Firsov

I. BACKGROUND

The record does not contain the complaint, the anti-SLAPP special motion to strike, or Firsov’s opposition to the motion, so we derive most of the background information from the order granting the anti-SLAPP motion. Firsov sued the lawyer who represented his wife in divorce proceedings and the person who served as a Russian language translator for the lawyer. Firsov alleged an intentional tort cause of action, based on what he says is a false English translation of an email in Russian. The email in question is from Firsov to his wife and contains the Russian word “mochit” in reference to his wife’s lawyer. When she learned of the email,

1 the lawyer petitioned for a civil harassment restraining order against Firsov. In support of the petition, she included a declaration from the translator indicating the word “mochit” means “to kill” in Russian. The lawyer was successful in obtaining a restraining order; Firsov then sued both the lawyer and the translator. (The complaint apparently contains other causes of action against other defendants; we cannot discern the nature of those claims from the record in this appeal.) The translator moved to strike the cause of…