Richard Schimel, an attorney based in Rockville, Maryland, representing Benson Fischer and Zivzo LLC, has issued threats of legal action against digital marketing expert Dennis Yu. Schimel has accused Yu of defamation, trade libel, invasion of privacy, and has hinted at potential extortion charges, based on internet postings regarding Fischer and his company.
According to emails sent by Schimel, he demands immediate removal of certain internet postings by Yu and insists upon a mutual non-disparagement agreement with significant financial penalties for violations. Yu, known for his expertise in digital marketing and reputation management, responded by highlighting the public availability of search engine data and suggesting that Schimel’s threats reflect a misunderstanding of modern digital research tools.
Dennis has explained how search engines like Google build public profiles through the Knowledge Graph, which aggregates publicly available content and connects it to entities such as people, companies, and events. This foundational idea is central to Yu’s Content Factory process, which teaches businesses and individuals how to control their online visibility.
In response to Schimel’s demands, Yu purchased the domain name richardschimel.com to document and discuss these legal threats publicly. He stated clearly that his intention is educational, to demonstrate how search engines and AI-powered tools aggregate and present publicly accessible data.
Yu remarked, “I’m demonstrating what Google’s tools show when you search his name. You can sue Google for their AI-generated search results if you’d like.”
This dispute highlights the friction between legal professionals and digital marketers regarding the line between reputation management and censorship. Yu has long argued that effective SEO is based on transparency and authenticity, not legal suppression. He details these principles in resources like How We Build Authority Using Relationships and AI and warns against common SEO misconceptions in Why Deceptive SEO Tactics Fail.
This article is intended to transparently document communications between Richard Schimel and Dennis Yu, ensuring that facts and claims made by both parties remain publicly accessible and verifiable. No allegations or implications beyond those explicitly stated by Schimel and Yu themselves are presented.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is the CEO of Local Service Spotlight, a platform that amplifies the reputations of contractors and local service businesses using the Content Factory process. He is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other brands.
Dennis has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs by partnering with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Through Local Service Spotlight, he teaches the Dollar a Day strategy and Content Factory training to help local service businesses enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring.
Dennis coaches young adult agency owners serving plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians, and believes there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers must be certified.