Opinion ID: 2639202
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Duty to Current Client

Text: Alternatively, Bryan asserts that even if disclosure of this information was restricted, the attorneys for Small were persons having a need to know under the Comment to KRPC 1.6 and, therefore, the disclosures were reasonable. Bryan supports his position by claiming that if the case by Eichenwald and Worthington against Small remained consolidated, his being called to testify against Eichenwald would negatively impact not only Eichenwald, but also Worthington. Thus, he asserts that his disclosures were necessary to allow the action to be to severed. Bryan asserts that the hearing panel's comment that he should have either withdrawn from the representation of Worthington or filed a motion to sever that did not disclose the protected information was unrealistic. Bryan contends that withdrawal would not have altered the result because he would have been obligated to disclose to Worthington's new counsel the existence of his defamation case against Eichenwald and why it could damage Worthington's case. Bryan points out that this same disclosure would not have been a violation of the KRPC if the new attorney in Worthington's case had obtained this information from the public record of the defamation suit and cited it as grounds in support of a motion to sever. Additionally, Bryan argues that a motion to sever that did not disclose information relating to his representation would have failed because there was no other ground for severance to be granted. The Disciplinary Administrator noted that the release of confidential information to protect one's self is quite different from the release of information to the disadvantage of your former client and to the advantage of your current client. The Disciplinary Administrator agrees with the hearing panel's conclusion that Bryan should have withdrawn from representation of Worthington rather then disclose confidential information regarding his former client. In his reply brief, Bryan contends the hearing panel's and the Disciplinary Administrator's conclusions amount to a determination that Eichenwald's already nullified claims of confidentiality outweigh Ms. Worthington's Constitutional right to a fair trial. The duty of confidentiality continues after the lawyer-client relationship has terminated. Comment to KRPC 1.6. Bryan's withdrawal from representation of Worthington would not have required Bryan to disclose the basis for the withdrawal as Bryan contends. Bryan could have served the interests of both Worthington and Eichenwald by withdrawing from the representation of Worthington, rather than serving the interest of Worthington at Eichenwald's detriment. The court notes the dissent to the final hearing report in which M. Warren McCamish dissented from the panel's finding that Bryan's disclosures in the motion to sever and reply were a violation of KRPC 1.6. McCamish dissented from Conclusions of Law ¶¶ 16-20 in making this determination. The basis for his dissent on this ground was that he did not believe that Bryan's disclosure of information in the motion to sever and in the reply violated KRPC 1.6. Instead, McCamish viewed the disclosure as being a disclosure of publicly available information and a disclosure that was engaged in to fulfill Bryan's duty to his current client, Worthington. We find that Bryan violated KRPC 1.6 in making the disclosures to Grissom, the Nordstrom employees, and in the litigation against Small because some of the disclosures were not reasonably necessary to defend against Eichenwald's accusations. We conclude that Bryan was in fact attempting to violate KRPC 1.6 in offering to disclose negative information. Therefore, we also agree with the hearing panel's finding that Bryan violated KRPC 8.4(a).