Paladino

Upon learning its former in-house counsel planned to sue for wrongful termination of employment, a company struck first by suing the former counsel for disclosing confidential and privileged information to the attorneys handling her wrongful termination case. The former in-house counsel moved to strike the company’s complaint as a SLAPP suit. The company responded with motions to disqualify the attorneys representing its former counsel on the ground they possessed confidential and privileged information belonging to the company and material to the issues between the parties. The trial court denied the SLAPP motion and the motions to disqualify counsel. Both sides appealed.

We affirm the trial court’s orders denying the motions to disqualify the attorneys representing the former in-house counsel. We reverse the order denying the SLAPP motion.

Facts and Proceedings Below

From June 1996 until July 1999 Gia Paladino (Paladino) was employed under a written contract as an attorney in the legal department of Fox Searchlight Pictures, Inc. (Fox). A few months before her contract expired, Paladino’s supervisor told her the. contract would not be renewed. The reason given for…