Uusi-Kerttula
NYGÅRD, INC. v. Uusi-Kerttula
Opinion
Opinion
Suzukawa, J.
After terminating his employment with plaintiffs Nygárd, Inc., and Nygárd International Partnership (collectively, the company or plaintiffs), defendant Timo Uusi-Kerttula (Timo) gave an interview about his work experiences to a Finnish magazine, defendant Katso Magazine (the magazine). Plaintiffs sued Timo, the magazine, and its publisher for a variety of tort and contract claims, including breach of employment contract and defamation. The trial court struck the entire complaint pursuant to the anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) statute, Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16. We find that the anti-SLAPP motion was properly granted, and we affirm.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Timo ceased working for the company in 2005. Subsequently, he gave an interview to the magazine, then owned by defendant A-Lehdet (the publisher). The magazine published an article based on the interview in June 2005 (the June 2005 article). In it, Timo claimed that while working for the company, he “ ‘slaved . . . without a break,’ ” endured “ ‘pestering/taunting round the clock,’ ” had to “ ‘slave/drudge almost without a break the whole time,’ ” and felt himself “…