Gilmer v. Interstate/Johnson Lane Corp.

Robert Gilmer (plaintiff), a financial-services manager, was terminated after six years and filed an EEOC age-discrimination charge and then an ADEA suit against Interstate/Johnson Lane Corp. (defendant); Interstate moved to compel arbitration based on an agreement Gilmer signed in his NYSE registration application requiring arbitration of any dispute with Interstate. The district court denied the motion, reasoning Congress meant to protect ADEA claimants' access to courts, but the court of appeals reversed, finding no congressional intent to invalidate arbitration agreements covering ADEA claims, and Gilmer appealed.