Celebrity lawyers sue Google, keyboard warrior over fake review

Google has removed a fake one-star review of a celebrity Queensland criminal law firm after it sued the tech giant and a keyboard warrior over the dud rating.

A keyboard warrior picked the wrong target when he gave a bogus one-star Google review to one of Queensland’s most high-profile criminal law firms.

Nyst Lawyers – whose celebrity clientele has included the likes of Pauline Hanson, Bernard Tomic, Mick Gatto and colourful Glitter Strip businessman Travers “The Candyman” Beynon – sued Brisbane software engineer Jaimyn Mayer and search engine giant Google over the negative review and won.

Father-and-son team Chris and Brendan Nyst launched the defamation action in Brisbane District Court last August, after Mr Mayer posted the dud rating, despite having never been a client of the firm.

Jaimyn Mayer gave the one-star review to Nyst Legal despite never having been a client.

In court documents, he admitted Nyst Legal had never represented him but he gave them a one-star review because the firm had acted for someone who threatened to sue a female friend.

He said the review was based on his knowledge of legal work performed by the business.

The Nysts claimed that the review embarrassed, humiliated, hurt and distressed them and caused damage to their firm.

The pair allege the review – which did not contain any comments, just the one-star rating – was defamatory because it implied they “provide poor service and should be avoided, are unprofessional, inept and the quality of work they produce is poor”.

Brendan Nyst (right) with celebrity client Travers ‘The Candyman’ Beynon

They launched defamation action, seeking $300,000 in damages, after Mr Mayer and Google failed to remove the review.

But the Nysts discontinued the proceedings this week after reaching a secret settlement with Google which saw the review taken down.

Contacted for comment by The Courier-Mail, Brendan Nyst said the terms of the settlement were confidential but he and his father were happy with the outcome.

Fake Google reviews have come under fire for hurting businesses worldwide.

Lawyer Chris Nyst at his Gold Coast office. Photo: Regi Varghese

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has said it receives a flood of complaints about fake reviews and has warned that $1 million fines apply.

Google this week removed 70 fake reviews of a small Italian restaurant in Sydney by a miffed Menulog courier, including that the eatery was ‘totally unhygienic’ and had links to bikie gangs.

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority recently launched an investigation over concerns fake five-star Google and Amazon reviews could be misleading shoppers.

In a separate matter, Mr Mayer this week pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to a computer hacking charge and was fined $1850.