Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) hearing into former Baker McKenzie London head Gary Senior was held up on Thursday morning as one of the respondents is currently in hospital.

Martin Blackburn, former human resources director at Baker Mckenzie, was driven to hospital on Thursday morning after suffering a fall, a person close to the firm said.

The hearing was held up for 30 minutes as the court worked to set up a live feed in order that Blackburn could follow today's proceedings from A&E, the person added. According to a second person with knowledge of the matter, Blackburn suffered a fractured hip.

The SDT hearing into the conduct of Baker McKenzie's former London managing partner Gary Senior opened on Monday (December 2), with Senior facing allegations that he had drunkenly attempted to kiss a junior associate of six months' post-qualification experience.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority decided to prosecute Senior after finding that he had sought to "initiate intimate activity" with a junior colleague, known only as Person A, whom he had "authority and responsibility over".

As Baker McKenzie's former head of human resources, Blackburn stands accused, alongside the firm's former partner Tom Cassels, of having assisted Senior in influencing the outcome of the firm's internal investigation into the incident.

On Tuesday, the alleged victim (Person A) spoke of her distress following the alleged incident and how she felt "cast aside" by Baker McKenzie during the aftermath.

On Wednesday, Senior agreed that his behaviour towards the junior associate in 2012 had amounted to sexual harassment, but he denied 'micro-managing' the investigation.