How Ford Banister Turned the Tables on Bad Actors Who Weaponized the Internet

At Ford Banister LLC, we tell our clients that when bad actors target your brand or business, the answer isn't to back down. It's to fight back strategically, turn enforcement into a profit center, and hold wrongdoers accountable in court. This isn't just talk. It's personal experience.

On Monday Dec. 1, a St. Petersburg, Florida jury awarded me $3.6 million in damages in a defamation case that has spanned seven years. This verdict represents more than just a financial judgment. It represents vindication, accountability, and proof that when you stand your ground against intimidation, justice can prevail.

How It Started: A Teacher Under Attack

In 2017, I took my first plaintiff's-side case, representing a special needs teacher in Shenzhen, China. She had hired what turned out to be a completely fraudulent shipping company, ShippingQuest, to ship school supplies she personally purchased from her home in Illinois to her school. When the goods ended up stranded in a Hong Kong warehouse instead of at her door, she did what any reasonable consumer would do. She demanded a refund and posted truthful, non-defamatory reviews online.

That's when the threats began.

"We know who you are. We know about your school. We will drag your name across the net."

And they did. The perpetrators purchased her name as a domain and erected a website featuring a photo taken from her social media profile, surrounded by images and words suggesting she was a prostitute. This woman, a dedicated educator, was devastated.

Fighting Back Despite Threats

The threats escalated. If she hired an attorney, they warned, he would be "added to the mix." I took her case anyway.

I filed suit in federal district court in Chicago. I obtained a judgment that took the defamatory website down and transferred the domain to my custody. We eventually secured the judgment, over the objections of a "senior" lawyer sent in at the last minute who called me young and incompetent while he proceeded to lose every motion trying to get the judgment vacated.

But they weren't done.

When the Target Became Me

While working through the case and as they attempted to have the judgment vacated, fake reviews started appearing on RipOff Report, Avvo, and other platforms. Bar complaints were filed against me. The bar complaints were dismissed out of hand, of course, but the harassment was relentless and calculated. I eventually gathered enough evidence to establish who was behind it all.

The worst part, it upset people close to me who feared for my livelihood and safety. I was about two years into practice, just getting my feet under me, and these people were trying to destroy my reputation and intimidate my family.

The Long Road to Justice

In 2020, I filed suit in Florida, following an earlier suit in Illinois, since two of the three defendants were located there. The defendants showed up to litigate for a while. One fell by the wayside. The remaining two defaulted.

Finally, this past Monday, my case went to trial on damages in St. Petersburg. Thirty-six people from the community came in. Seven were seated, six with an alternate.

Opening statements. My testimony. Closing arguments. About 45 minutes of deliberation.

The jury came back and awarded me $3.6 million in combined damages: $200,000 compensatory per count per defendant, and $1 million in punitives per defendant.

* Eric LaRue, Ford Banister, Addison B. Hicks and Cristian A. Cantillana from the LaRue Firm.

What This Means

I am glad this chapter is over. Maybe now I can get these fake reviews taken down. I have been humbly successful in my practice, but I'll never know how much more successful I might have been without this cloud hanging over me for seven years.

The judgment puts two individuals, one a convicted stock swindler, into permanent bankruptcy. I will follow them to their estates if necessary. This isn't about the money, though I won't pretend the vindication doesn't feel good. It's about sending a message: 

If you weaponize the internet to intimidate, defame, and destroy, there will be consequences.

Lessons for Anyone Facing Similar Attacks

1. Document Everything

From the moment threats or defamatory content appear, preserve every piece of evidence. Screenshots, emails, domains, review posts. Everything. You'll need it.

2. Don't Back Down

Bad actors count on you being too scared or too exhausted to fight back. That's their playbook. They escalate hoping you'll surrender. Don't give them that satisfaction.

3. The Pain May Not End Immediately, But Recompense Can Come

This case took seven years from start to finish. Seven years of stress, harassment, and uncertainty. But we got there. If you're in the middle of something similar, know that perseverance matters.

4. The Courtroom Is Where It Needs to Stay

If people want to fight it out in court, okay. That is where disputes belong. Not on fake review sites. Not through intimidation campaigns. Not by trying to destroy someone's livelihood and family. In court, where facts matter and accountability exists.

Gratitude and Moving Forward

I want to extend my sincere thanks to Eric LaRue and his team at The LaRue Firm for seeing this case through to trial and getting it to the jury. Their dedication and expertise were instrumental in achieving this outcome.

At Ford Banister, we do this work every day. We represent brand owners pursuing counterfeiters, sellers defending against IP accusations, and clients who've been targeted by bad actors using the internet as a weapon. We don't just talk about enforcement. We live it.

This verdict is a reminder that when you turn IP enforcement and litigation into a strategic, revenue-generating tool rather than a cost center, you change the game. You hold people accountable. You protect what you've built.

And you don't let them win.

Case Citation: Banister v. Capolino, et al., No. 20-002828-CI (Fla. Cir. Ct. 6th Jud. Cir. Pinellas Cnty., Dec. 12, 2025).