The number of reported harassment complaints rose by 483% last year, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which cited the impact of the #MeToo movement on greater reporting.

In the year from November 2017 to October 2018, the SRA received 70 complaints of harassment in the workplace, up from 12 in the previous year, according to a report published by the authority this week.

Four years ago, just three complaints of harassment were received by the authority, a spokesperson confirmed.

The SRA also revealed that 19% of the complaints (a total of 13) were regarding misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). In March last year, the authority issued a "warning notice" on the misuse of NDAs by law firms.

However, data released in the SRA's report also revealed that 91% of its 4,711 completed investigations led to no action being taken. It did not provide a breakdown of action taken on the harassment complaints.

Elsewhere, the SRA reported a 43% uptick in the number of money laundering reports received. In total, it recorded 218 reports in the first nine months of 2018 compared with 152 in the same period in 2017.

Within the legal sector itself, the SRA investigated 19 cases about solicitor involvement in dubious investment schemes.

In May, a survey of nearly 7,000 people by the International Bar Association found sexual harassment and bullying are endemic across the global legal profession.