Arbitrators, Not Court, Must Decide Who Participates in Reinsurance Arbitration, Reinsurer Argues

NEW YORK — Federal Insurance Co. has cross-moved a New York federal court to compel arbitration of the question of whether members of the Pinehurst Accident Reinsurance Group should participate in a reinsurance arbitration between Federal and National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh.

In a Dec. 13 motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Federal maintains that the parties’ broad arbitration agreement requires arbitration of even threshold issues.

National Union and Federal entered into two Occupational Accident Workers Compensation Excess of Loss Treaties, both in effect 1986-87. Under the contracts, Federal …