William Stevens, Ltd. v. Kings Village Corp.
Court: Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York; December 1, 1996; New York; State Appellate Court
William C. Ruffer appeals a March 30, 1995 order from the Supreme Court, Nassau County, which denied his motion for summary judgment in a defamation case. The appellate court reverses the order, granting Ruffer's motion and dismissing the complaint against him, while severing the action against the remaining defendants. The defamation claim arose from statements made by Ruffer, the attorney for Kings Village Corp., during a shareholders' meeting, where the plaintiff served as the cooperative’s managing agent. The court finds that the statements are protected by qualified privilege, which can only be overcome by demonstrating malice. The plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence of malice, contradicting the lower court's conclusion. Therefore, the lower court's denial of Ruffer’s motion was erroneous.