Airtab, Inc. sued Limbach Company, LLC and Limbach Facility Services, LLC collectively, “Limbach” for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, quantum meruit, and fraud in connection with subcontract work Airtab agreed to perform for Limbach on a construction project. Limbach answered and counterclaimed for breach of the contract and attorney fees. Pursuant to an arbitration clause in the subcontract, the trial court referred the case to arbitration. Following a five-day hearing, the arbitrators awarded $133,222 to Airtab and $152,451 to Limbach on their competing claims. The arbitrators also ordered Airtab to pay Limbach $1,458 in interest and $91,150 in attorney fees. When Limbach moved to confirm the arbitration award, Airtab objected and sought to vacate it, arguing that the arbitrators were biased towards Limbach, overstepped their authority, and disregarded the law. The trial court rejected Airtab’s arguments, entered judgment based on the award, and granted Limbach additional interest accruing from the date the award became payable. We find no error.
Because the purpose of arbitration is to avoid costly litigation, judicial review of an arbitration award is limited.1 Under OCGA § 9-9-13 b, a trial court may vacate an award only if the contesting party proves that it was prejudiced by: 1 Corruption, fraud, or misconduct in procuring the award; 2 Partiality of an arbitrator appointed as a neutral; 3 An overstepping by the arbitrators of their authority or such imperfect execution of it that a final and definite award upon the subject matter submitted was not made; 4 A failure to follow the procedure of the Georgia Arbitration Code, unless the party applying to vacate the award continued with the arbitration with notice of this failure and without objection; or 5 The arbitrator’s manifest disregard of the law. Absent one of these statutory grounds, the trial court must confirm the award.2 Similarly, we will not reverse an order confirming an award unless the appellant demonstrates that a statutory ground exists.3
