WPC  yѬ(|$yyj6/#D4dY7}19 sT>h7T<8ɉe9Fdٽ5>Q"Y?rkײn=ɕw&KEm jK>:RnJ={/ިҕ ̔ī2Vd޷XGxeޕ<3` ,b$XJG72kF$hA }Q~xn;+2X?MQKSVju_-dd5U.I+_*~ s]Z$b%^=]wpw)1{AW}iޅ3m}a**A=FMXߪM.FiO!NeP=O%2B'MFE0Avw/]8UUvWezuqzͅ. WYU>4r 0< 0<@ 0n|UFUJ00z 0#$UN %3 M9 (= Ne ^ g ws 4w  m \  `&Times New Roman'  Training0Training .   <:Default Para<:Footnote Ref< :Endnote TextXXX7\  `.Times New Roman TURkIA`2WP TypographicSymbols#|x(rq$..       X X HP LaserJet 5M,,,,0(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular Xy/ h.:i+00U  q!..       +X X+ +  _       _XX+XXXX____Sunterra_ԀCorporation,etalv.Ernst&Young,_LLP_,CaseNo.:24C02002963,2003_MDBT_Ԁ1  (CircuitCourtforBaltimoreCity)(January30,2003)(perAlbertJ._Matricciani_,Jr.)    Plaintiff_Sunterra_ԀCorporation(XHXXX_AXXXXHSunterra_XHXXX@XXXXH)suedDefendantErnst&Young(XHXXX_AXXXXHErnst_Ԁ&YoungXHXXX@XXXXH) H forfraud,fraudulentconcealment,negligentmisrepresentation,andnegligence/professional 0  malpractice._Sunterra_Ԁfiledanamendedcomplaintallegingthatanarbitrationagreementwas  f inducedbyfraud.Ernst&Youngmovedtodismissorforastaypendingarbitration,demanding  L thatthemediation/arbitrationprovisionsdeprivedtheCourtofjurisdictiontodeterminethe  2 _arbitrability_Ԁof_Sunterra_XHXXX=XXXXHsclaims._Sunterra_Ԁfiledamotionforastayofarbitration,contending    thatthemediation/arbitrationagreementswereinvalidandthattheCourt,andnotthearbitrators,   shoulddeterminewhetherthereareclaimssubjecttoarbitration.     Held:TheCourtwouldholdahearingtodecidewhethertheagreementtoarbitratewasprocured b  byfraud. H  _Synposis_:Arbitrationagreementsareseverablefromtheothertermsofacontract.Acourthas d jurisdictiontodeterminewhetheravalidandenforceableagreementtoarbitrateexists.Claimsof J fraudintheinducementmustgodirectlytothearbitrationprovisionsthemselvesandnotmerely 0 totheunderlyingcontract._Sunterra_XHXXX=XXXXHsallegationraisedasubstantialandbonafidedisputeasto  theexistenceofanagreementtoarbitrate:theallegationsassertedasubstantialrelationship  betweentheallegedfraudandtheagreementtoarbitrate.   P E1` X` hp x (#XECounsel: ` ArnoldM.Weiner,Esq. F  P E.` hp x (#` XX(#EPaulF.Strain,Esq. ,| IrwinB.Nathan,Esq. b  Relatedcase:2003_MDBT_Ԁ_2.___