Plaintiff, Missouri Professional Mutual (“MPM”) filed this suit alleging that the defendant, MRC Reinsurance (“MRC”), breached a broker agreement with the plaintiff in connection with defendant’s procurement of reinsurance on MPM’s behalf. MRC filed a counterclaim for defamation. The allegedly defamatory statements were said to assert that MRC was improperly and unethically withholding information from plaintiff. One of the allegedly defamatory statements cited in the opinion stated “…the unprofessional manner in which the MPM account has been handled clearly rests with you and ultimately your firm[.]”
The district court found that the statements, which conveyed “complaints of dissatisfaction with the handling of plaintiff’s file” were clearly capable of a meaning that was not defamatory. As such, the court “readily conclude[d] that the statements are not defamatory as a matter of law” Missouri Professionals Mutual v. MRC Reinsurance Services, Case No. 07-739 (E.D. Mo. July 12, 2007).