Pashman Stein Obtains Precedent-Setting Federal Anti-SLAPP Dismissal Under Pennsylvania’s UPEPA
On July 21, 2026, in Lento Law Group PC and Lento Law Firm v. Kris Emmanuel Estrada (Civil Action No. 25-2763), a case of first impression, Judge Mia Roberts Perez of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania dismissed with prejudice all claims brought by Lento Law against Estrada, a former Lento Law client who had posted critical online reviews about the firm's legal services. Seth Goldberg, Esq., of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, who represented Mr. Estrada, secured a complete victory on behalf of his client in this case, in which the Court held that a dissatisfied client's reviews of his lawyers — describing missed court dates, poor communication, and what he viewed as unprofessional and unethical conduct — constituted protected opinion and were not capable of defamatory meaning under Pennsylvania law. In a significant ruling on a question not previously decided in the Third Circuit, the Court further held that the fee-shifting provision of Pennsylvania's Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (Anti-SLAPP Law) applies in federal court to defendants who prevail on a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), and ordered Lento Law to pay Mr. Estrada's attorneys' fees, court costs, and litigation expenses.
