Alabama Supreme Court Appellate Alert: Decision from October 24, 2025

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The Alabama Supreme Court issued its weekly release list on Friday, October 24, which included the following opinion of interest to the Alabama business community:

• Terminix Int’l v. St. Paul's Episcopal Church: This decision compelled arbitration of a church’s claims against a pest-control company over termite damage to a church steeple, even though the arbitration clause at issue was in a contract that did not cover that building. In a majority opinion written by Justice Mendheim and joined by four other justices, the Court reasoned that the arbitration clause—which was in a contract covering only the church’s separate education building—extended to claims not involving that building because it stated that the parties would arbitrate “any claim” between them, without limitation. Chief Justice Stewart authored an opinion concurring only in the result and suggesting that, if the church had raised the issue, she would have been inclined to hold that the plain language of the Federal Arbitration Act does not compel enforcement of “infinite arbitration clause[s]” of that sort.

If you have questions about this decision or want to discuss any other matters relating to Alabama appellate law, please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of Maynard Nexsen’s Appellate Group.