Ryan Beckwith

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Ryan Beckwith is alleged to have engaged in sexual activity with a woman without her consent, a tribunal heard today (26 April), in a matter the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has now referred to the police.

The allegation was made in a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) case management hearing currently taking place. The case management hearing will roll over to June as not all the arguments were able to be addressed today.

The hearing heard the complainant's statement had argued that she did not consent, could not have consented and lacked capacity to consent to sexual activity with Beckwith, after going for informal drinks.

The SRA has said addressing the issues of consent is not within the SDT's jurisdiction. But Beckwith's defence argued that by not addressing the issue of consent it was not possible to assess whether the action took place against her will. Beckwith's defence added there was a clear basis for it being a "mutual mistake", and a matter that should be decided by the courts before the SRA can decide what the SDT's remit is.

Responding to the news, Freshfields senior partner Ed Braham said in a statement that the firm instructed an external law firm to investigate a complaint when it was received. He added that Freshfields then "took actions in the light of the report's findings".

Beckwith was placed on indefinite leave by Freshfields ahead of today's hearing.

He is being represented by Brett Wilson disciplinary partner Nicholas Brett, and the SDT by Capsticks disputes partner Daniel Purcell.

Braham's statement added: "The firm takes all complaints extremely seriously. We want a culture that is welcoming and allows our people to flourish, and we work hard to achieve that.

"We are running a firm-wide programme to ensure our values and behaviours are consistently experienced across the firm, and I am confident that we will continue to achieve change where it is needed."