A law firm which specialises in making people take down their negative reviews from the web has been criticised for threatening a woman with jail because she posted a one-star write-up of its client on Trip Advisor.

Sarah Gardner wrote that staff at the High Rocks venue in Tunbridge Wells became "more and more rude" on each visit and that the food was "mediocre at best". Soon afterwards she received an 11-page letter from Cohen Davis Solicitors, run by media lawyer Yair Cohen. Marked ‘Strictly not for publication’, it informed Gardner that her review was “defamatory and therefore unlawful” and had caused “financial harm worth tens of thousands of pounds” to High Rocks. According to the Mirror, it demanded that Gardner disclose all the dates of her visits to High Rocks, her receipts and details of her fellow guests. 

  Cohen Davis also stops people walking on the grass.

The firm also attached a mock injunction which read, “PENAL NOTICE: If you, Sarah Gardner, do not comply with this order you may be held in contempt of court and may be imprisoned or fined”. Gardner described her review as “pretty innocuous” and Cohen Davis' letter left her “a nervous wreck”.

When she declined to delete her pan, Cohen Davis sent her another 14 page masterpiece which claimed that the burden was on her to prove her review was honest. In fact, the Defamation Act 2013 requires the claimant to prove that it has suffered "serious harm". In the case of a for-profit business, that means it must prove that serious financial loss was caused or likely.

Cohen Davis boasts on its website that it specialises in having"false reviews and other defamatory statements that appear on the internet" removed. Not shy of grand statements, it states that its work "often gives our clients the kiss of life that saves the business from bankruptcy". Or, if they're unlucky, huge adverse publicity, widespread mockery and vilification for terrifying a woman because she got a crap salad.

Cohen was going to speak to RollOnFriday, but dropped out at the last minute and then failed to send though a statement. One star.
Tip Off ROF

Comments

Anonymous 26 May 17 10:21

From their website:

"We donate a portion of each fee that we receive to charities that support children who are victims of internet bullying and harassment."

Ironic

Anonymous 26 May 17 13:37

Look up the satirical Facebook reviews posted since this incident, many of which are hilarious. Apparently Cohen and his client haven;t seen fit to threaten these 200 odd posters (wonder why) though you would have thought they would admit defeat and close down their FB page for now. What an own goal!

Anonymous 26 May 17 13:41

"When she declined to delete her pan, Cohen Davis sent her another 14 page masterpiece which claimed that the burden was on her to prove her review was honest. In fact, the Defamation Act 2013 requires the claimant to prove that it has suffered "serious harm".

These are different points. No stars.

Anonymous 26 May 17 14:48

Yep. SRA. Come on SRA, stop surfing facebook and do the thing you're paid to do - sorting out disreputable solicitors. We want none of their ilk - the press end up tarring us all with that brush if you don't give them a boot.