Lawyer Deemed ‘the Most Worst Attorney’ in Online Rants Can’t Sue, Judge Rules
Huntington, N.Y., divorce lawyer Gary Field suspected the husband of an ex-client was responsible for anonymous online rants deeming him “dumb” and “the most worst attorney.”
Field sued for defamation, but his case got kicked out of court by a Suffolk County judge who ruled the comments weren’t actionable because they were pure opinion, the New York Law Journal reports.
Field discovered the comments when he got a call from a company offering to clean up his online reputation for $5,000. One commenter had claimed Field “screwed up my divorce.” Another stated, “Gary Field a/k/a ‘the Walking Fool’ is the most worst attorney licensed to practice in the State of New York. … Overall, he is dumb.”
The defendant, Robert Grant, had said he wasn’t the author of the posts. His lawyer, Dean Sallah, was sympathetic to Field’s plight. He also has been targeted in one or two online reviews, he told the New York Law Journal. He suspects matrimonial lawyers are especially vulnerable because their cases are so emotionally charged.
Field told the publication he disagrees with the ruling, but he isn’t planning an appeal.
