Carrion

I. INTRODUCTION

Defendant Sunset Services Holdings, LLC appeals from an order denying its motion to compel arbitration of a dispute with its former employee, plaintiff Rafael Carrion. The trial court found that the parties had not agreed to arbitrate because the employee handbook, which included an arbitration provision, disclaimed the creation of contractual rights. We affirm.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. The Parties

Defendant, a limited liability company,1 provides studio production facilities, sound stages, and production services in Los Angeles, New York, and London to a client base that includes production companies from across the United States and abroad. Plaintiff began his employment with defendant’s predecessor in 2000 as an engineer technician. In 2019, he began working for defendant as a broadcast engineer assistant. In January 2023, plaintiff was laid off.

B. 2021 Handbook

In 2021, Hudson distributed to plaintiff, on its web-based employee portal, an updated employee handbook (the handbook).

Defendant is owned by its managing member Hudson Pacific Services, Inc., which is wholly owned by Hudson Pacific Properties, L.P., whose general partner is…