MBE Rules · Torts
Interference with Contract
Tortious interference
The rule
Intentional interference requires a valid contract or expectancy, defendant's knowledge, intentional acts inducing breach or disruption, and damages; fair competition privileges interference with mere prospective advantage.
In plain English
Intentional interference with a contract occurs when someone knowingly disrupts an existing contract or a potential contract between two parties. To prove this, the plaintiff must show that there was a valid contract, the defendant knew about it, intentionally acted to interfere, and that the plaintiff suffered damages as a result.
Worked example
Company A has a contract with Employee B. Company C, knowing about this contract, offers Employee B a better job and convinces them to leave Company A. As a result, Company A loses business and suffers financial harm. Company A can sue Company C for intentional interference with its contract.
Memory hook
Don't break the deal—interference can lead to a legal meal!
The trap
Exams often include scenarios where the interference is subtle or where the defendant claims they were just competing fairly, which can confuse students about what constitutes wrongful interference.
How examiners test it
Questions typically present a fact pattern involving two parties with a contract and a third party who disrupts it, requiring students to identify the elements of intentional interference.
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