Tortious Interference with Contracts and Business Relations: Elements, Defenses, and Damages

Stephen Riden | Beck Reed Riden LLP

His practice is in commercial litigation, and he represents corporate and individual clients in a wide array of commercial disputes across the country, and his primary focus is litigating trade secrets and restrictive covenants matters. He has worked on myriad actions in state and federal courts involving trade secret issues, including representing several key witnesses in a jury trial that resulted in an award of more than $2 billion in damages for trade secret misappropriation. Steve was the 2020 President of the Board of Directors for the Boston College Law School Alumni Association. He is an editorial board member of the Federal Bar Association. He is also an editorial board member of the Boston Bar Journal, following serving a two-year term as its chair, and a one-year term as its co-chair. Previously, Steve was the Co-Chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Business and Commercial Litigation Section.

Sarah Tishler | Beck Reed Riden LLP

Sarah Tishler is a senior counsel at Beck Reed Riden LLP, a nationally recognized boutique litigation firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. Sarah’s practice is concentrated on trade secret and restrictive covenant advising and litigation, employee mobility, and commercial litigation. Sarah has won successful outcomes for clients on  both sides of these disputes in all stages of litigation, including the preliminary injunction stage, jury trials, and mediation. Sarah has also counseled clients on the identification and protection of trade secrets, and the enforceability of noncompetes and other restrictive covenants. Sarah was named by the Legal 500 as a Leading Associate for 2024 in the area of Trade Secrets.

Sarah’s pro bono practice consists primarily of immigration and civil rights work, for which she was awarded the Pro Bono Star Award by Human Rights First in 2022. Sarah also serves on the Board of Education for her town’s public school district.

I. What must plaintiffs prove to establish a tortious interference claim? | 2:00pm – 2:20pm

II. What are the potential defenses to defeat tortious interference claims? | 2:20pm – 2:40pm

III. What damages are available to prevailing plaintiffs in tortious interference cases? | 2:40pm – 3:00pm

Break | 3:00pm – 3:10pm

IV. How do tortious interference claims overlap with related employment, unfair competition, and defamation claims? | 3:10pm – 3:40pm

V. These claims are used in a variety of industries, and the presentation will address real-world application of this tort in the following areas: | 3:40pm – 4:10pm

• Real estate industry: How tortious interference claims come into play in real estate transactions, including case studies and real world examples
• Tech sector: Examining tortious interference in the dynamic realm of technology and innovation
• Employment disputes: Addressing the application of tortious interference claims in employment-related conflicts