Opinion ID: 4708712
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: We review a denial of a motion to compel arbitration de novo. Gutierrez v. Wells Fargo Bank, NA, 889 F.3d 1230, 1235 (11th Cir. 2018). In doing so, “we apply the federal substantive law of arbitrability, which is applicable to any arbitration agreement within the coverage of the FAA,” keeping in mind the 4 Although not final decisions on the merits, denials of motions to compel arbitration are immediately appealable under 9 U.S.C § 16(a)(1). 5 USCA11 Case: 20-11242 Date Filed: 08/03/2021 Page: 6 of 13 “healthy regard for the federal policy favoring arbitration.” Lawson v. Life of the S. Ins. Co., 648 F.3d 1166, 1170 (11th Cir. 2011) (alteration adopted) (internal quotation marks omitted). Arbitration is, however, a matter of contract, and “the FAA’s strong proarbitration policy only applies to disputes that the parties have agreed to arbitrate.” Klay v. All Defendants, 389 F.3d 1191, 1200 (11th Cir. 2004). The issue of whether a non-signatory to an agreement can invoke an arbitration clause is controlled by state law. See Lawson, 648 F.3d at 1170–71 (“[T]raditional principles of state law may allow a contract to be enforced by or against nonparties to the contract through assumption, piercing the corporate veil, alter ego, incorporation by reference, third-party beneficiary theories, waiver and estoppel.” (internal quotation marks omitted)). The parties agree that Florida law applies to this dispute.