Anti-SLAPP Motions Granted

Partner Carl Mueller and the Mueller Christensen LLP team secured a trial court victory for its attorney client, defeating a $1,000,000 claim through a successful Anti-SLAPP motion.

In its ruling, the court held that the litigation-related conduct underlying the Penal Code section 502 claim arose from protected activity within the Anti-SLAPP statute, and further found the claim barred by the litigation privilege under Civil Code section 47(b). The court also struck the malicious prosecution claim, concluding plaintiffs could not establish favorable termination because the underlying action remained pending. The ruling dismissed both causes of action against the firm’s client and confirmed the right to seek attorney’s fees under Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16(c)(1).

This result reflects the strong protections California law provides against claims targeting litigation-related activity.

* 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦.