Landau v. Gipson, Hoffman & Pancione
In 2002, a Washington corporation sued the law firm Perkins Coie and partner Nicholas Rockefeller in California for malpractice, after the dismissal of a lawsuit in which Perkins Coie and Rockefeller represented the corporation. In 2003, Rockefeller sued the president of the corporation, Seth Landau, in Washington, alleging intentional misrepresentation, invasion of privacy, and unfair business practices. In 2007, Rockefeller sued Perkins Coie in California for breach of contract and indemnity, in connection with Rockefellers defense of the malpractice action and his tort suit against Landau. Finally, in 2008, Landau filed a malicious prosecution action in California against Rockefeller and Rockefellers California lawyers in the Washington tort action, Gipson Hoffman & Pancione (GHP) and Kenneth I. Sidle. GHP and Sidle filed a motion to strike under Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 (the anti-SLAPP statute), and the trial court granted the motion and dismissed them from the action. Rockefeller filed a motion to quash, which the trial court granted on the ground that it did not have personal jurisdiction over Rockefeller. Landau appeals from the orders of the trial court.
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