Doe 007 v. William Lee

**Court Rules Against Employer Who Tried to Force Arbitration Too Late** This case involved a dispute between an employee (identified as Doe 007) and Sotheby's International Realty, where the worker sued for elder abuse and breach of fiduciary duty. After the lawsuit was filed, the company waited over two years before asking the court to stop the case and force the employee into private arbitration instead of a public trial. The court ruled in favor of the employee and refused to require arbitration. The judges found that Sotheby's had given up their right to demand arbitration by waiting too long to request it, actively participating in the regular court process, and allowing extensive evidence-gathering to proceed. The company's behavior was inconsistent with wanting arbitration. This decision matters for workers because it shows that employers can't have it both ways—they can't participate fully in a court case and then try to escape to arbitration when things aren't going well. If your employer has an arbitration clause in your contract, they must invoke it quickly or risk losing that right. This protects workers from employers who might try to manipulate the legal process by switching tactics mid-case.