Rose Firm to Repay Illegally Billed Clients Up to $140,000

Webster L. Hubbell’s former law firm expects to reimburse clients as much as $140,000 that Hubbell illegally billed them, the firm’s managing partner said Tuesday evening.

“We’re already in the process of reimbursing them and that will continue. That’s always been our goal,” said Ron Clark.

The Rose Law Firm also confirmed for the first time that it had filed a formal complaint against Hubbell with Arkansas legal ethics authorities.

Hubbell, who was the associate attorney general until his resignation last March, pleaded guilty Tuesday to mail fraud and tax evasion in charges brought by Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr.

The Rose Firm said in a statement Tuesday that in April, 1993, its management committee uncovered numerous expense reports by Hubbell “that lacked necessary documentation.”

A series of personal meetings and other communications with Hubbell failed to produce the documentation he promised, the statement said.

The Rose Firm said it had disclosed the irregularities to the Whitewater prosecutor.

“Based on the evidence presently available to us, it appears that the firm was the primary victim of Mr. Hubbell’s actions,” the statement said. “However, it also appears that a limited number of clients were improperly billed by Mr. Hubbell.”

Clark, in an interview Tuesday evening, said the firm’s partners were “undecided about whether to take action to recoup any of the funds from Mr. Hubbell.”

Clark said the reaction among clients who were improperly billed had been “very positive. They’ve been very understanding and very sympathetic.”

Asked if the Rose Firm had lost any clients because of Hubbell’s actions, Clark answered: “Not that I know of.”