When 20-year-old Lan Cai was in a car crash this summer, it was a bad situation. Driving home at 1:30am from a waitressing shift, Cai was plowed into by a drunk driver and broke two bones in her lower back. Unsure about how to navigate her car insurance and prove damages, she reached out for legal help. 
 
 The help she got, Cai said, was less than satisfactory. Lawyers from the Tuan A. Khuu law firm ignored her contacts, and at one point they came into her bedroom while Cai was sleeping in her underwear. "Seriously, it's super unprofessional!" she wrote on Facebook. (The firm maintains it was invited in by Cai's mother.) She also took to Yelp to warn others about her bad experience. 
 
 The posts led to a threatening e-mail from Tuan Khuu attorney Keith Nguyen. "If you do not remove the post from Facebook and any other social media sites, my office will have no choice but to file suit," he told her, according to a report in the Houston Press on the saga. 
 
 Nguyen and his associates went ahead and filed that lawsuit, demanding the young woman pay up between $100,000 and $200,000—more than 100 times what she had in her bank account. 
 
 "I feel like they're trying to pull every single penny out of me just because I didn't want to be their client," Cai told the Houston Press. Cai was working six days a week to pay her way through nursing school at Houston Community College. 
 
 Nguyen said he didn't feel bad at all about suing Cai, adding: "I feel sorry for her, because again, I gave her plenty of opportunities to retract and delete her post and she refused. She was proud: 'I've got it on Facebook. I've got it on Yelp,' with no remorse." 
 
 SLAPP-down 
 
 Cai didn't remove her review, though. Instead she fought back against the Khuu firm, which had only represented her for a few days. She found a new attorney, Michael Fleming, who took her case pro bono. 
 
 Fleming filed a motion arguing that, first and foremost, Cai's social media complaints were true. Second, she couldn't do much to damage the reputation of a firm that already had multiple poor reviews. He argued the lawsuit was a clear SLAPP (strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). Like many states, Texas has a law allowing for SLAPP suits to be thrown out at early stages of litigation. 
 
 Ultimately, the judge agreed with Fleming, ordering [PDF] the Khuu firm to pay $26,831.55 in attorneys' fees. 
 
 "We are very happy with the judge’s correct ruling in this case," Fleming told Ars via e-mail. "Texas law specifically protects folks who are exercising their free speech rights and the statute was appropriately applied in this situation. People should be free to express their opinions without the threat of a lawsuit." 
 
 The Khuu firm hasn't commented about the case. 
 
 In the end, Cai's saga will be one more warning sign to anyone seeking to limit US consumers' right to kvetch, whether online or off. ||||| When an attorney from the Tuan A. Khuu law firm threatened to sue her for writing negative comments about the firm on Facebook and Yelp, 20-year-old Lan Cai was barely deterred. 
 
 Lawyers at the law firm, Cai wrote on Facebook, had first gone into her bedroom while she was half-asleep under the covers in her underwear, ignored her phone calls after she signed a contract, and left her hanging when she arrived at the office to demand an explanation for their behavior. When attorney Keith Nguyen asked her to delete the comments or face a lawsuit, she simply wrote an even more negative Yelp review, warning people to watch out because the firm will sue for bad reviews. Soon after, the firm sued her for libel, alleging the statements she made were false and would severely damage its reputation. 
 
 Looks like coming down hard on a 20-year-old nursing student who waits tables six days a week — and asking for between $100,000 and $200,000 in damages — has backfired on the law firm. Because last week, Tuan A. Khuu lost in court and was ordered instead to pay $27,000 in attorneys' fees. 
 
 “I'm just proud of this young lady for standing up to these people,” said Cai's attorney, Michael Fleming. “A lot of other people would have folded and said it's not worth it fighting this law firm — I'll just change the review. But she stood up to them, she did the right thing and she was successful.” 
 
 Fleming immediately recognized the lawsuit against Cai as a SLAPP suit — Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. Anti-SLAPP laws were passed in Texas several years ago to protect people against bullies who want to silence people's opinions on the Internet in order to hide criticism of their companies or services — to protect people like Cai, or frequent Yelp reviewers. 
 
 In this case, Cai was criticizing the Tuan A. Khuu attorneys' lack of professionalism that she said led her to drop them. She said she had been hit by a drunk driver and needed help navigating insurance and her entitlement to damages. But after a bad experience, here's what she wrote in a Facebook group called Vietnamese Americans in Houston to make sure no one made the same mistake. In italics is what Tuan A. Khuu Law Firm considered — wrongly, a judge ruled — to be libelous: 
 
 “After 3 days, they didn't tell me anything about the doctor I needed to go to. I was in a lot of pain. Not only that, they didn't know where the hell my car was! And they came to my house and into my room to talk to me when I was sleeping in my underwear. Seriously, it's super unprofessional! ...I came in to the office to meet with my previous attorney, but he literally ran off.” 
 
