Aminpour

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Saeid “Steve” Aminpour appeals from an order awarding attorney fees and costs to defendant Mehran “Mike” Verdi following the trial court’s granting of defendant’s special motion to strike pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 (section 425.16), the anti-SLAPP statute.1 We affirm.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Motion to Strike

On January 12, 2022, plaintiff filed a complaint against defendant alleging breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract. On April 1, 2022, defendant filed a special motion to strike all the causes of action pursuant to the anti-SLAPP statute. On June 14, 2022, plaintiff filed an opposition to the motion and a request for attorney fees in the amount of $56,225. In support of his request for attorney fees, plaintiff attached a declaration from his counsel, stating that counsel had spent 86 hours on the opposition and anticipated working an additional 30 minutes on the oral argument. Based on an hourly rate of $650, plaintiff requested an award of $56,225 in attorney fees.

“A ‘SLAPP’ is a ‘“strategic lawsuit against public participation”’ [citation], and special motions to strike under section…