Opinion ID: 758402
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Conspiracy--for conspiring to convert Riley's property and its trade secrets in its molds.

Text: 22 VIII. Tortious inference--against Anchor Glass, for interfering with Riley's distinct contractual relationship with Trend Plastics, and against Trend Plastics, for interfering with Riley's distinct contractual relationship with Anchor Glass. 23 In addition to money damages, including punitive and treble damages, Riley also sought preliminary and permanent injunctive relief. 24 Anchor Glass responded to Riley's complaint by filing a motion to dismiss or stay the suit pending arbitration, invoking the arbitration clause of the Manufacturing Agreement. The district court took up this motion at a scheduling conference, ruling that the broad language of the release in the Settlement Agreement released any obligation of Riley found in the Manufacturing Agreement to submit its claims to arbitration. The court also cited the merger clause of the Settlement Agreement as buttressing its conclusion. The court said the language of the release and merger clauses was unambiguous, and because of the clarity of this contract interpretation, there was no need to discuss the federal common law of arbitrability decisions under the Federal Arbitration Act. 25 The appeal is properly before us, and we have appellate jurisdiction over Anchor Glass' interlocutory appeal under 9 U.S.C. § 16(a)(1)(A) (1994) and Fed. R.App. P. 4(a).