The Empire Strikes Back

The cease and desist emails are starting to pour in:

"Tom-

You really need to remove the comments that note first and last names. Your most recent entry generated some slanderous comments that include the first and last name of a certain Hudson employee. Because the writings are professional attacks, you could be looking at some legal action. Let's keep the blog in good standing.

Thanks,

Anonymous"

Over at the JDUnderground message board, the partners of a small firm (Freiberg & Peck) apparently don't want the negative opinions of former employees aired in a public forum:


"Author: Marianna
Subject: Freiberg Thread?
Time: February 11, 2008 - 8:41 pm

What happened to my Freiberg thread?


Author: Administrator
Time: February 11, 2008 - 8:45 pm

Mr. Peck asked me to delete it


Author: How?
Time: February 11, 2008 - 8:48 pm

When F&P contact you, are they nasty? Do they send "formal demands" with threats? Do you have a "relationship" with them at this point, where they just say- hey admin, do me a favor take down the postings?


Author: Administrator
Time: February 11, 2008 - 8:53 pm

They are formal and respectful but not threatening. There is no relationship.

What pisses me off most is that they make a blanket claim that the whole thread is defamatory. I do wish that they specifically pointed out exactly what language is defamatory. I am too busy to argue with them now so I don't care. But if I had the time, I would make them point out the exact defamatory language."

http://jdunderground.com

And, finally, O'Melveny Myers is alleged to have partaken in a witch hunt against their blogging employees:

http://www.abovethelaw.com/2008/02/the_omelveny_myers_witch_hunt.php#more

Are these employers justified, or is this all merely a case of an abusive boss trying to bully former employees into quiet submission? Discuss.