Former President of the Washington State Bar Charged With Theft
Robin Haynes, 40, the former president of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) has been charged with stealing nearly $26,000 from the bar and two former Spokane-based law firms. She was charged this month with multiple counts of theft and identity theft. Haynes became the youngest president in the history of the state bar in October 2016. She resigned her post in June 2017 in light of the accusations against her.
Court documents have alleged that Haynes used law firm credit cards for personal expenses such as a gym membership, travel accommodations, and political donations. Haynes booked a hotel in Seattle ten months after she was let go from one of the law firms. She has also been accused of receiving reimbursements from the WSBA for expenses never incurred. In total, Haynes has been accused of stealing about $11,000 from the law firm Witherspoon Kelley and approximately $4,000 from the law firm McNeice Wheeler. The former president is also accused of stealing about $11,000 from the WSBA.
Haynes’ attorney, attorney Kevin Curtis, provided the following statement following the charges: “We are extremely disappointed that after twenty months the prosecutor has now decided to file charges. We have not received any investigative reports and will not be making any further statements until we have had the opportunity to thoroughly review and investigate the charges, including the issues surrounding the delay.”
Witherspoon Kelley provided this statement: “We were disappointed to learn that Ms. Haynes chose to retain Washington State Bar Association expense reimbursements previously advanced by our firm for her personal financial gain. Since then, we have cooperated fully in the investigation and trust the judicial process will lead to the appropriate outcome.”
Robin started GIANTlegal in 2017, and the website cites her wide range of experience, including “both employer and employee side litigation; complex commercial disputes including receiverships; employee handbook and non-compete drafting and revisions; startup and general business advice; and bankruptcy.” It goes on to state Haynes “has been involved in two of the largest cases in Spokane Superior Court history, the AMR Class Action and the Washington Motorsports Limited Receivership. She has successfully litigated matters in the state and federal courts of Washington & Idaho, Division III Court of Appeals, the Ninth Circuit, and various tribal courts. She loves working with startups to help clients fulfill their dreams with ease at a reasonable price. In her personal time, iRobin is a book nerd, who enjoys strong coffee, strong deadlifts, and anything outdoors in the Northwest.”
On Avvo, several colleagues endorsed the former president of the WSBA, saying, “She’s very smart, diligent, competent, honest and is result focused while being mindful of cost. Also, has a great sense of humor and is caring” and “Robin is a thorough and committed advocate for her clients. I endorse her work.” She has a 10.0 Superb rating as well as many honors, including Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year, 2012, Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2013-2015, and Top 100 Lawyers, Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living, 2013-2018.
Haynes has not been arrested, and her arraignment is set for the end of month, said Mark Gregory, a sheriff’s office spokesperson.
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Former Washington State Bar Association president charged with theft, identity theft
Former state bar president is charged with stealing $26K from her former law firms and bar
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