PROVIDENCE, RI -- The Rhode Island Supreme Court's disciplinary board has scheduled a public hearing for Wednesday at 1 p.m. on ethics charges brought against lawyer Kyle A. Rocha, who allegedly pocketed thousands of dollars in fees he collected from several clients of the law firm of Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum while he worked there as a salaried attorney.
According to the court's chief disciplinary counsel David Curtin, Rocha has repaid all of the money that was due to the firm since its managing partner, Christopher L. Russo, filed a disciplinary complaint against him a year ago.
He is currently on voluntary inactive status from the practice of law, Curtin said.
Rocha has been a member of the Rhode Island bar since 2009. Curtin said he left Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum about a year ago for a better paying job at another firm, Morrison, Mahoney & Miller "but resigned from there after a couple of days" because of the disciplinary complaint.
Curtin said that Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum was unaware that Rocha was taking funds that belonged to the firm until after he left to work for the other law firm "and his clients began calling the firm wondering who was going to take their case over."
Among the allegations is that Rocha converted funds to his own use, failed to maintain firm money in any client account and "commingled" client funds with his own.
Rocha could face censure, suspension or disbarment as a result of the alleged misconduct.