A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on Feb. 15 that AB51, California's law barring mandatory arbitration in employment agreements, was preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The decision in Chamber of Commerce v. Bonta (No. 20-15291 D.C. No. 2:19-cv-02456- KJM-DB) cheered business owners, but it greatly distressed worker advocates.