Stolt-Nielsen SA and Ors v AnimalFeeds International Corp – US Supreme Court – 27 April 2010

Arbitration – Class arbitration - Whether arbitration clauses permitted arbitration by a class – Whether arbitrators were in “manifest disregard” of the law in determining that arbitration clauses permitted class arbitration

AnimalFeeds International Corp (“AnimalFeeds”) alleged that Stolt-Nielsen SA and other companies (collectively “Stolt-Nielsen”) were engaged in a “global conspiracy to restrain competition in the world market for parcel tanker shipping services in violation of federal antitrust laws”. AnimalFeeds sought to proceed on behalf of a class of “all direct purchasers of parcel tanker transportation services globally for bulk liquid chemicals, edible oils, acids, and other specialty liquids from [Stolt-Nielsen] at any time during the period from August 1 1998 to November 30 2002”.