Business Torts

1.5 Credit Hours

This course will provide an overview of tort law as it applies to businesses (as opposed to individual persons). The course will start with an introduction to the principles of a "tort" generally and how torts fit into the legal system overall. From there we will move into an examination of the specific ways in which businesses are liable for tortious actions such as fraud & misrepresentation, false advertising, and liability for physically injuring individuals (i.e., product liability and toxic torts). We will also look at ways in which business can be liable for their competitive conduct towards other businesses, including the "interference" torts of tortious interference with contracts or business relations, theft of trade secrets, and the various regimes imposing liability for unfair competition.