Ousted crypto lawyer opens new law firm after Ava Labs scandal

Ousted crypto lawyer opens new law firm after Ava Labs scandal

Kyle Roche, the embattled crypto lawyer at the center of a high-profile exposé in which he was outed for a secret pact with Ava Labs, was recently dropped by the law firm he co-founded.

Now he has already opened a new practice - and is working with an old customer.

The lawyer is a legal representative of Jason Stone, CEO of staking software and strategy company KeyFi, in an ongoing lawsuit against bankrupt crypto lender Celsius over alleged market manipulation.

At that time Complaint from KeyFi Roche was still a partner at the law firm Roche Freedman.

A Notification of the change of company Filed Thursday shows updated contact information for Roche, which is now piloting its own professional association in New York: Kyle Roche PA

“Please note that Jason Stone and KeyFi, Inc. hereby notify the court and all parties of record that Kyle W. Roche, admitted to practice in this court, is now affiliated with Kyle Roche PA,” the attorney said in the filing.

Roche Freedman rebrands after Ava Labs scandal

The confirmation of Roche's new gig comes just after he was forced out of his old practice, where he no longer holds any equity.

"We are focused on continuing to provide our clients with top-notch representation and are proud of the firm's achievements to date. We wish Kyle the best in his future endeavors," a spokesperson for the firm told Blockworks.

This company, formerly called Roche Freedman, has now been renamed Freedman Normand Friedland.

Roche's role there came under heavy scrutiny after allegations that he was involved in a secret pact with Ava Labs, the developer of the Avalanche blockchain.

Roche, who works as an attorney for Roche Freedman, has reportedly agreed to pursue class action lawsuits against Ava Labs' competitors in an attempt to obtain sensitive information and deflect scrutiny from the crypto firm.

In secretly recorded videos, Roche described himself as Ava Labs' in-house crypto expert and claimed his skills came directly from his pursuit of lawsuits against "half the companies in this space."

Both Roche and Ava Labs have denied the allegations, claiming they are “categorically false.” Nevertheless, Roche later withdrew as an attorney from several lawsuits and Roche Freedman was fired from a class action lawsuit against stablecoin issuer Tether.

It is still unclear whether Roche represents other companies besides KeyFi as legal advisors. The attorney did not respond to Blockworks' request for comment by press time.

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The post Outed Crypto Lawyer Opens New Firm After Ava Labs Scandal is not financial advice.