Law firm sues ex-client over her online reviews about 'pushy' and 'super unprofessional' lawyers
A Houston law firm has sued a former client who alleged on Yelp and a Facebook group that “super unprofessional” and “pushy” lawyers came to her home and into her bedroom to secure her business after a serious car accident.
The former client is 20-year-old Lan Cai, who works as a waitress to support her nursing studies at Houston Community College, the Houston Press reports. The Houston Chronicle, Texas Lawyer (sub. req.) and Click2Houston also have stories.
The Law Offices of Tuan A. Khuu and Associates alleged defamation in its suit against Cai.
Cai claimed in the Facebook post that lawyers from the firm “came to my house and into my room to talk to me when I was sleeping in my underwear. Seriously, it’s super unprofessional!”
On Yelp, Cai wrote that the “wouldn’t even give this law firm a star.” When she first spoke with the firm, Cai said, “they were very pushy. When I try to reach them, no one would answer my call or email. Please, don’t waste your time here.”
Tuan A. Khuu lawyer Keith Nguyen says he filed the July 15 suit against Cai because she refused to comply with a cease-and-desist letter asking her to remove the posts. He says Cai’s mother invited into the lawyers into the home and they had no idea Cai was in her underwear.
He also targets another assertion by Cai that her lawyer “literally ran off” when she visited the law firm. Nguyen says the lawyer was on his way out the door when Cai showed up unannounced, but he did take time to explain why there were liens on her insurance.
“We don’t mind if someone writes a bad review,” Nguyen told the Houston Press, “as long as it’s true.”
See also:
ABA Journal: “Legal challenges over online reviews seek to separate fact from fiction”
