Viamedia, Inc. v. WideOpenWest Finance, LLC
- Victor Marrero
- 1:20-cv-04064
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 3
In Viamedia v. WideOpenWest, Judge Marrero granted WideOpenWest’s unopposed motion to confirm an arbitration award in Viamedia’s contract dispute.
Viamedia, Inc. and WideOpenWest Finance, LLC were affected: the court confirmed the arbitration award resolving their contract dispute.
What happened
Viamedia, Inc. sued WideOpenWest Finance, LLC for breach of contract and asked the court to appoint an arbitrator. After the court appointed one, WideOpenWest moved without opposition to confirm the resulting arbitration award.
The court explained that an arbitration award generally must be confirmed if the arbitrator acted within the authority granted by the parties’ agreement. After reviewing the filings and supporting documents, the court concluded that the arbitrator acted within that authority.
Judge Victor Marrero granted WideOpenWest’s unopposed motion to confirm the arbitration award. The opinion does not describe the award’s specific terms.
The detailed version
- Viamedia, Inc. v. WideOpenWest Finance, LLC · No. 1:20-cv-04064
- Victor Marrero
- Aug. 11, 2021
Background
Viamedia, Inc. brought a breach-of-contract action against WideOpenWest Finance, LLC. Viamedia also asked the court to appoint an arbitrator to resolve the parties’ dispute. The court granted that request on June 22, 2020. WideOpenWest later filed an unopposed motion to confirm the arbitration award.
Legal standard
The court stated that it must generally confirm an arbitration award when the arbitrator acted within the scope of the arbitrator’s authority and the award arose from the parties’ agreement. A court should not overturn an award merely because it believes the arbitrator made a serious error. Confirmation is generally a summary proceeding that turns the final arbitration award into a court judgment, unless the award is vacated, modified, or corrected.
Court’s analysis and ruling
The court treated the unopposed motion as a motion for summary judgment. After reviewing the petition, legal memorandum, and accompanying documents, it concluded that the arbitrator acted within the scope of the arbitrator’s authority. The court therefore confirmed the arbitration award and granted WideOpenWest’s unopposed motion. The opinion does not state the award’s amount or other specific terms.
Read the full 3-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.