Kyle Roche files to withdraw from class-action practice after video leak

Published at: Sept. 1, 2022

In the wake of allegations made by Crypto Leaks, high-profile crypto lawyer Kyle Roche has filed to withdraw as counsel on several crypto class-action lawsuits.

According to a series of court records released on Aug.31, Roche is understood to be “no longer involved” in Roche Freedman’s class action practice.

The law firm has also filed to withdraw Roche as counsel in class action lawsuits involving Tron and Global Trading.

Wow. A few days after being the subject of a controversial undercover video, @KyleWRoche has withdrawn as counsel for the Tether/Bitfinex lawsuit. This filing says he's no longer part of his firm's class action practice. pic.twitter.com/ihrT41h9DQ

— JacobSilverman.shill (@SilvermanJacob) August 31, 2022

In a motion to withdraw as attorney in the Tether and Bitfinex Crypto asset litigation case, cryptocurrency law firm Roche Freedman said "Roche would "withdraw as one of the attorneys for the Proposed Class" and "Mr. Roche is no longer involved in RF's class action practice."

The motions do not mean the lawsuits will be dropped altogether, as they could still proceed without Roche.

Roche’s withdrawal from the lawsuit comes amid the ongoing fallout from a recent CryptoLeaks expose, which feature videos of Roche allegedly revealing a relationship with Ava Labs, and a “secret pact” to “harm” competitors through the United States legal system.

On Aug. 30, Roche released a statement denying the allegations, claiming they are an attempt by a disgruntled defendant from a previous case.

"These videos were recorded without my consent during private meetings with Christen Ager-Hanssen, whom I now know works for Dominic Williams, the creator of ICP Token, and the defendant in a high-profile securities fraud litigation my firm brought against him."

Ava Labs CEO Emin Gün Sirer followed suit, denying the alleged arrangement with Roche, calling it "conspiracy theory nonsense."

Cryptoleaks, an anonymous website that claims to launch investigations based on information from whistleblowers and expose attacks and scams in the crypto world, has not backed away from its claims.

Roche's withdrawal from the case soon after the leak has seen speculation as to the cause, but there has yet to be any confirmation from Roche Freedman about the reason for his withdrawal and whether they will proceed with the lawsuits.