Kyle Roche says the statements in the Crypto Leaks investigation are "highly edited and spliced out of context."
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Ava Labs and the Roche Freedman law firm have staunchly denied being involved in an "extraordinary secret pact" to attack rival crypto projects and harm the industry.
Both companies were the subject of a damning Crypto Leaks investigation that made a series of allegations — and featured secret recordings of Kyle Roche, the law firm's founding partner.
It was alleged that Roche Freedman pursues class action lawsuits against Avalanche rivals — meaning defamatory statements can be made without the risk of being sued. From here, the law firm can obtain confidential information about targets during the discovery process.
Ava Labs founder Emin Gün Sirer has described the article as a "scurrilous hit-piece" on a "disreputable" website — and stressed that his blockchain company has never "directed Roche in his selection of cases," and the law firm is completely independent.
On the contrary, Sirer revealed that Ava Labs was "livid" after Roche Freedman filed a lawsuit against Solana — and his company "attempted to persuade them to drop the case."
And creating some distance, the CEO said that Kyle Roche "has handled only a few cases of minor importance for us in his area of competence." Sirer added:
"Let me be absolutely clear: we do not engage in or support any underhanded tactics suggested in the article or the video clips. We believe in what we are building and do not need secret pacts or behind-the-scenes intrigue."
'Deliberate Scheme to Intoxicate'
Kyle Roche has written a separate statement — and lambasted the article for containing "false statements and illegally obtained, highly edited video clips that are not presented with accurate context."
The lawyer claims there was "a deliberate scheme to intoxicate, and then exploit me, using leading questions."
Roche explained that the videos were recorded during private meetings with Christen Ager-Hanssen — and he alleged this man has connections to Dominic Williams, who created the ICP token. Incidentally, Williams is the defendant in a "high-profile securities fraud litigation" that Roche Freedman had brought against him.
"Mr Ager-Hanssen requested a meeting with me under the false pretense of venture capital investment in a technology startup, but his real motives are now clear: to deceive and entrap me. When I agreed to the meeting, I was unaware that Mr Ager-Hanssen specializes in what he calls 'conflict management' for 'eccentric billionaires' like Mr Williams where he uses illegal and underhanded means, including 'covert recordings' and 'social engineering,' to solve their legal issues."
Kyle Roche went on to insist there is no "secret pact" between his law firm and Ava Labs, adding:
"We vigorously deny any allegations of impropriety … In all of my dealings with Emin Gün Sirer and the rest of the Ava Labs team, they have always acted with the highest integrity. They have never asked that I do anything underhanded, illegal or of questionable ethics, and I never would."
Roche went on to vow that "brazen attempts to intimidate me, my firm and the class we represent will not work" — and criticized Ager-Hanssen and Williams for "underhanded, false and deceptive tactics."
ICP and the Internet Computer is being developed by the Dfinity Foundation. A source within Dfinity told CoinMarketCap that they had "no knowledge" of Crypto Leaks beyond what had been published on its website.
