Weyerhaeuser Co. v. Western Seas Shipping Co. & Ors. U.S. District Court Northern District of California (Judge William W. Schwarzer) - 19 August 1983

Consolidation of charterparty arbitrations - Whether consolidation permitted under US Arbitration Act

Charterparty disputes frequently arise in situations where an owner has time-chartered his vessel and the time-charterer has in turn sub-chartered the vessel to a third party. Where both the head charter and the sub-charter provide for arbitration, the intermediate charterer can find itself a party to two arbitrations - one with the owner and one with the sub-charterer.