Arbitration Challenge Too Broad

In Hill v. Jackson Offshore, the Fifth Circuit vacated a district court order that denied a motion to compel arbitration and allowed discovery into an arbitration agreement’s enforceability.

The case involved a seaman who signed a wage and benefits agreement containing both an arbitration clause and a delegation clause, which said that “any dispute relating to the validity, interpretation, or application of this Agreement shall be submitted to the arbitrator for resolution.”

Applying Rent–A–Center, the Court reminded that a party resisting arbitration must make arguments “specific to the delegation provision,” and not argue generally that “the contract as a whole (including its arbitration provision) is rendered invalid.” Although the seaman’s briefing stated that he challenged “both the entire Agreement, as well as the arbitration language or ‘clause’ specifically,” the Court found these efforts insufficient because the seaman never explained how fraud or duress applied to the delegation clause differently than to the rest of the agreement.
No. 24-30554, May 5, 2026.