Gang

The defendants have moved to dismiss an amended complaint alleging, libel and slander.

The pertinent averments of the amended complaint may be summarized as follows:

Plaintiff Gang is an attorney at law profitably engaged in the practice of law-in Los Angeles County; that prior- to the complained of acts he enjoyed a reputation above reproach; that he had been acting as attorney for Jean Simmons and Stewart Granger in litigation in which his clients were plaintiffs and Hughes was a defendant; that on July 17, 1952, said litigation was terminated and dismissed pursuant to a written agreement between the parties; that said written agreement provided that the defendants pay the attorney fees incurred by Simmons and Granger in connection with said litigation; that following the termination of said litigation, the defendants made oral and written statements to the press as follows: “ * ■* * that Gang, the Grangers’ attorney, had refused to consent to settlement until he got his money”, and “ * * * that he (Plughes) was paying Gang’s fee because the-attorney had insisted upon immediate payment” ; that the defendants made said statements for the reason that Hughes feared that the fact…