Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., chair of Duane Morris LLP's Class Action Defense Group, said that the decision will streamline arbitration proceedings and entice employers to roll out arbitration programs in their workforces.

Jules "puts federal courts right at the center of the arbitration system," and employers won't have to worry about starting a suit in state court to confirm an arbitration award, the management-side attorney said. 

"Now you just march straight back to federal court," Maatman said. "If you were an employer weighing whether or not you should adopt an arbitration program, here's another data point that says why it's advantageous to do it."

Maatman added that the decision is particularly advantageous in the Fourth Circuit, where he operates, because the appeals court ruled in 2024 that a district court didn't have the jurisdiction to enforce a $12.5 million arbitration award between wireless technology companies, citing Badgerow.

"There's plenty of wage and hour litigation in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina [and] West Virginia," Maatman said. "If you're a nationwide employer, your strategy or your cost of arbitration was different in the Fourth Circuit than in other areas."

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