What is a tortious interference with prospective business relations?

Tortious interference with prospective business relations is a legal term describing a situation in which a person or entity deliberately interferes with another’s ability to enter into or maintain a business relationship. This type of interference comes with the intent to financially or otherwise benefit themselves. It is illegal in New Hampshire under the state’s Unfair Competition Law. Tortious interference has three elements: (1) The defendant interfered with the plaintiffs’ prospective contractual relations, (2) the interference was intentional, and (3) the interference caused damage. In New Hampshire, for a victim to successfully make a claim for tortious interference with prospective business relations, they would have to show that the wrongful conduct of the defendant caused an interruption or termination of a prospective business relationship. For example, if a business owner was in the process of negotiating a contract with a client, and a competitor interfered and caused the client to terminate the talks, then the business owner could make a claim of tortious interference with prospective business relations. The business owner would need to prove that without the competitor’s interference, the contract would have been completed. In New Hampshire, people who are found guilty of tortious interference with prospective business relations are subject to legal damages such as punitive, compensatory, and consequential damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs. It is important to understand and comply with the state’s Unfair Competition Law in order to avoid potential liability and legal action.

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