The Institute of Directors (IoD) has suspended its chair, Lady Barbara Judge, following an investigation led by Hill Dickinson.

The UK top 50 law firm was instructed by the IoD to carry out an investigation after allegations were made about Lady Judge's conduct, with legal director Caroline Prosser taking the lead role.

The full and final version of the report compiled by Prosser was passed to the IoD council this week.

According to The Times, Lady Judge is facing allegations of racism, sexism and unreasonable behaviour. She is being represented by Addleshaw Goddard employment partner Alasdair Simpson.

Employment and education specialist Prosser, who has been at Hill Dicks since qualifying in 2005, has worked on other high-profile matters including advising the BBC on bullying and harassment cases.

In a statement, the IoD said: "The council took the decision, having received the Hill Dickinson executive summary, to suspend the IoD chair pending further investigation into the matters raised and the process.

"At all times we seek to embody the highest standards of behaviour and governance. We aim to ensure this process is conducted thoroughly and fairly, and lives up to expectations of the IoD."

The IoD is a 115 year-old business lobby group based in London. Before chairing the IoD, Lady Judge was chair of the Pension Protection Fund, while she is also the former chair of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. In 2010, she received a CBE for services to the nuclear and financial services industries.

Early in her professional career, she worked as a lawyer at US law firms Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison and Kaye Scholer.

Picture credit: Michael Wuertenberg