In re Kassel

• Citation: 22 N.Y.S.3d 40,136 A.D.3d 47
• Parties: In the Matter of Richard A. KASSEL, (admitted as Richard Adam Kassel), an attorney and counselor-at-law Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Judicial Department, Petitioner, Richard A. Kassel, Respondent.
• Decision Date: 22 December 2015
• Court: New York Supreme Court Appellate Division

136 A.D.3d 47
22 N.Y.S.3d 40

In the Matter of Richard A. KASSEL, (admitted as Richard Adam Kassel), an attorney and counselor-at-law

Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Judicial Department, Petitioner,

Richard A. Kassel, Respondent.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.

Dec. 22, 2015.

22 N.Y.S.3d 41

Jorge Dopico, Chief Counsel, Departmental Disciplinary Committee, New York (Raymond Vallejo, of counsel), for petitioner.

Sarah Diane McShea, for respondent.

LUIS A. GONZALEZ, Presiding Justice, DAVID FRIEDMAN, ROSALYN H. RICHTER, JUDITH J. GISCHE, BARBARA R. KAPNICK, Justices.

PER CURIAM.

136 A.D.3d 48

Respondent was admitted to the practice of law in the State of New York by the First Judicial Department on August 16, 1993, under the name Richard Adam Kassel. At all times relevant to this proceeding, respondent maintained an office for the practice of law within the First Department.

The Departmental Disciplinary Committee seeks an order striking respondent's name from the roll of attorneys, pursuant to Judiciary Law § 90(4)(b), on the grounds that he was convicted of a felony as defined by Judiciary Law § 90(4)(e), namely, conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (18 USC §§ 371 and 1546 [a] ), and should therefore be automatically disbarred. In the alternative, the Committee seeks a determination that respondent was convicted of a "serious crime," that he be immediately suspended from the practice of law, and be directed to appear for a sanction hearing.

Respondent does not oppose the Committee's petition insofar as it seeks an order striking his name from the roll of attorneys. By order of June 25, 2015, respondent was placed on interim suspension, on consent, in Connecticut until further order of the court. By order filed July 30, 2015, respondent was disbarred by consent in the District of Columbia (In Re Kassel, 121 A.3d 790 [D.C.2015] ).

A conviction of any criminal offense classified as a felony under the laws of New...