EFF has filed suit in federal court to block threats aimed at LawyerRatingz.com, a website that allows Internet users to write comments and rate attorneys.

A Florida law firm – the Law Offices of Adrian Philip Thomas, P.A. – claims to have lost business based upon negative ratings and reviews posted on LawyerRatingz.com, which included complaints about Mr. Thomas, his billing rates, and his proposed contingency fees.  The firm repeatedly threatened legal action against LawyerRatingz.com unless all comments – positive or negative – were removed from the site.  LawyerRatingz.com, represented by EFF, filed suit against Thomas and his firm, asking for a judicial ruling that LawyerRatingz.com is not legally responsible for material posted by third parties as well as an end to the baseless legal threats.

Update (April 9, 2012): Ratingz, Inc., dismissed its lawsuit and agreed not to pursue legal fees and costs from the Defendant upon receiving a signed agreement from Adrian Philip Thomas to drop his legal threats and all potential claims related to the posting of negative reviews to the LawyerRatingz.com site. No ratings were removed as a part of the settlement.