In re the Home Insurance
The Home Insurance Company filed a petition to compel arbitration against Svedala Industries Inc. regarding disputed retrospective premiums under a Premium Agreement. Svedala cross-moved to dismiss the petition, arguing lack of subject matter jurisdiction and the first-filed rule, and that the underlying dispute arose under an insurance policy without an arbitration clause. The Court denied Svedala's cross-motion, affirming its jurisdiction as the proper forum for compelling arbitration per the agreement. The Court granted Home's petition, determining that the broad arbitration clause in the Premium Agreement encompassed the dispute over premiums, including Svedala's defenses of bad faith. Svedala was subsequently ordered to proceed to arbitration.