Santander Consumer USA Inc. v. Jabari Morese Lyles

The Federal Arbitration Act provides that arbitration agreements “shall be valid, irrevocable, and enforceable,” except for “such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the revocation of any contract[.]” 9 U.S.C. § 2. This statute not only prohibits state rules which facially discriminate against arbitration, but also those that target arbitration by more subtle methods, such as by interfering with fundamental attributes of arbitration. The question presented is: Does the Federal Arbitration Act preempt a statecourt rule that prohibits an assignee of a financing contract from enforcing an arbitration provision that the party against whom arbitration is sought expressly agreed would govern “any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to the purchase or the financing” of the underlying transaction? (i)