BDO U.S., LLP v. Field

• Decision Date: 21 December 2010
• Parties: In re BDO USA, LLP, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Denis M. FIELD, Respondent-Respondent.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

912 N.Y.S.2d 879

79 A.D.3d 604

In re BDO USA, LLP, Petitioner-Appellant,

v.Denis M. FIELD, Respondent-Respondent.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.

Dec. 21, 2010.

DLA Piper LLP (US), New York (Christopher P. Hall of counsel), for appellant.

Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP, New York (Brian C. Wille of counsel), for respondent.

Orders, Supreme Court, New York County (Barbara R. Kapnick, J.), entered July 12, 2010, which, inter alia, denied the petition to stay arbitration and to modify the subject arbitration agreement, and granted respondent's motion to compel arbitration, respectively, unanimously affirmed, with costs.

The provision of the Amendment to Settlement Agreement that states that "the arbitrator shall decide the dispute based on a written submission from each Party and a non-evidentiary hearing" was not unconscionable ( see generally Yonir Tech., Inc. v. Duration Systems [1992] Ltd., 244 F.Supp.2d 195, 209 [S.D.N.Y.2002] ). The provision was neither the result of disparate bargaining power nor "grossly unreasonable" under the circumstances ( see Gillman v. Chase Manhattan Bank, 73 N.Y.2d 1, 10-11, 537 N.Y.S.2d 787, 534 N.E.2d 824 [1988] [internal quotation marks and citations omitted] ).

We have considered petitioner's remaining arguments andfind them unavailing.

TOM, J.P., FRIEDMAN, CATTERSON, RENWICK, ABDUS-SALAAM, JJ., concur.