Mealey's (December 28, 2017, 12:02 PM EST) -- RICHMOND, Va. — The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Nov. 27 affirmed a trial court’s decision to enforce an arbitral award issued in a dispute over a franchise agreement for the operation of a wild bird center, finding that the arbitrator did not exceed his authority when he enforced a noncompete clause in the parties’ contract (Stephen Frye, et al. v. Wild Bird Centers of America Inc., No. 17-1346, 4th Cir., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 23861)....