{"id":882,"date":"2026-10-18T02:31:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T02:31:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kewlegal.com\/resources\/outside-general-counsel-for-businesses\/what-s-the-lawsuit-called-when-someone-sabotages-your-business\/"},"modified":"2026-10-27T14:50:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T14:50:47","slug":"what-s-the-lawsuit-called-when-someone-sabotages-your-business","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kewlegal.com\/resources\/outside-general-counsel-for-businesses\/what-s-the-lawsuit-called-when-someone-sabotages-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Sabotage Lawsuit in Florida | KEW Legal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Business Litigation | Coral Gables & Sunny Isles Beach<\/p>

Someone Is Deliberately Undermining Your Business? Let's Talk.<\/h1>

KEW Legal helps business owners and investors across Miami-Dade and Broward counties respond when a competitor, former partner, vendor, or insider interferes with a business relationship. Kristina E. Wilson focuses on business disputes and outside general counsel work for South Florida companies.<\/p>

Schedule a Free Consultation or Call 305-990-2300<\/a><\/div>
Schedule a Free Consultation or Call 305-990-2300<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

By Kristina E. Wilson \u00b7 Published October 17, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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The short answer: tortious interference with a business relationship<\/h2>\n

When someone deliberately undermines your business, the lawsuit is most often called tortious interference with a business relationship. Some lawyers call it tortious interference with contractual relations. The label matters less than the conduct and the relationship that was hurt.<\/p>\n

“Tortious” describes a civil wrong. The harmed party asks a court for money damages and, in some cases, an order to stop the conduct.<\/p>\n

Court papers can word the claim in different ways. The core question stays the same. Did someone intentionally disrupt a deal, a client, or a contract that helped your business earn money? If you’re reading this because something is happening now, writing down the facts early helps.<\/p>\n\n

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If someone is undermining a deal, client, or partnership you depend on, you don't have to sort out the claims alone. Our team can talk through the facts with you. Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Related claims that often come up alongside it<\/h2>\n

Sabotage rarely fits one label. The facts may support more than one claim.<\/p>\n

Concerns about false statements that harm someone’s reputation come up for many business owners. If a former partner tells clients you stole money, that statement may be the core issue. Courts generally look at whether the statement was false, so proof matters.<\/p>\n

Statements that affect a company’s products, services, or finances can raise concerns for business owners. It is a separate claim with its own proof.<\/p>\n

Breach of fiduciary duty applies to people who run or own part of a business. Under Fla. Stat. \u00a7 620.8404<\/a>, a partner’s duty of loyalty includes not competing with the partnership before it dissolves. LLC members and managers owe similar duties under Fla. Stat. \u00a7 605.04091<\/a>. Acting in your own interest is not automatically a breach, so the details matter.<\/p>\n

Trade secrets are another common claim. Florida defines a trade secret as information with independent economic value from not being generally known, and it must be protected by reasonable secrecy efforts (Fla. Stat. \u00a7 688.002<\/a>). Client lists and pricing can qualify, but only if the business really protected them.<\/p>\n

Breach of contract may also apply. A partnership agreement, vendor contract, or lease can include confidentiality or non-solicitation terms. Under Fla. Stat. \u00a7 542.335<\/a>, a court will not enforce a restrictive covenant unless it is in a writing signed by the person it binds.<\/p>\n

What a Florida court generally looks at in an interference claim<\/h2>\n

In general terms, a court looks at whether these points can be shown:<\/p>\n