Dylan Hackett, a California attorney, has filed a lawsuit against Alejandra Garcia for defamation and emotional distress following the publication of a negative review on Yelp.com. The complaint was filed on January 22, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. Hackett alleges that Garcia's statements were false and damaging to his professional reputation.
According to the court documents, Hackett claims that on December 30, 2024, Garcia posted a one-star review on Yelp accusing him of fraudulent conduct and recommending unlawful actions to his landlord clients. The review also included personal attacks on Hackett's character and professionalism. Hackett asserts that these statements were made with malice and without any factual basis, causing significant harm to his reputation and resulting in both economic and non-economic damages.
Hackett's lawsuit includes three causes of action: defamation (libel), intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. He argues that Garcia's defamatory statements are unprivileged under California Civil Code §45 and have been published to third parties via Yelp.com. As a result, Hackett claims he has suffered general and special damages which will be quantified at trial.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages for the harm caused by Garcia's statements, Hackett is also pursuing punitive damages as permitted by law. He requests that the court award him costs incurred during the suit and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court. In response to the cease-and-desist letter sent by Hackett’s firm demanding removal of the review, Garcia refused compliance stating her belief in the truthfulness of her allegations against Hackett.
The case is being handled pro per by Dylan Hackett himself as indicated in the filing dated January 22, 2025. The presiding judge over this matter is yet unnamed but identified under Case No.: CGC-25-621661.