 
 
 A few days later, Nguyen sent Cai this scary-sounding email: “It has come to my attention that you have posted some dispariging [sic] words on your Facebook account. ...If you do not remove the post from Facebook and any other social media sites, my office will have no choice but to file suit.” 
 
 Fleming said the threat was a surefire sign that this was a SLAPP case — but even without it, Fleming says he believes Cai still would have won the case, since the firm would not have met the burden for a libel lawsuit, which requires plaintiffs to prove the statements are false and would seriously defame them. 
 
 Problem No. 1: Even Nguyen admitted to the Houston Press in an earlier interview that the statements were “half-truths.” One example he gave was that the attorneys did walk in on Cai while she was sleeping in her underwear — but maintained her mother invited them in and they didn't know she was in her underwear. Another: Nguyen was in fact on his way out the door when Cai came to the firm asking for an explanation, but took a little time to explain to her why there were liens on her insurance before leaving her. 
 
 Problem No. 2: Plenty of other people had written much meaner reviews of Tuan A. Khuu on the Internet, and so it would be unlikely that one more from Cai would have seriously hurt the firm, Fleming said. 
 
 “Somebody may not like statements made about them — but they don't get to the level of defamation unless they could seriously damage their reputation,” Fleming said. “This woman believed she was providing a truthful review of her experiences with this law firm. And to her credit, she was threatened with the lawsuit and did not back down.” 
 
 Tuan A. Khuu attorneys did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Asked last time whether he felt at all bad about suing a college student for more than 100 times what she has in her bank account —and possibly hurting her chances at getting a degree and a job — Nguyen had said no. 
 
 “It's not ruining someone's career chances. They need to think before they post,” Nguyen said. “She needs to learn — people need to learn that there are consequences for their actions.” 
 
 ||||| Law firm must pay up after losing suit against woman who wrote bad online reviews 
 
 Photo: Google The Law Offices of Tuan A. Khuu and Associates lost a lawsuit... 
 
 Threats of a lawsuit didn't stop Lan Cai from writing negative online reviews of the Law Offices of Tuan A. Khuu and Associates. 
 
 Now, four months later, a judge has dismissed the $100,000 to $200,000 lawsuit against Cai, 20, and ordered Khuu to pay her nearly $27,000 in attorney fees. 
 
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 Houston attorney Michael Fleming represented Cai in the case and commended her for not backing down. 
 
 "This woman is a part-time student and got threatened with a lawsuit after the first review," Fleming said. "But she stuck with it and wouldn't take the reviews down." 
 
 Representatives at Tuan A. Khuu and Associates declined to speak on the case. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Photo: Getty Images Image 1 of / 22 Caption Close Image 1 of 22 Things Texas could have bought instead of losing lawsuits against the Obama administration. Things Texas could have bought instead of losing lawsuits against the Obama administration. Photo: Getty Images Image 2 of 22 
 
 1) About 111 2016 Chevy Silverados less Texas spent about $6 million suing the Obama administration since 2009. More than $4 million of that was spent on lost or withdrawn cases. Take a look to see some things Texans could have bought or funded with an extra $4 million. Texas spent about $6 million suing the Obama administration since 2009. More than $4 million of that was spent on lost or withdrawn cases. Take a look to see some things Texans could have bought or funded with ... more Photo: General Motors Handout Image 3 of 22 2) About 600,000 Double Meat Whataburger meals 2) About 600,000 Double Meat Whataburger meals Photo: Eric Gay, STF Image 4 of 22 3) Or if you want to go big, three Whataburger franchises. 
 
