Pre-Arbitration Discovery: Turn to State Law Where the Federal Rules are Inadequate
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As discussed in an earlier post, obtaining discovery from a non-party to an arbitration often is easier said than done. Depending on the law of the place of arbitration, arbitrators may not be able to compel document production or testimony from a non-party before a hearing on the merits. This can impair a claimant’s ability to prove its claims considerably, or in some cases altogether inhibit a potential claimant from learning the facts necessary to identify the correct respondent(s) or to articulate a competent claim. Moreover, while Fed. R. Civ. P. 27 permits pre-action discovery to “perpetuate testimony regarding [a] matter that may be cognizable,” many federal courts have interpreted the phrase “perpetuate testimony” to mean that Rule 27 may only be used to “preserve testimony which could otherwise be lost,” rather than as a “substitute for discovery.” Ash v. Cort, 512 F.2d 909, 912 (3d Cir. 1975); accord Bryant v. Am. Fedn. of Musicians of the United States, 666 Fed. Appx. 14, 16 (2d Cir. 2016); In re Allegretti, 229 F.R.D. 93, 96 (S.D.N.Y. 2005) (“[Rule 27] is not a method of discovery to determine whether a cause of action exists; and, if so, against whom the action should be instituted.”)).
However, potential claimants may turn to state law in certain jurisdictions to facilitate much-needed pre-arbitration discovery. Savvy practitioners may also be able to leverage such procedural tools to obtain non-party discovery concerning the merits of their clients’ claims.
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