Tortious Interference Attorney in Seattle

Free markets encourage healthy competition, as it improves the economy and promotes innovation. But certain laws protect businesses from competitive tactics that cross certain boundaries. When you depend on business contracts, the last thing you want is for the signee to breach the contract, especially a non-competition contract. But sometimes this breach or break is caused by a third party, either unknowingly or intentionally. If it is intentional, it is considered tortious interference.

Discover How NWBizLaw Can Safeguard Your Contracts. Contact Us at (206) 565-0090 Now.

Understanding Tortious Interference in Seattle

Tortious interference is when a party outside of a contract or business relationship interferes with your economic advantage or business contracts in a ‘wrongful’ manner. The law provides recourse through a claim for tortious interference with contractual or economic advantage.

A successful tortious interference claim will demonstrate the following elements:

• The defendant knew about your valid contract/economic expectancy
• The defendant intentionally interfered with your contract/economic expectancy
• The defendant’s interference was improper and caused your damages

Identifying Improper Interference in Business Deals

There are multiple motives and factors that are taken into account when determining if an interference was improper, they include:

The sort of conduct

The motive/interests of the person

The interests of the other party

The social interests of the contract

Is the interference a direct result of the actor’s behavior?

How close is the actor to the other party?

Damages occurred

If you believe that you were involved in an improper interference with another party, do not hesitate to reach out to Northwest Business Law LLC. Our attorneys have experience dealing with a variety of clients and protecting their businesses. Call us today for a consultation!

Real-World Examples of Business Interference

One common incidence of tortious interference is if someone interferes with the purchase of a service or product in the final days of the sale by offering a much lower price for the same service or product. To be considered tortious interference, this person must have known about the existing sale process and purposefully prevented it by offering a lower price.

Other types of tortious interference may involve:

• Non-compete agreements. If a competitor of yours starts trying to recruit one of your employees, then that competitor might have committed tortious interference of your non-compete agreement. This can be very difficult to prove, but if we succeed, you will have severely damaged the defendant’s position.
• Refusal to perform third-party duties. If a third-party is supposed to transport goods involved in a contract, and they stop fulfilling this duty to sabotage said contract, this would likely be considered tortious interference.
• Government falsified documents or blackmail. These activities may sound far-fetched, but they do happen, and they significantly harm legitimate businesses. If you think your business has been jeopardized in this way, you should contact our tortious interference attorney in Seattle as soon as possible.

Critically, a plaintiff claiming tortious interference has the burden of proving causation. Therefore, you must prove the contract was lost substantially because of the interference alleged, rather than due to your own fault or some other cause.

At NWBizLaw, our tortious interference attorney has years of business litigation experience and is fully prepared to advocate for your rights, both in and out of the courtroom. If you believe someone has interfered with a contract or agreement you had with another party, you deserve to hold that person accountable and, if possible, obtain compensation for your loss.

Need Legal Advice? Call (206) 565-0090 for a Seattle Business Lawyer Consultation.