Tiny Law Firm Sues Google over Search Results

What’s the cure for Google messing with your law firm’s name? A lawsuit of course.

The dispute is over Google search results for a San Francisco firm named Global Law, LLP. In spite of the grandiose name, you may actually not have heard of Global Law, LLP, which consists of two lawyers, Michael Powlen and Ingred Berger. Its Web site also features a convenient pay by credit card or PayPal page.

The problems began with Google after Oct. 15, according to the firm’s trademark infringement suit filed in federal court last week. That’s when Powlen and Berger began punching “Global Law, 94105” into Google – let’s be honest who among you doesn’t spend most of the work day Googling your name? They did this on “several different dates” and found that the first search result read “Global Law, LLP” but linked to another law firm. Legal Pad tried it last week and found that indeed it linked to SF’s Schinner Law Group, which happens to be Powlen’s old firm.

Powlen and Berger claim that when they searched their firm’s name on Yahoo and Live Search, there was no problem. Plus, Google should’ve known about Global Law LLP because they’d advertised with Google for “several months” and paid “hundreds of dollars in this regard” (and we all know how much hundreds of dollars means to Google.)

Neither Powlen or Berger called us or emailed us back. But it looks like the malevolent Google algorithm has been reformed, searching for “Global Law, 94105” now yields the one and only.

— Zusha Elinson

Comments

[Eric]

Ironically, this page is listed higher than their home page, in addition to another site linking to the same story.