In Matter of Mpow Tech. Co., Ltd. v Amazon.com Servs., LLC 2026 NY Slip Op 03273, Decided and Entered: May 26, 2026
Index No. 652815/25|Appeal No. 6723|Case No. 2025-05067|(1st Dept 2026), the errors of the attorney are laid against the attorney, with the Court noting that the client has started a legal malpractice case against the attorney.
“Supreme Court properly denied the petition and confirmed the arbitration award because petitioner failed to demonstrate that the arbitrator exceeded his power or that the award violates a strong public policy, is irrational, or clearly exceeds a specifically enumerated limitation on the arbitrator’s power (CPLR 7511[b], [e]; see Wien & Malkin LLP v Helmsley-Spear, Inc., 6 NY3d 471, 481 [2006], cert dismissed 548 US 940 [2006]).
Citing governing law, the arbitrator determined that the parties’ voluntary stipulation of dismissal with prejudice of the previous arbitration based on identical claims constituted a final adjudication on the merits, and thus res judicata applied to bar the instant arbitration. The arbitrator further reasoned that any allegations that petitioner’s counsel in the prior arbitration did not have the authority to permanently dismiss the proceeding on petitioner’s behalf did not undermine the preclusive effect of that stipulation, noting that petitioner had commenced a legal malpractice action against its former counsel to pursue those claims. Accordingly, the arbitrator’s analysis demonstrates that the award had a colorable basis for its conclusion (see Matter of Mariana Trading, Inc. v Amazon.Com Servs., LLC, 231 AD3d 483, 484 [1st Dept 2024], quoting Wien & Malkin, 6 NY3d at 479-448).”
May 26, 2026
Appellate Division, First Department