Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Orange County Partner Christopher Queally and Associate Christian VanDenBerghe prevailed on a motion for summary judgment on behalf of a prominent attorney in Napa County, California, in a defamation case.
The plaintiff, the beneficiary of a trust, was criminally charged with aiding and abetting the former trustee in embezzling funds from the trust and is currently awaiting trial. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant-attorney, who represents the current trustee, made false statements about the plaintiff. The GRSM team demonstrated that the statements were protected under California’s litigation privilege because they were made in connection with ongoing litigation between the plaintiff and the current trustee, the attorney’s client.
Earlier in the case, the GRSM team prevailed on an anti-SLAPP motion, resulting in the court dismissing most of the plaintiff’s claims and awarding GRSM’s client $34,000 in monetary sanctions. The summary judgment ruling disposed of the remaining claims.
GRSM’s Estate & Trust Litigation team brings deep experience in handling complex disputes involving wills, trusts, guardianships, and elder law matters. With a track record of successful trial victories and creative settlements, the team represents both fiduciaries and beneficiaries in some of the largest and most contentious estate disputes across the country, offering comprehensive counsel from claim investigation to trial and appeals.