Former McAfee Inc. General Counsel Kent Roberts was able to beat all stock option backdating charges, but his attempt at further vindication ran aground at the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Monday.

A three-judge panel held that Roberts’ malicious prosecution suit against McAfee cannot survive the company’s motion under California’s anti-SLAPP law. And Roberts’ claims of defamation and false light are time-barred, the panel said.