Opinion

Wilko v. Swan

  • 346 U.S. 427
  • 74 S. Ct. 182
  • 98 L. Ed. 2d 168
  • 98 L. Ed. 168
  • 1953 U.S. LEXIS 2673
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Filed
Dec 7, 1953
Status
Published
Author
Jackson
On the bench
Reed, Jackson, Frankfurter, Min-Ton
Cited by
1,214 cases

Overruled on other grounds by Rodriguez De Quijas v. Shearson/American Express, Inc., 490 U.S. 477 (1989)

recognizing that Hall Street overruled “manifest disregard of the law” as an independent basis for vacatur

How later courts described this case

  • recognizing that Hall Street overruled “manifest disregard of the law” as an independent basis for vacatur
  • recognizing that, even when the evidence is probative, the "overriding policy of excluding such evidence ... is the practical experience that its disallowance tends to prevent confusion of issues, unfair surprise and undue prejudice"
  • compelling arbitration despite a statutory grant of federal jurisdiction stating, “[tjhere is nothing in the record before us, nor in the facts of which we can take judicial notice, to indicate that the arbitral system ... would not afford the plaintiff the rights to which he is entitled”
  • noting that an Arbitrators’ award “may be made without explanation of their reasons 7 and without a complete record of their proceedings”

Written by the judges who cited it.

Later courts went against this

  • Overruled on other grounds by Rodriguez De Quijas v. Shearson/American Express, Inc., 490 U.S. 477 (1989)

    Listed in the Constitution Annotated's table of Supreme Court decisions overruled by subsequent decision (entry 193, expressly overruled).
    Supreme Court of the United StatesMay 15, 1989108 citing opinionsother groundsofficial confidenceRead it
  • Overruled — as noted by 3 later courts

    In 1989, the Court expressly overruled Wilko in Rodriguez de Quijas v. Shearson/American Express, Inc., 490 U.S. 477, 109 S.Ct. 1917, 104 L.Ed.2d 526 (1989), holding that Wilko had been "incorrectly decided" as a result of the Wilko Court's outmoded suspicion of arbitration as a method of resolving disputes.
    3 citing opinions
  • Overruled by Scherk v. Alberto-Culver Co., 417 U.S. 506 (1974)

    Wilko was overruled by Scherk v. Alberto-Culver Co., 417 U.S. 506, 94 S.Ct. 2449, 41 L. Ed.2d 270 (1974), is incorrect as that case simply carved out a narrow exception to the
    Supreme Court of the United StatesOct 15, 19742 citing opinionsRead it
  • Overruled implicitly by Shearson/American Express Inc. v. McMahon, 482 U.S. 220 (1987)

    By contrast, the Fifth Circuit has held that McMahon effectively overruled Wilko, and thus claims under § 12(2) of the Securities Act are arbitrable.
    Supreme Court of the United StatesSep 21, 1987impliedmedium confidenceRead it
  • Questioned by Johnson v. O'BRIEN, 1988 Minn. App. LEXIS 318 (1988)

    The continuing validity of the Wilko decision is questionable.
    Court of Appeals of MinnesotaMar 15, 1988Read it
  • Questioned by Ballay v. Legg Mason Wood Walker, Inc., 878 F.2d 729 (1989)

    McMahon cast serious doubt on the continuing vitality of the Wilko rule that arbitration agreements covering Securities Act claims were unenforceable.
    Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitJun 29, 1989Read it

and 3 more.

Distinguished

  • Distinguished by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation v. Soler Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc., 723 F.2d 155 (1983)

    346 U.S. 427, 74 S.Ct. 182, 98 L.Ed. 168 (1953), argued that the arbitration clause was inapplicable to its securities claim.
    Court of Appeals for the First CircuitDec 20, 1983Read it
  • Distinguished by Percy D. AYRES, Appellant, v. MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC., 538 F.2d 532 (1976)

    “[T]he policy considerations relied on by the Supreme Court in Wilko are inapposite here, the Supreme Court found that the non-waiver provision there involved was designed to protect investors. 346 U.S. at 431, 74 S.Ct. 182.
    Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitJun 28, 1976Read it
  • Distinguished by Lowry & Co. v. S. S. Nadir, 223 F. Supp. 871 (1963)

    The case of Wilko v. Swan, 346 U.S. 427, 74 S.Ct. 182, 98 L.Ed. 168 (1953), relied upon heavily by libellant, is inapposite to the case at bar.
    District Court, S.D. New YorkNov 18, 1963Read it

The opinion

Mr. Justice Jackson,

concurring.

I agree with the Court’s opinion insofar as it construes the Securities Act to prohibit waiver of a judicial remedy in favor of arbitration by agreement made before any controversy arose. I think thereafter the parties could agree upon arbitration. However, I find it unnec *439 essary in this case, where there has not been and could not be any arbitration, to decide that the Arbitration Act precludes any judicial remedy for the arbitrators’ error of interpretation of a relevant statute.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.