Litigation & Arbitration,
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Apr. 15, 2025
9th Circuit tosses Tesla's win in engineer's defamation fight
A former Tesla engineer's defamation battle with Elon Musk isn't over. The 9th Circuit reversed a federal judge's decision to confirm a zero-dollar arbitration award, potentially reopening the door for claims against the automaker and its CEO--and setting new precedent on arbitration enforcement.
A former Tesla Inc. design engineer lost her bid to hold Elon Musk and the automaker liable for defamation--but Musk and Tesla also lost their effort to confirm an arbitrator's zero-dollar award in their favor.
A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel reversed a federal judge in Oakland and ordered him to dismiss Tesla's petition to confirm the arbitration award.
The upshot: Automotive design engineer Cristina Balan may get another chance to hold Musk and Tesla l...
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