Opinion ID: 2791911
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Arbitration Begins

Text: Capstone filed an arbitration demand against OSI in March 2013 for breach-of-contract claims. The demand was forwarded to Dion Ramos of Conflict Resolution Systems, PLLC (CRS) in Houston, Texas. Ramos appointed himself arbitrator. The Reinsurance Agreements between PoolRe and the Captives require that the arbitrator be “selected by the Anguilla, B.W.I. Director of Insurance.” The director of the Anguilla Financial Services Commission, Keith Bell, sent a letter to PoolRe explaining that no such official existed. Bell designated CRS, in Houston, to select “any such independent arbitrators and to administer related arbitration proceedings.” Bell did not mention the ICC requirements in the PoolRe arbitration clauses. On April 15, 2013, OSI first appeared in the Ramos arbitration, objecting to the arbitrator’s authority and moving to dismiss based on the Services Agreement’s venue clause. OSI also filed counterclaims against Capstone, alleging that Stewart Feldman, the Firm’s named partner, owned and controlled Capstone and PoolRe, creating a conflict of interest in the Firm’s representation of OSI. On April 22, PoolRe and the Firm intervened in the Ramos arbitration. PoolRe joined “for the limited purpose of having [Ramos] appoint an Anguilla-based arbitrator.” On April 29, Ramos issued a jurisdictional ruling via email to the parties. Ramos, applying AAA rules, found jurisdiction over Capstone’s claims pursuant to the Billing Guidelines and over PoolRe’s claims pursuant to the 4 Case: 14-20433 Document: 00512996557 Page: 5 Date Filed: 04/07/2015 No. 14-20433 Reinsurance Agreements, holding that PoolRe waived its right to arbitration in Anguilla by intervening. OSI objected to the ruling via email, specifically noting that the PoolRe ruling removed the arbitration from ICC’s jurisdiction. Ramos then denied OSI’s motion to dismiss.