 Or if you want to go big, three Whataburger franchises. 3) Or if you want to go big, three Whataburger franchises. Photo: Eric Gay, STF Image 5 of 22 4) Roughly 200,000 pounds of brisket from Killen's. 4) Roughly 200,000 pounds of brisket from Killen's. Photo: Dave Rossman, Freelance Image 6 of 22 5) About 5,000 four-wheelers 5) About 5,000 four-wheelers Image 7 of 22 6) About 250,000 12 packs of Shiner beer. Talk about a party. 6) About 250,000 12 packs of Shiner beer. Talk about a party. Image 8 of 22 7) About 670,000 half-gallon tubs of Blue Bell. 7) About 670,000 half-gallon tubs of Blue Bell. Photo: Blue Bell Facebook Image 9 of 22 8) The state cold have funded about 74 much-needed teachers for K-12. 8) The state cold have funded about 74 much-needed teachers for K-12. Photo: Darren Abate, FRL Image 10 of 22 9) About 13,000 pairs of nice cowboy boots. 9) About 13,000 pairs of nice cowboy boots. Photo: Gavin Hellier, Getty Images Image 11 of 22 10) Approximately 2 million customized koozies. 10) Approximately 2 million customized koozies. Image 12 of 22 11) About 4,000 pieces from the new Magnolia Home furniture line. 11) About 4,000 pieces from the new Magnolia Home furniture line. Photo: Desiree Navarro, Desiree Navarro , WireImage Image 13 of 22 12) Texas could have funded about 90 more CPS workers depending on their title and position. 12) Texas could have funded about 90 more CPS workers depending on their title and position. Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle Image 14 of 22 13) About 530,000 medium orders of chile con queso. 13) About 530,000 medium orders of chile con queso. Photo: Dick Dace Image 15 of 22 14) About 1.6 million breakfast tacos. 14) About 1.6 million breakfast tacos. Photo: Getty Image 16 of 22 15) Approximately 4 percent of J.J. Watt's six-year, $100 million contract with the Houston Texans. 15) Approximately 4 percent of J.J. Watt's six-year, $100 million contract with the Houston Texans. Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff Image 17 of 22 16) About 100,000 pecan pies from Goode Co. 16) About 100,000 pecan pies from Goode Co. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Staff Image 18 of 22 Picture of kolaches Picture of kolaches Image 19 of 22 18) About 6,700 field-level, season-ticket seats for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. 18) About 6,700 field-level, season-ticket seats for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Staff Image 20 of 22 19) About 1 million bags of Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets. 19) About 1 million bags of Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets. Photo: Paul Derry, Flickr Image 21 of 22 20) The state could have done a full-depth repair of about 572 potholes. 20) The state could have done a full-depth repair of about 572 potholes. Photo: Mike Clarke, Getty Images Image 22 of 22 Law firm must pay up after losing suit against woman who wrote bad online reviews 1 / 22 Back to Gallery 
 
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 Cai hired the law firm over the summer to represent her after she was hit by a drunk driver. When she felt Khuu and Associates failed to work with her after taking on her case, Cai wrote negative reviews online. 
 
 "...they came to my house and into my house and into my room to talk to me when I was sleeping in my underwear! Seriously, it's super unprofessional!" Cai wrote in a June 30 Facebook post. "Not only that, they also put a lien on all 3 insurances including my own." 
 
 In a July 7 Yelp review, Cai wrote, "When I try to reach them, no one would answer my call or email. I was so lost with my insurance, I didn't know what to do with my car." 
 
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 Fleming said the lawsuit was a strategic lawsuit against public participation, known as SLAPP. Texas has an anti-SLAPP law called the Texas Citizens Participation Act, which protects people from getting sued for online speech. 
 
 "You see this in a number of cases across Texas, it's not uncommon," Fleming said of lawsuits relating to online postings. "What you don't really see is a law firm suing someone for reviews." 
 
 Fleming said people who are afraid of repercussions for posting negative reviews and opinions online should remember that "the law is there to protect them."
– "I'm just proud of this young lady," attorney Michael Fleming tells the Houston Press. "She stood up to them, she did the right thing, and she was successful." Last summer, 20-year-old Houston resident Lan Cai was hit by a drunk driver, breaking two bones in her back. She hired the Law Offices of Tuan A. Khuu and Associates to help her figure out her insurance and damages, Ars Technica reports. But she says the law firm was less than satisfactory. According to the Houston Chronicle, Cai says they ignored her phone calls and emails, put a lien on her insurance, and even came into her bedroom while she was sleeping in her underwear ("super unprofessional!"). As a result, she left some bad reviews on Yelp and Facebook. Khuu attorney Keith Nguyen sued Cai for libel after she refused to take down the bad reviews, seeking up to $200,000 from a student working six nights a week to put herself through nursing school. "She needs to learn...that there are consequences," Nguyen told the Press. And perhaps Khuu attorneys need to learn that there are anti-SLAPP laws in Texas. These laws protect consumers from businesses angry about online reviews. A judge threw out the libel lawsuit this week after Fleming, working pro bono for Cai, successfully argued that Cai's negative reviews couldn't be proven false and that the Khuu law firm wouldn't be hurt by them because they already have plenty of other negative reviews. The judge also ordered the law firm to pay Cai's attorney fees of $27,000. (An Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star left an irate Yelp review.)