Management Registry, Inc. v. Cloud Consulting Partners, Inc.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Management Registry Inc. (“MRI”) is a business, incorporated in Kentucky with its principal place of business in Louisville, Kentucky, that provides employees for employers in various industries. [DN 1-2 ¶¶ 1–2]. Defendant Cloud Consulting Partners, Inc. (“CCP”) is a business, incorporated in California with its principal place of business in Rancho Mirage, California, that provides human resources management services. [Id. ¶¶ 3–4]. In March 2017, MRI contacted CCP about services that CCP could potentially provide to MRI to increase MRI’s efficiency. [Id. ¶ 5]. At the end of April 2017, MRI and CCP executed a Master Consulting Services Agreement and Statement of Work (the “Agreement”) which was authored by CCP. [Id. ¶¶ 6–7]. In pertinent part, the Agreement required that “any dispute or claim arising under this Agreement between the Parties shall first be referred to mediation administered by the American Arbitration Association at its Los Angeles, California hearing location before resorting to arbitration.” [Id. ¶ 8; DN 1-2 at 26]. Further, the Agreement stated that it would “in all respects, be interpreted, construed, enforced and…