Biglaw

Biglaw Firm Under Investigation For Failing To Disclose Partner's Alleged Sexual Assault To Regulators

The accused partner will be leaving the firm.

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Time’s up, Biglaw.

Last week, RollOnFriday reported that a partner at Baker McKenzie was sanctioned, but not fired, after the firm’s investigation into his alleged sexual assault of an associate. When news of this story first broke, we firmly stated that “[a]t some point, time is going to be up for Biglaw. There is going to be a reckoning.” Only a few days have passed, and it appears that the reckoning has come.

The Times, a British publication, reports that Baker McKenzie is now under preliminary investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to assess whether the firm’s actions in this case amounted to professional misconduct. Under the SRA’s code of conduct, the alleged sexual assault should have been immediately reported to the organization. Here are the details, according to The Times:

The regulator pointed out that its code of conduct specifically refers to non-disclosure agreements. It stipulates that “entering into an agreement which would attempt to preclude the SRA or the legal ombudsman from investigating any actual or potential complaint or allegation of professional misconduct” may demonstrate that a law firm is not complying with professional principles.

Officials are also understood to be investigating whether Baker McKenzie reported the incident to the police.

Baker McKenzie is “in dialogue” with the Solicitors Regulation Authority over the alleged sexual assault. A spokesperson gave this statement to the publication:

“As a firm, our values of inclusion and diversity are extremely important to us and we are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all employees. That is why we are commissioning an independent review of this particular incident and how it was subsequently handled by the firm. The review will also consider how we handle complaints of sexual misconduct and other inappropriate behaviour toward colleagues, to ensure we are guaranteeing the protection of our employees.

“We are really sorry this incident ever happened and we acknowledge we should have handled it better.”

What the Baker McKenzie spokesperson neglected to mention was the fact that the accused partner in the alleged sexual assault “is no longer in the office and will be leaving the firm,” important information that was later relayed to the Financial Times. It’s very significant that the partner was allowed to remain with the firm when this incident was kept under wraps, and now that the details have been leaked to the media, that partner is leaving the firm. One wonders whether the partner is leaving of his own accord, or whether he was forced out by Baker McKenzie management.

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Law firms can no longer sweep these issues under the rug. Sexual predators must be held accountable. Men and women alike, both victims and bystanders, must speak up for themselves and speak out on behalf of others because the time to come forward is now. Only together can we inspire the change necessary to stop this disturbing behavior from being so prevalent in the legal profession. Time’s up, Biglaw.

Law firm Baker McKenzie ‘gagged assault victim’ [The Times]
Baker McKenzie partner accused of sexual assault [Financial Times]

Earlier: Biglaw Firm Admits To Sanctioning Partner After Sexual Harassment Investigation

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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