i n w r i t i ng f

ors uc h a rbi tr a t i on, ” a nd one of the pa r t i e s m a ke s am ot i on t o s t a y the pr oc e e di ng, the di s tr i c t“ s ha l l . . . s t a y the tr i a l of the a c t i on unt i l s uc h a rbi tr a t i on ha s be e n ha d i n a c c or da nc e w i th the t e rm s of the a gr e e m e nt. . . . ” 9 U . S . C . § 3.4

“ [C ] ou rt s have c on si st ent l y f ou nd thatcl ai m s a ri si ng un der f eder al st atut es m aybe the subj ec tof arbi tra t i on agre em ent s a nd ar e e nforceabl e und erthe F A A . ” C al ey , 4 2 8 F .3 d a t 1 3 6 7 ( c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . G e n e r a l c o n tr a c t p r in c ip le s ap p ly to a rb itr a tio n a g r e e m e n ts . I d. at13 72 . “ [S ] t at e l aw general l y gov erns w hether a n enforce abl e c on tra ctor agre em entt o arbi tra t e e xi st s. ” I d. a t 1 3 6 8 . “T h u s , in d e te rm in in g w h e th e rab in d in g a g r e e m e n t a r o s e b e tw e e n th e p a r tie s , c o u r ts ap p ly the contra ctl aw of the part i cul arst at e thatgo verns the form at i on of contra ct s. ” I d. “[ A ] c o u r t c a n d e c lin e to e n f o r c e a n a rb itr a tio n a g r e e m e n t u n d e rth e F A A o n ly if the pl ai nt i ff

s c an po i ntt o a general l y app l i cabl e pri nci pl e of c on tra ctl aw un der w hi ch the agree m entcoul d b e r evok ed. ” I d. a t 1 3 7 1 ( e m p h a s is o m itte d ) .

“ A fe dera l di stri ctC ou rti s bou nd t o app l y the confl i ctof l aw s rul es prevai l i ng i n the forum st at e. ” J udge v . A m . Motors C or p. , 908 F . 2d 1565, 1577 (11th C i r. 19 90 ). U nd erG eorgi a l aw , choi ce -of- l aw prov i si on s i n con tra ct s a re e n f o r c e d in th e ab s e n c e o f

c o n tr a ry p u b lic p o lic y . Sc ale s v . T ex tr on F i n. C or

p. , 62 2 S . E . 2d 90 3, 90 4 (G a. C t . A pp . 20 05 ). In thi s c as e, w here the contra ct expl i ci t l y des i gn at es D el aw ar e l aw as the l aw thatappl i es , and n o p ub l i c pol i cy contra ryt o enforci ng the part i es ’ choi ce of l aw has bee n i dent i fi ed, D el aw ar e l aw s h o u ld b e ap p lie d .5

U n d e rD e la w a r e la w , “a b a n k m a y a t a n y tim e ” a m e n d ar e v o lv in g c r e d it pl a n a gr e e m e nt“ i n a ny r e s pe c t , w he the rornotthe a m e ndm e ntorthe s ubj e c tof the am endm entw as ori gi nal l y c on t em pl at ed or address ed by the part i es or i s i nt egra l to th e r e la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n th e p a r tie s .” D e l. C o d e . A n n . tit. 5 , § 9 5 2 ( a ) ( 2 0 0 5 ) . A rbi tr a t i on i s s pe c i f

i c a l l y l i s t e d a s one of

the t e rm s of

a n a gr e e m e nttha tm a y be a lte r e d . I

d. “ A ny not i c e of

a n a m e ndm e nts e ntby the ba nk m a y be i nc l ude d i n the s a m e e n v e lo p e w ith ap e r io d ic s ta te m e n t o ra s p a r t o f th e p e r io d ic s ta te m e n t o rin other m at er i al s s entt o the bo rr ow er . ” I d. F e de r a l R ul e of

C i vi l P r oc e dur e 43( e ) pr ovi de s : “ W he n am ot i on i s ba s e d on fa ct s notappeari ng of re cord the courtm ayhearthe m att eron af fi davi t s pre se nt ed b y th e r e s p e c tiv e p a r tie s , b u t th e c o u r t m a y d ir e c t th a t th e m a tte rb e h e a r d w h o lly orpa r t l y on or a l t e s t i m ony orde pos i t i on. ” W e ha ve he l d i ti s nota n abus e of d is c r e tio n to d e c id e am o tio n to d is m is s b a s e d o n a f f id a v its a n d o th e rd o c u m e n ts w h e r e n e ith e rp a r ty m a d e atim e ly r e q u e s t f o rah e a r in g . Suns e r iv . M ac r o C e l lular P a rtn ers , 4 1 2 F .3 d 1 2 4 7 , 1 2 4 9 - 5 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . T h e D e la w a r e S u p e r io rC o u r t h a s h e ld th e s a m e a rb itr a tio n c la u s e a t is s u e in th is c a s e , s e n t o u t in th e s a m e m a n n e ra s in th e in s ta n t c a s e , w a s e n f o r c e ab le . E de l is t v . M B N A A m . B ank , 79 0 A . 2d 12 49 , 12 57 -60 (D el . S up er . C t . 20 01 ). In th a tc a s e , MB NA p r e s e n t e d th e a f f i d a v i to f aS e n i o rVi c e P r e s i d e n t , s t a t i n g MB NA6

h a d m a ile d n o tic e o f

th e a m e n d m e n t to th e a d d r e s s w h e r e th e p la in tif f’s s ta te m e n ts w e r e s e nton oraboutD e c e m be r20, 1999, a nd M B N A ’ s f i l e s c ont a i ne d no in f o rm a tio n th a t th e p la in tif f o p te d o u t o f

th e a rb itr a tio n p r o v is io n . I d. a t1251, 1254. A s i n the i ns t a ntc a s e , the pl a i nt i f f c l a i m e d he ne ve rr e c e i ve d the not i c e of the a m e ndm e nt , butpr ovi de d nothi ng m or e tha n hi s a s s e r t i on he ne ve rr e c e i ve d the m a ilin g . I

d. a t 1 2 5 8 . T h e D e la w a r e c o u r t h e ld M B N A ’s a f f id a v it w a s s u f

f ic ie n t to s how the pl a i nt i f

f r e c e i ve d the not i c e a nd f a i l e d t o optoutof

the a rbi tr a t i on a g r e e m e n t. I

d. S am adi never obj ec t ed t o M B N A ’ s a ff i davi tor re qu es t ed an evi dent i ary he a r i ng, a nd the di s tr i c tc our tdi d notabus e i t s di s c r e t i on i n r e l y i ng on the af fi davi t . T he ori gi nal agre em entst at ed i tcoul d b e a m ended p ursuantt o D el aw ar e la w a n d M B N A ’s a f

f id a v it s h o w e d th e a m e n d m e n t h a d b e e n s e n t o u t in c om pl i a nc e w i th D e l a w a r e l a w , thus , the a rbi tr a t i on a gr e e m e ntw a s va l i d. T he agre em entw as broad eno ug h t o cov eral l of S am adi ’ s c l ai m s, and the di stri ctcourt di d note rri n di s m i s s i ng the c a s e a nd gr a nt i ng the or de rt o c om pe l a rbi tr a t i on. T he di s tr i c tc our tpr ot e c t e d S a m a di ’ s r i ghtt o l i t i ga t e a ny i s s ue s f ound non- a rbi tr abl e by d is m is s in g th e c a s e w ith o u t p r e ju d ic e . A F F I R M E D .