Tortious Interference with Business

Interference with business relationships

Business relationships can include customer and vendor relationships, employment relationships, referral arrangements, and negotiations for future work. The evidence may be found in emails, messages, proposals, personnel records, timelines, and communications with the person who disrupted the relationship.

Tortious interference with contracts

A contract-interference claim generally requires proof of a valid contract, the outsider’s knowledge of that contract, intentional procurement of a breach, a lack of privilege or justification for the interference, and damages. The facts surrounding the outsider’s purpose and conduct are often central to the analysis.

• The existence and terms of the underlying contract
• What the outsider knew and when they knew it
• The steps taken to cause or encourage a breach
• Whether the conduct was privileged or justified
• The losses that followed

Prospective economic advantage and improper means

A business opportunity does not always need to be supported by an existing contract. Interference with a prospective economic advantage may involve a relationship or opportunity that was reasonably likely to produce future business. The claim may turn on whether the defendant used improper means, such as deception, threats, defamation, or other wrongful conduct, to prevent the opportunity from developing.

Documenting losses and pursuing recovery

Lost profits may be part of the harm, but the business should also preserve evidence of lost customers, delayed projects, replacement costs, employee disruption, and reputational damage. We work with clients to organize the timeline, identify causation, and evaluate the available remedies before deciding how to proceed.

Tortious interference FAQs

Our Tortious Interference with Business FAQ covers Ohio elements, relationships, defenses, evidence, damages, and deadlines.