Use of Interpreters in Arbitration: Lessons from the California Court of Appeals in FCM v. Grove Pham
In a recent case, FCM Investments LLC v. Grove Pham LLC (“FCM v. Grove Pham”), the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One (the “Court”) vacated an arbitral award based on a “reasonable perception of possible bias” of a sole arbitrator towards a party who chose to testify using an interpreter. Though FCM…