Antonacci v. Seyfarth Shaw, LLP

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Defamation
Citation
Case Number: 
2015 IL App (1st) 142372
Decision Date: 
Monday, August 17, 2015
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
Cook Co., 1st Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Justice: 
HARRIS
Court properly granted law firm's motion to dismiss complaint filed by former employee alleging defamation per se, tortious interference, fraudulent misrepresentation, and promissory estoppel. Court properly denied Plaintiff's petition for substitution of judge for cause, where record did not show that judge showed hostility or bias, but annoyance and irritation at Plaintiff's requests and remarks. Statements of opinion about Plaintiff's work, by his supervising attorney, did not constitute defamation per se and are capable of innocent construction when read in context as a whole. Thus, claims for tortious interference cannot stand. Court properly dismissed fraudulent misrepresentation claims, as statement of opinion cannot be basis for that cause of action. (DELORT and CUNNINGHAM, concurring.)