SDTEx-Freshfields Partner Suspended for 2 Years, Fined £66K After Inappropriate Behaviour Allegation
The partner stood accused of engaging in "inappropriate and unwanted" behaviour.
November 15, 2024 at 06:45 AM
2 minute read
Legal Ethics and Attorney Discipline
A former Freshfields partner has been suspended by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for two years, and ordered to pay costs of £66,000.
Earlier this year, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said it had found that Nicholas Williams had a case to answer in respect of the allegation that between 20 and 21 December 2017, he “engaged in conduct towards Person A, which was inappropriate and unwanted”.
A case management hearing for Williams was held on November 8. An SDT spokesperson confirmed that the outcome was a suspension of 24 months, and a costs order of £66,000.
In 2019, Law.com International reported that Williams had left the firm following an internal investigation into his behaviour. Sources at the time said that the allegations were "me too" related, referring to the #MeToo movement that spotlighted inappropriate behaviour directed against women.
Williams was unreachable for comment.
Following a series of incidents at the firm relating to inappropriate conduct, most notably the case concerning former Freshfields partner Ryan Beckwith, the firm had in 2019 ushered in new conduct rules, whereby partners could receive severe reprimands and fines of 20% of their profit share.
A Freshfields spokesperson said in a statement: "We were not the subject of the SRA investigation or involved in the related SDT proceedings. The individual left the firm several years ago. At the time, we looked into the concerns raised and took appropriate action."
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