attorney in seattle who sued avvo for his rating and was outed by

by Chelsie Howe 6 min read

Why did Robart dismiss the tortious interference claim?

Why can't Straw sue for defamation?

Why was Avvo's rating low?

Can a lawyer sue for a poor Avvo rating?

Who said he would allow Straw to amend the complaint?

Is practicing law without a license a crime in Virginia?

See 1 more

About this website

Why did Robart dismiss the tortious interference claim?

Robart dismissed the tortious interference claim because Straw didn’t identify specific parties who did not contract with him after visiting Avvo. Robart dismissed the emotional distress claim because Avvo’s alleged conduct doesn’t rise to the level of “outrageous and extreme.”.

Why can't Straw sue for defamation?

Robart concluded that Straw couldn’t sue for defamation over a low Avvo rating because ratings are a statement of opinion protected by the First Amendment. Nor could Straw sue over the alleged false statement about the Virginia bar license because he did not adequately plead damages, Robart said.

Why was Avvo's rating low?

Straw had alleged that the low rating was a result of collusion between Avvo and the state of Indiana regarding a recent disciplinary action, according to Robart’s opinion. Straw maintained Indiana wrongly disciplined him for allegedly frivolous filings and discriminated against him in the process.

Can a lawyer sue for a poor Avvo rating?

Lawyer can't sue over poor Avvo rating and

Who said he would allow Straw to amend the complaint?

Robart said he would allow Straw to amend the complaint “out of an abundance of caution.”

Is practicing law without a license a crime in Virginia?

This seriously hurts an attorney because practicing law without a license is a crime in Virginia. “The rating may be immune from defamation analysis, but it certainly is a mathematical calculation using bar status, Avvo admits, and this can demonstrate malice in a number of tort contexts. From 2016 to 2019, the largest directory ...

What is Avvo rating?

The Avvo Rating is our effort to evaluate a lawyer’s background based on information they have included on their profile, in addition to information we collect from public sources like state bar associations and lawyer websites.

What is contingency fee?

Contingency A contingency fee is the percent of the final award a lawyer will receive as compensation. For some of these cases, lawyers will only be paid if there is a successful outcome. 33%-33%

What is Scudder Collaborative Law?

Scudder Collaborative Law specializes in client-focused out-of-court resolution processes, with an emphasis on Collaborative Law and Mediation services. Our...

How long has Jason Benjamin been in the legal field?

Jason Benjamin has spent the past 22 years of his legal career (since 1995) immersing himself in the intricacies of family law and particularly child custody...

Who owns Leyba Defense?

My name is Matthew Leyba and I'm the firm owner of Leyba Defense PLLC. In 2010 I started Leyba Defense PLLC after working at the largest criminal defense law firm...

When did Geoff start his own law firm?

An active trial lawyer since graduating from law school, Geoff opened his own firm in 1994. He represents people accused of crimes, with an emphasis on DUI defense...

Who is Aaron Wolff?

Seattle DUI Attorney Aaron Wolff limits his practice to the defense of DUI's and other serious traffic offenses. He is a graduate of the National College of DUI Defense...

Why did Robart dismiss the tortious interference claim?

Robart dismissed the tortious interference claim because Straw didn’t identify specific parties who did not contract with him after visiting Avvo. Robart dismissed the emotional distress claim because Avvo’s alleged conduct doesn’t rise to the level of “outrageous and extreme.”.

Why can't Straw sue for defamation?

Robart concluded that Straw couldn’t sue for defamation over a low Avvo rating because ratings are a statement of opinion protected by the First Amendment. Nor could Straw sue over the alleged false statement about the Virginia bar license because he did not adequately plead damages, Robart said.

Why was Avvo's rating low?

Straw had alleged that the low rating was a result of collusion between Avvo and the state of Indiana regarding a recent disciplinary action, according to Robart’s opinion. Straw maintained Indiana wrongly disciplined him for allegedly frivolous filings and discriminated against him in the process.

Can a lawyer sue for a poor Avvo rating?

Lawyer can't sue over poor Avvo rating and

Who said he would allow Straw to amend the complaint?

Robart said he would allow Straw to amend the complaint “out of an abundance of caution.”

Is practicing law without a license a crime in Virginia?

This seriously hurts an attorney because practicing law without a license is a crime in Virginia. “The rating may be immune from defamation analysis, but it certainly is a mathematical calculation using bar status, Avvo admits, and this can demonstrate malice in a number of tort contexts. From 2016 to 2019, the largest directory ...