Tubos De Acero De Mexico, S.A. v. Dynamic Shipping Inc.

HERLANDS, District Judge:

The two decisive questions posed by these motions and petition seeking arbitration are: whether the party objecting to the arbitration has raised a genuine issue as to the identity of the principals who entered into the charter containing the arbitration clause; and whether the court should summarily order a separate trial of that issue before directing arbitration.

The surface complexity of the facts is a commentary on the conduct of the charter party business through agents, unnamed principals, a multiplicity of corporations, and a variety of foreign flag ships.

The…