Lawyer sues Yellowbook for misspelling “justice”
Manuel de Castro, a Sioux Falls lawyer, is suing Yellowbook for a mistake in his advertisement in its phone book. De Castro ordered a half-page color ad with the headline “The Trial Lawyer Fighting For Your Justice”.
The lawyer was not amused when he found out that the published ad read "The Trial Lawyer Fighting For Your Justics". Furthermore, a hyperlink appearing under his name directs users to a defunct website.
Although Yellowbook never showed a copy of the ad before going into print, and also took responsibility for the mistake, they still want De Castro to pay in full. When he didn’t pay, the company threatened to take him to a collection agency.
To me, this doesn’t make any sense, since the amount ($6,780) is small for a company such as Yellowbooks, which is part of the Yellgroup. It also harms their brand, and therefore their business. Last but not least, it’s not wise to cross swords with lawyers – they thrive on lawsuits.
Mr. de Castro promptly sued Yellowbook, asking a jury to award him $6,780 for the ad, lawyer fees, and damages resulting from "humiliation and loss of business." As he explained: “All things being equal, when someone looks for a service in the phone book, they're going to choose the person that knows how to spell." Excellent point, confrere!
Yellowbook's PR person, Elizabeth Opacity of the PR company Weber Shandwick , gave the standard PR spin reaction: "the company doesn't comment on pending litigation". Yawn.
My (free) legal advice to Yellowbook: settle this issue quickly and discretely. In the mean time, Mr. de Castro, enjoy your free publicity courtesy of Yellowbook.
Manuel de Castro, a Sioux Falls lawyer, is suing Yellowbook for a mistake in his advertisement in its phone book. De Castro ordered a half-page color ad with the headline “The Trial Lawyer Fighting For Your Justice”.
The lawyer was not amused when he found out that the published ad read "The Trial Lawyer Fighting For Your Justics". Furthermore, a hyperlink appearing under his name directs users to a defunct website.
Although Yellowbook never showed a copy of the ad before going into print, and also took responsibility for the mistake, they still want De Castro to pay in full. When he didn’t pay, the company threatened to take him to a collection agency.
To me, this doesn’t make any sense, since the amount ($6,780) is small for a company such as Yellowbooks, which is part of the Yellgroup. It also harms their brand, and therefore their business. Last but not least, it’s not wise to cross swords with lawyers – they thrive on lawsuits.
Mr. de Castro promptly sued Yellowbook, asking a jury to award him $6,780 for the ad, lawyer fees, and damages resulting from "humiliation and loss of business." As he explained: “All things being equal, when someone looks for a service in the phone book, they're going to choose the person that knows how to spell." Excellent point, confrere!
Yellowbook's PR person, Elizabeth Opacity of the PR company Weber Shandwick , gave the standard PR spin reaction: "the company doesn't comment on pending litigation". Yawn.
My (free) legal advice to Yellowbook: settle this issue quickly and discretely. In the mean time, Mr. de Castro, enjoy your free publicity courtesy of Yellowbook.
