Castleman

Filed 4/15/13; pub. order & mod. 5/15/13 (see end of opn.)

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

PETER M. CASTLEMAN, et al.,

F064590

Plaintiffs and Respondents, (Super. Ct. No. 11CECG03132) v.

HOWARD A. SAGASER, OPINION

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Fresno County. Alan M. Simpson, Judge. Griswold, LaSalle, Cobb, Dowd & Gin, Robert M. Dowd, Raymond L. Carlson, and Laura A. Wolfe, for Defendant and Appellant. Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Barry W. Lee, Christopher L. Wanger, and Benjamin G. Shatz, for Plaintiffs and Respondents. -ooOoo- This is an appeal from the denial of a special motion to strike under Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16, commonly known as the “anti-SLAPP statute.”1 The motion was filed by appellant Howard Sagaser as to claims for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the duty of loyalty, conversion, and invasion of privacy asserted against him by respondents Peter Castleman, Central California Development Group, LLC, Selma Crossings, LLC, and Merced Gateway, LLC. The trial court concluded that the anti- SLAPP statute was not…