Ierna v. Arthur Murray International, Inc.

VANCE, Circuit Judge:

This case involves an award by an arbitration panel of attorneys’ fees to the prevailing party. This appeal presents the issues of whether the attorneys’ fees award is integral or collateral to the decision on the merits, and whether the district court properly remanded the case to the arbitrators to determine the amount of costs and expenses to be awarded. We defer to the arbitration panel’s interpretation of the arbitration provisions in the franchise agreements at issue, and hold that the award of attorneys’ fees was proper.

I

This case has bounced around a bit before…