Computer Signatures and Arbitration Agreements May Not Mix

On December 2, the New Jersey Appellate Division returned an arbitration case to the trial court for a plenary hearing on whether the plaintiff/customer had agreed to arbitration. Knight v. Vivint Solar Developer, LLC, __ N.J. Super. __, 2020 N.J. Super. LEXIS 240 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. Dec. 2, 2020). At least two aspects of this precedential decision—which focused on severability, delegation, and whether the court or the arbitrator should decide arbitrability—raise questions about, among other things, a merchant’s negating the delegation clause in the contract.