The Puerto Rico sub-distributor V. Suarez filed an action in local Bayamon court, where it has its principal place of business, seeking to vacate a commercial arbitration award under Puerto Rico law. The principal Bacardi countered with a removal of the action to federal court and the filing of a separate federal action to confirm the award under the Federal Arbitration Act.
As reported in my previous blog, a commercial arbitration panel of the AAA ruled in favor of Bacardi, as a matter of first impression, that sophisticated parties may, by contract, predetermine the methodology to value the principal’s direct contribution and goodwill associated with the line and set off that value from the distributor’s actual damages in the event of an unlawful termination under Law 75.
The award is part of the public record in the proceedings to vacate and confirm the award. The cases pending in the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico are styled V. Suarez & Co. v. Bacardi International Limited, No. 11-01858 (GAG) and Bacardi International Limited v. V. Suarez & Co. Inc., No. 11-01871. Stay tuned.
