N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT QUEST INTER

NATIONAL M ONITOR SER VIC E, INC ., a

C a lifornia

c orpora tion, Pla i ntiff-Appe lla

nt,
v. R OC KW ELL C OLLINS, INC ., a De la ware c o rpora tion, De fe nda n t-Appe l le e . No. 20-55364 D.C . No. 8:19-c v-02471-JLS-KES
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Sta t e s Distric t C ourt for the C e ntra l Distric t of C a lifornia Jose phine L. Staton, Distric t Judge , Pre siding Argue d a nd Subm itte d April 12, 2021 Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : M . SM ITH a

nd IKUTA, C irc uit Judge s, a nd VR ATIL, ** Distric t Judge
. Que st Inte rna tiona l M onitor Se rvic e , Inc
. , a ppe a ls from

the distric t c ourt’ s gran t of R oc k

we ll C o llins, Inc .’ s m otion to c onfirm arbitration a wards a nd de nia l 

# FIL ED
APR 20 2021 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public a t ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.

* * The Honora

ble Ka thry

n H. Vratil, Unite d State s Distric t Judge for the Distric t of Ka

nsa s, sitting by de signa

tion.of Que st’ s pe tition to va c a te the arbitration a w ard. W e have jurisdic t ion unde r 28 U.S.C . § 1291 a

nd 9 U.S.C
. § 16, a

nd we a ffirm
. The distric t c ourt did not e rr in holding tha t Que st’ s pe tition to va c a te the
arbitration a

ward wa s tim e -barre d unde r 9 U.S.C . § 12. The Ente rprise C om m e rc ia l Produc t Support Agre e m e nt is a c ontra c t “ e vide n c ing a

tra n sa c tion involving c om

m e rc e ” for purpose s of 9 U.S.C . § 2, a nd the re fore “ the re is a

strong de fa ult pre sum

p tion tha t the FAA, not sta

te la w, supplie s the rule s for a rbitration.” J ohnson v . Gruma C

o rp ., 614 F.3d 1062, 1066 (9th C ir. 2010) (c le ane d up). Que st did not ove rc om e this pre s um ption be c a

use the c o ntra c t doe s not “ e vide nc e a c le ar inte nt to inc orpora te sta

te la w rule s for a

rbitration.” Id. (c le ane d up). The re fore , the C a l ifornia

arbitration rule s, C a l. C iv. Proc . C ode §§ 1280–1294.4, a re not
a pplic a ble he re . “ [W ] he re the FAA’ s rule s c ontrol a rbitra tion proc e e dings, a
re vie wing c ourt m

ust a lso a p ply the FAA sta

nda rd for va c a tur,” J

o hnson , 614 F.3d
a t 1067, inc luding thethre e -m onth limita tion pe riod for filing a pe tition for
va c a tur. Que st’ s re lia

nc e on the rule that fe de ra l c ourts a pply sta te substa n tive la w to sta te la w c la im s in dive rsity

c a s e s, s e e Erie R. C

o . v . Tompk

ins , 304 U.S. 64 (1938), is ina

p posite . Que st’ s pe tition for va c a tur of a n a rbitration a

ward unde r the FAA doe s not c onc e rn an y “ rights a nd obliga tions . . . c re a te d by

one of the
2Sta t e s.” G uar. Tr. C o. of N .Y. v . York

, 326 U.S. 99, 101 (1945). The re fore , ne ithe r Erie nor C a lifornia ’ s sta

t ute of lim ita

tions for va c a ting a

rbitration a

w ards, se e C a l. C iv. Proc . C ode § 1288, a pplie s he re . The FAA’ s lim ita tion pe riod for pe t itioning for va c a tur c ontrols. Se e J ohnson , 614 F.3d a

t 1067. Que st’ s re que st for de c la

ra t ory re lie f, if suc c e s sful, would ha ve the sa m e
e ffe c t a s a pe tition to va c a te the award of the arbitration tribuna l. Ac c ordingly , the lim ita tions pe riod a

pplic a ble to the pe tition to va c a te the arbitration a ward a lso
a pplie s to ba

r Que st’ s re que st for de c la ra tory re lie f. Se e Unite d Parc e l Se rv ., Inc
. v . Mitc he ll , 451 U.S. 56, 61–62 (1981). B e c a use the sta

tute of lim ita

tions provide s suffic i e nt grounds to a ffirm , we do not a ddre s s Que st’ s othe r c ha l le nge s to the distric t c o urt’ s a l te rna tive holdings. Se e Burge rt v
. Lok e lani Be rnic e Pauahi Bishop Tr. , 200 F.3d 661, 663 (9th C i r. 2000) (“ The re vie wing c o urt m ay a ffirm the d ism issa l upon a

n y ba sis fa irly

supporte d by

the re c ord.” ). AFFIRM E D.

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