Schoenduve Corporation, a California Corporation v. Lucent Technologies, Inc., a Delaware Corporation

Lucent Technologies (“Lucent”) appeals the district court’s order confirming an arbitration award entered in favor of Schoenduve Corporation (“Schoenduve”). Lucent asks this Court to vacate or modify the arbitration award claiming that the arbitrator (1) exceeded his authority by ruling on an issue not submitted by the parties, (2) modified or expanded the unambiguous language of the agreement requiring arbitration, and (3) failed to provide Lucent an opportunity to rebut Schoenduve’s claim for commissions under a quasi-contract or estoppel theory. Lu-cent also asks us to vacate the portion of the arbitrator’s decision awarding attorneys’ fees to Schoenduve as a manifest disregard of the law. Because the arbitrator stayed within the bounds of his authority in applying New York substantive law as the parties had contractually agreed, and made a good faith effort to apply the applicable provisions of the California Civil Code to the award of attorneys’ fees, we affirm.

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Lucent is a manufacturer of wireless communication products and Schoenduve is a manufacturer’s sales representative. On August 14, 1996, Lucent entered into a Manufacturer’s Representative Agreement (“MRA”)…