Georgia Attorney Needed – File & Litigate Defamation Suit (Anonymous Online Poster)

Georgia Attorney Needed – John Doe Defamation Action (Anonymous Facebook Poster) We are a Georgia-based, 5-star-rated healthcare practice seeking a Georgia-licensed civil litigation attorney to review, finalize, and file a defamation action against an unknown (“John Doe”) individual who has used a prove-ably fake profile (we have found the profile image on a stock image portal), then pursue expedited discovery to identify the individual responsible for publishing false and extremely damaging statements about our business, posted as if they are a legitimate patient. Primary initial objective is to secure and file the discovery subpoenas necessary allowing us to learn the identity of the anonymous fake profile, where we then would consider further next steps based on the identity returned and potential motivations of the poster. Background: An anonymous Facebook account posted the following statements about our practice in a public community Facebook group: “There is a specific person working there now that will gossip about you.” In the comments on that same post, the individual further stated: “I don’t understand their hiring process. HIPAA is a big thing and they just blew it. It was already questionable when they first opened with one employee but now it’s done.” We have and can confirm there has been no HIPAA violation or reportable HIPAA incident of any kind, making the statement factually false. These comments were published publicly and directly concern our business operations, hiring practices, and legal compliance, and dubiously frame in a reckless and extremely damaging format. There are a few other reckless and untrue comments we will review with you, but this is the worst given it alleges we are violating law. Immediate Objective Our initial objective is straightforward: * File a John Doe defamation action in the appropriate Georgia Superior Court. * Obtain expedited discovery to identify the anonymous poster through: * Subpoena to Meta Platforms for available account information and IP logs. * Follow-on subpoena(s) to the applicable Internet Service Provider(s), if necessary. * Once the individual’s identity is confirmed, we will separately determine—with your advice—whether to pursue additional claims or seek settlement. Case Preparation This is not a from-scratch litigation project. We have prepared a comprehensive litigation package for counsel’s review, including: * Strategy memorandum * Draft Verified Complaint naming a John Doe defendant (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-10(a)) * Draft Motion for Expedited Discovery * Proposed Order * Draft subpoena(s) to Meta and the subsequent ISP You would review, refine where appropriate, file the action, and guide the matter through the identification phase. We believe the published statements provide a strong basis for a Georgia defamation claim. Unlike generalized opinions, the allegation that our practice “blew” HIPAA constitutes a specific factual assertion regarding legal compliance that is capable of being proven true or false. When viewed together with the accompanying statements concerning our employees and hiring practices, the publications appear to directly impugn the reputation and professionalism of our healthcare practice. We welcome your independent legal assessment regarding the viability of the claims, including any issues relating to Georgia’s anti-SLAPP statute. Scope of Representation We are seeking counsel to: * Review and finalize the existing pleadings. * File the lawsuit in the appropriate Georgia Superior Court. * Obtain expedited discovery. * Pursue subpoena(s) to Meta and any subsequent ISP(s) necessary to identify the defendant. * Advise regarding Georgia’s anti-SLAPP statute (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-11.1). * Provide a separate proposal for any litigation or settlement efforts following identification of the defendant. Qualifications * Licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia. * Experience in Georgia civil litigation. * Experience with online defamation, anonymous defendants, subpoena practice, or First Amendment issues is strongly preferred. Proposal Requested Please provide: * Your proposed milestone structure. * Fixed-fee pricing for the identification phase. Only interested in a fair fixed fee offer. * Estimated timeline. * Brief description of similar matters you have handled. We are looking for counsel who can move efficiently, understands anonymous online defamation litigation, and is comfortable pursuing expedited discovery to identify the responsible party.