RYAN BOLICK (Charlotte) successfully defended an appeal by Plaintiff to the North Carolina Court of Appeals of entry of Summary Judgment in favor of a corporate defendant and its employee.  Summary Judgment was granted in favor of Defendants in the Superior Court case in which Defendants complained to Plaintiff and her employer regarding her poor work performance over a period of approximately six months.  As a result of these complaints, Plaintiff was removed from her position.  Plaintiff sued Defendants for defamation per se, tortious interference with contract, punitive damages and unfair and deceptive trade practices.  In dismissing the action, the judge found that the complaints were not made with malice and that Defendants were privileged to make such statements as they were made to protect a business interest.  The Court of Appeals affirmed the Superior Court’s entry of Summary Judgment in favor of Defendants.

The outcome of a particular case cannot be predicated upon a lawyer's or law firm's past results.