Shearson/american Express Inc. v. McMahon
482 U.S. 220 · Decided June 8, 1987 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Shearson/american Express Inc. v. McMahon was decided on June 8, 1987 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Arbitration (non-labor)” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 482 U.S. 220 · 107 S. Ct. 2332 · 96 L. Ed. 2d 185 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 2478
- Docket number
- 86-44
- Decided
- June 8, 1987
- Argued
- March 3, 1987
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Arbitration (non-labor)
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 9 U.S.C. § 1
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Full case caption
Shearson/american Express Inc. et al. v. McMahon et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-116, docket 1986-116-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: 9 U.S.C. § 1
- Volt Information Sciences, Inc. v. Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University
- Allied-Bruce Terminix Companies, Inc. v. G. Michael Dobson
- Antonio Mastrobuono and Diana G. Mastrobuono v. Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc.
- Scherk v. Alberto-Culver Co.
- Circuit City Stores, Inc. v. Saint Clair Adams
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Waffle House, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Kelly v. Robinson
- Cargill, Inc. v. Monfort of Colorado, Inc.
- R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Durham County
- 324 Liquor Corp. v. Duffy
- Clarke v. Securities Industry Association
- Jersey Shore State Bank v. United States
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error