GRAFTON PARTNERS L.P. v. SUPERIOR COURT

No. S123344.

32 Cal.Rptr.3d 5 (2005)

36 Cal.4th 944

116 P.3d 479

GRAFTON PARTNERS L.P., et al., Petitioners, v. The SUPERIOR COURT of Alameda County, Respondent; PriceWaterhouseCoopers L.L.P., Real Party in Interest.

Supreme Court of California.

August 4, 2005.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady, Falk & Rabkin, Jerome B. Falk, Jr., Steven L. Mayer, San Francisco; Bartko, Zankel, Tarrant & Miller, John J. Bartko, Christopher J. Hunt and Allan N. Littman, San Francisco, for Petitioners.

McGuinn, Hillsman & Palefsky, Cliff Palefsky and Keith Ehrman, San Francisco, for California Employment Lawyers Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

The Arns Law Firm, Morgan C. Smith, Robert S. Arns, San Francisco; Bruce R. Pfaff & Associates and Bruce R. Pfaff for the American Board of Trial Advocates as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Law Offices of Public Advocates and Richard A. Marcantonio, San Rafael, for Public Advocates, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

The Sturdevant Law Firm, James C. Sturdevant and Monique Olivier, San Francisco, for Consumer Attorneys of California, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, Association of Trial Lawyers of America and National Association of Consumer Advocates as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

No appearance for Respondent.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Daniel M. Kolkey, San Francisco, Scott A. Fink, and Daniel S. Floyd, Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., Julian W. Poon and Dominic Lanza, Los Angeles, for Real Party in Interest.

Deborah J. La Fetra and Timothy Sandefur, Sacramento, for Pacific Legal Foundation as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Buchalter, Nemer, Fields & Younger, James B. Wright, Bernard E. Lesage, Los Angeles; Goldberg, Kohn, Bell, Black, Rosenbloom & Moritz, Richard M. Kohn, Kenneth S. Ulrich; Otterbourg, Steindler, Houston & Rosen, Bernard Beitel, Jonathan N. Helfat and Daniel Wallen, for Commercial Finance Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Rebecca D. Eisen, Thomas M. Peterson, Brett M. Schuman and Amanda D. Smith, San Francisco, for Employers Group as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Leland Chan, San Francisco, for California Bankers Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

National Chamber Litigation Center, Robin S. Conrad, Stephanie A. Martz; Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, Donald M. Falk, Palo Alto, and Fatima Goss Graves, for the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Nina F. Locker, Steven Guggenheim and Joni Ostler, Palo Alto, for New Focus, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Allen Matkins Leck Gamble & Mallory, Bruce W. Hyman and Gregg J. Loubier, Los Angeles, for California Mortgage Bankers Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Erika C. Frank; Knox, Lemmon & Anapolsky, Thomas S. Knox and Glen C. Hansen, Sacramento, for California Chamber of Commerce and California Retailers Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Stephan, Oringher, Richman & Theodora, Harry W.R. Chamberlain, Robert M. Dato and Brian P. Barrow, Costa Mesa, for Association of Southern California Defense Counsel as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Wilke, Fleury, Hoffelt, Gould & Birney, Matthew W. Powell, Megan A. Lewis, Sacramento; Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Kelly M. Hnatt; and Richard I. Miller for American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.

Fred J. Hiestand, Sacramento, for the Civil Justice Association of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.


GEORGE, C.J.

The present case concerns what is principally a question of statutory interpretation. At issue is Code of Civil Procedure section 631,1 a provision prescribing the six means by which parties to a civil lawsuit may waive their right to have their disputes adjudicated in a jury trial rather than in a court trial. Petitioners contend a contractual agreement that is entered into prior to any dispute arising between the contracting...

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