U.Today - Attorney Kylie Chiseul Kim, one of Ripple Labs Inc.'s key defense counsel in the ongoing litigation against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a motion to withdraw from the case.
In the motion filed in the Southern District of New York, Kim has indicated that she will no longer be associated with Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, P.L.L.C., the law firm currently representing Ripple Labs.
The document also clarified that other attorneys from the same firm and counsel from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP will continue representing Ripple.
As , Kim joined the Ripple legal team in July 2022 alongside Clayton J. Masterman. Both attorneys were brought on board as the SEC lawsuit against Ripple, its CEO Brad Garlinghouse, and co-founder Christian Larsen persisted. The addition of these lawyers at the time was seen as a strategy to strengthen Ripple's legal team for an anticipated prolonged legal battle.
Kim's sudden exit has thus left many questioning what it could imply about the ongoing case. Twitter reactions to the news were a mix of confusion and speculation. Still, the consensus appeared to be that Kim's departure was related to her leaving her law firm, not necessarily indicating a significant shift in the lawsuit's status.
Some Twitter users speculated that Kim had been waiting for the lawsuit to conclude before changing jobs or corporations.