Wellpoint, Inc. v. John Hancock Life Insurance

WOOD, Circuit Judge.

This case requires us to decide how deeply into the arbitral process a court should insert itself, once the proceeding is underway. Petitioner WellPoint Health Networks and affiliated companies (collectively, “WellPoint”) prevailed in an arbitration proceeding and later petitioned the district court for confirmation of the award. The district court obliged, and now John Hancock Life Insurance Company, the losing party, has appealed. Before the district court and here, Hancock complains that the panel of arbitrators exceeded its authority by accepting the resignation of one…