Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Date unavailable
Michael Waller vs. Commerce Bank, et al.
Michael Waller sued Commerce Bank for race discrimination and retaliation under the Missouri Human Rights Act after the bank denied his request to open business accounts. Commerce Bank appealed the circuit court's denial of its motion to compel arbitration. The appellate court affirmed, holding that an unambiguous exclusion clause in the arbitration agreement specifically exempted disputes relating to business accounts from arbitration. The court also declined to review Commerce Bank's attempt to appeal an earlier denied motion to dismiss, citing a lack of statutory authority for such an interlocutory appeal.