There are multiple reasons why a company may pursue business litigation against another company or person. In many cases, litigation will seek to address losses or other damages caused to a business by another party’s actions. Tortious interference is one issue that may arise during business litigation, and it addresses cases where another party interfered with a business’s relationships and caused the business to suffer losses. An attorney with an understanding of business law can ensure that a company will be able to address this issue properly when pursuing litigation or resolving business disputes.

What Is Tortious Interference?

Businesses may engage in a variety of activities as they work to build relationships with customers, engage in contractual agreements, and build positive reputation and goodwill in the marketplace. While some activities may be considered standard forms of competition, others may be seen as intentional attempts to cause harm to someone else. 

A business may pursue litigation against another party based on tortious interference if that party has wrongfully interfered with the business’s contractual relationships, leading to a breach of contract. Tortious interference may also involve interference with other types of advantageous business relationships in a way that causes harm to a business.

There are multiple types of fraudulent activity that can affect a business. Fraud may be committed by an officer or employee of a company, another company that has misrepresented information during a transaction, or any other party that engages in theft of a company’s money or assets. These actions can result in significant losses for a company. While a person who commits fraud may face criminal charges, a company may also be able to pursue civil litigation to address the damages resulting from fraud.

Forms of Fraud That Can Affect a Business

Some common types of fraud that may be addressed through business litigation include:

• Embezzlement - An employee, officer, or partner of a company may steal or misappropriate money or other assets belonging to the company. This type of theft may involve physically taking cash or property, redirecting a business’s funds into a personal account, or deceptive practices by one partner that deprive other partners of their rightful share of a company’s earnings or profits.

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When operating a business, owners and partners will want to take whatever steps are necessary to protect their financial interests. In many cases, this means maintaining certain types of trade secrets that will allow them to provide value to their customers and remain competitive in the marketplace. Unfortunately, there are many situations where these trade secrets may be stolen or misappropriated and used by a company’s competitors to gain an unfair advantage. In these cases, a company may be able to pursue litigation against the parties who have stolen or trafficked in trade secrets and engaged in anti-competitive practices, while also ensuring that this information can remain confidential.

Defense of Trade Secrets in Florida

For companies in Florida, the state’s Trade Secrets Act provides a number of protections against the misappropriation or misuse of trade secrets. A company may pursue litigation against a person or company that disclosed or acquired a trade secret through methods such as theft or bribery, as well as methods of espionage such as hacking into protected computer systems or illegally accessing a company’s premises. In addition to taking legal action against a person who stole a trade secret, such as a former employee, a company may pursue litigation against another company that acquired a trade secret that they knew or had reason to know was stolen or obtained without their express consent.

The statute of limitations for litigation involving misappropriation of trade secrets is three years. A company must pursue litigation within three years after discovering that trade secrets were misappropriated or within three years after a misappropriation should have been discovered through the exercise of reasonable diligence. During litigation, a company will need to prove that actual or potential value can be derived from the trade secrets in question and that it took reasonable efforts to maintain secrecy. A company may seek remedies including:

Operating a business will involve interactions with a variety of other parties, including customers, vendors, other companies, and employees. There are many situations where disputes involving these or other parties may arise. Business litigation may be necessary to resolve these issues and address losses that a company may have experienced because of other parties’ actions. If disputes related to non-compete agreements become an issue, business owners will need to understand how the law applies to these situations and how they can enforce the terms of these agreements.

Enforcing Restrictive Covenants in Florida

Non-compete agreements are often used in employment contracts or severance agreements, and they are meant to ensure that a former employee will not directly compete with their employer and use their knowledge of a company’s operations or customers in a way that negatively affects the company’s business interests. They may also be used in other situations, such as a joint venture agreement between two companies. Non-compete agreements are known as restrictive covenants because they restrict a person from working for a competitor or engaging in certain types of business activities.

If disputes involving non-compete agreements arise, Florida law details the requirements that must be met for an agreement to be enforceable. These include:

Embarking on a business partnership can leave one feeling optimistic and excited about the future. Unfortunately, not all business relationships live up to this initial hopefulness. If your partner relationship has taken a negative turn, you may have questions about your legal rights. You may wonder, “Can I sue my business partner?”

Breach of Partnership Agreement

When a partner damages the business by breaching the partnership agreement, the remaining partners may have cause for legal action against the breaching party. Breach of contract involving a partnership agreement occurs when:

• The partner has violated one or more terms of the contract

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