Gregory Pitsch originally filed his lawsuit against the electric vehicle manufacturer in Alameda County Superior Court in February, but Tesla removed the case to federal court based on diversity jurisdiction in March. The nature of Pitsch's underlying claims against Tesla was not detailed in the court filings.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley approved the parties' joint request to resolve all disputes through JAMS arbitration based on a mutual arbitration agreement Pitsch signed on December 29, 2021. The judge retained jurisdiction "to confirm, vacate, or otherwise review any arbitral award under the Federal Arbitration Act," according to the order.
Tesla requested that Pitsch agree to arbitration on March 13, and the parties reached agreement on the stipulation three days later. The court vacated all case deadlines and a scheduled June 11 case management conference as part of the stay order.
The ruling represents another example of Tesla successfully moving disputes out of federal court through arbitration agreements. The stay keeps the case off public dockets while the parties resolve their dispute privately, though the court maintains oversight over any final arbitral award.