Sprunk v. Prisma LLC: Strategic Delay by Defendant Risks Arbitration Waiver

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In a decision likely to spur defendants to make immediate motions to compel arbitration in class actions, the California Court of Appeal, Second District, found that a defendant who chose to wait for class certification before seeking arbitration had waived the right to arbitrate. Sprunk v. Prisma LLC, No. B268755 (2nd Dist. Div. 1 Aug. 23, 2017) (slip op. available here). In Sprunk, the plaintiff filed a wage-and-hour class action in October 2011, alleging she and a class of exotic dancers had been misclassified as independent contractors and had consequently been denied wages, meal periods, and reimbursement of business expenses. The plaintiff and all putative class members had signed arbitration agreements.

Sprunk moved for class certification in September 2014. In opposing the motion, Prisma argued that a class action was not superior to other forms of litigation because the class members had signed arbitration agreements. The trial court granted class certification in April 2015, rejecting Prisma’s “superiority” argument. In August of 2015, Prisma filed two motions to compel arbitration, seeking to enforce two different arbitration clauses. By that time, Sprunk and Prisma had litigated for four years, during which time discovery was conducted, depositions were taken, and defendant moved for arbitration, then withdrew the motion, and ultimately renewed its motion to compel arbitration. In October of 2015, the trial court denied the motions. Prisma appealed.

On appeal, Prisma relied upon Sky Sports, Inc. v. Superior Court, 201 Cal.App.4th 1363 (2011), for the proposition that it would have been premature to have filed its motion to compel arbitration prior to class certification. However, the Court of Appeal cited a critical distinction: in Sky Sports, the plaintiff had not signed an arbitration agreement although other members of the class had. In Prisma, the class representative (Sprunk) and all putative class members had signed arbitration agreements, giving Prisma the right to have sought to compel arbitration at the outset of litigation.

Noting that the trial court found Prisma had engaged in a strategic delay to give itself an opportunity to defeat the class, the Court of Appeal warned, “[a]n attempt to gain a strategic advantage through litigation in court before seeking to compel arbitration is a paradigm of conduct that is inconsistent with the right to arbitrate” and supports a finding of waiver. Slip op. at 18. The court also found Sprunk was prejudiced by the delay—had Prisma timely moved to compel arbitration, it could, “as a practical matter[,] have resolved the judicial proceedings with respect to the class” and could have “settled the question of whether the claims . . . should be adjudicated in a court or through arbitration.” Id. at 16-17.

This class action involving exotic dancers has clarified that a defendant wishing to compel arbitration must do so before the parties have invested time and energy in litigation, or risk waiver. Going forward, defendants must therefore dance quickly, or get off the table.

Authored by:
Arlene Turinchak, Senior Counsel
CAPSTONE LAW APC