Business Fraud & Business Tort Litigation

Fraud, misrepresentation, and interference with business relationships can cost a company deals, customers, and revenue. As a business fraud lawyer for Illinois companies, Allison Cho Law represents businesses in Chicago and the North Shore bringing and defending commercial fraud, tortious interference, and other business tort claims.

Many fraud cases begin with a deal. A seller inflates revenue before an acquisition, a vendor promises capabilities its product does not have, or a counterparty conceals a fact that would have changed the price. Illinois allows a fraudulent inducement claim alongside the contract, but the contract can cut it off: a non-reliance clause may make reliance on statements outside the agreement unreasonable, and a promise about future conduct is generally not actionable unless it was part of a scheme to defraud. Our articles on inflated financial statements after a business purchase and AI tools that did not match the sales demo show how those limits play out.

Not every hard business loss is a tort. Tortious interference requires a valid contract or a reasonable expectancy, the defendant’s knowledge of it, and intentional, unjustified conduct that caused the loss; ordinary competition is privileged. The Illinois Consumer Fraud Act can reach deceptive practices between businesses when the conduct implicates consumer protection concerns, and it allows fee awards that common-law fraud does not. When unfair business conduct is and is not grounds for a lawsuit is often the first question to answer.

Fraud claims carry heavier burdens than contract claims: they must be pleaded with specificity and proved by clear and convincing evidence. A broad release signed in an earlier settlement may also bar them, though a release obtained through fraud can sometimes be set aside. If you believe a counterparty, partner, or competitor obtained money or business through misrepresentation, schedule a consultation before confronting them or signing anything that releases claims.