Linklaters has released a statement in response to reports that a partner was banned from consuming alcohol at work events following allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Accordingly The TelegraphThe law firm issued the partner a final warning after he was accused of inappropriately touching a female employee during a company meeting in Vienna.
The partner is also accused of making inappropriate comments to another female companion at the same event, including comments about coming to her room and asking if she was going to the room of another male partner who was allegedly present at the evening’s drinks.
Linklaters’ statement underlines its commitment to high standards of conduct that are consistent with its values.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority, which oversees the conduct of 125,000 lawyers in England and Wales, declined to comment on whether it was investigating the allegations, The Telegraph Article.
A spokesman said: “We consider all concerns raised to us about possible misconduct. If we decide to take action against a company or individual, we will make that decision public.”
The partner who was accused of inappropriate behavior did not respond to a request from The Telegraph for a comment.
It states: “We expect our employees to uphold the highest standards of conduct consistent with our values. We always take concerns about conduct extremely seriously and will promptly and fully investigate any concerns raised and take such action as we consider appropriate in the circumstances.”
In 2020, the company introduced a “sobriety supervision program” to monitor behavior at its social gatherings.
Linklaters and other high-profile firms such as Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Eversheds Sutherland have faced issues related to sexual misconduct in recent years, reflecting a broader problem within the legal industry.
In 2018, Thomas Elser, a former tax partner at Linklaters Germany, was sentenced to three years in prison by a Munich court for sexually harassing an intern at an event organized by his law firm in 2014.
