Front, Inc. v. Khalil

OPINION OF THE COURT

Abdus-Salaam, J.

This appeal requires this Court to answer the open question of whether statements made by attorneys prior to the commencement of litigation are privileged. We hold that such statements are protected by a qualified privilege. If the statements are pertinent to a good faith anticipated litigation, no cause of action for defamation can be based on those statements.

I

Defendant/third-party plaintiff Philip Khalil was employed as director of engineering for plaintiff Front, Inc. (Front), an American architectural and engineering design and consulting firm, from…