Alex Chadwick, Baker McKenzie London managing partner

Baker McKenzie's current London managing partner said the trio involved in an internal investigation into alleged misconduct had "betrayed their colleagues" and "acted fundamentally at odds with the values of the firm", the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) into the incident heard on Tuesday.

Alex Chadwick's comments were made in a letter responding to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in 2018, Gary Senior's counsel Gregory Treverton-Jones QC said at the hearing on Tuesday morning during cross-examination of one of the internal investigators, Tom Cassels.

Chadwick had replied to the regulator after the alleged historical misconduct by Senior and subsequent internal investigation into it – led by then HR director Martin Blackburn and disputes partner Cassels – emerged last year. The SRA wrote to the firm, Senior, Blackburn and Cassels as a result.

Chadwick also said in his response that Senior, Cassels and Blackburn had "subverted the firm's process", according to Treverton-Jones.

Chadwick went on to add in the letter that he wanted to emphasise "the level of shock and anger within the LLP" that the three had "acted fundamentally at odds with the values of the LLP and the firm", Treverton-Jones continued.

Cassels' counsel, Richard Coleman QC, interjected to stress that the firm had not made those assertions in its previous statements.

Cassels said he rejected the contents of the letter.

Chadwick was appointed London managing partner of the firm in 2016 and recently won a second term at the helm of the office.

Previously in the SDT hearing, which kicked off in early December, SRA counsel Andrew Tabachnik QC of 39 Essex Chambers told the tribunal there had been a "complete collective failure" within the firm to "take any steps to prevent Gary Senior from seeking to influence the process [of the investigation]". The SRA has argued that emails sent between Senior, Blackburn and Cassels attest to it being influenced.

The hearing continues.