UK: Solicitor suspended for drunken behaviour at Christmas party

A British junior lawyer who got drunk at the office Christmas party and touched his colleague’s bottom had been suspended for three months.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard that Fred Adams, formerly with Plexus Legal, approached the same colleague as she was leaving and said: ‘I would really like to fuck you, would you like to fuck me?’

Colleagues on the night had been sufficiently concerned that they took turns on the dance floor to stand between Adams and the woman, referred to during proceedings as Person A.

Adams said he was very drunk and had little recollection of what happened after a staff meal, and he apologised unreservedly for what he had done.

The tribunal said a fine would not meet the seriousness of the misconduct and that the public was entitled to expect that solicitors would not make inappropriate, unwanted and sexually motived advances on another.

It added: ‘Person A provided a graphic description of Mr Adams’ conduct and the detrimental impact it had upon her both at the material time and thereafter. Her account makes plain that, in circumstances whereby she (as any individual) was entitled to attend a work event absent fear of being sexually harassed.’

The tribunal heard that the firm’s managing partner had sent a group email before the party at Manchester’s Malmaison Hotel in December 2019 asserting that all staff were still expected to meet the highest standards of behaviour and conduct. In particular, she emphasised that excessive alcohol consumption would not be accepted as an excuse for unacceptable behaviour.

But a day after the party, concerns were raised about the conduct of some individuals and Person A reported to a partner what had happened.

She said that Adams ‘kept physically grabbing’ [her] backside and touched the front of [her] thigh’. One of her friends was trying to get someone to stand between them. He made his comment some two hours later when she was leaving the party.

The firm’s bosses examined CCTV footage of the events and Adams was dismissed in 2020 for gross misconduct.

Person A told the SRA she was ‘stunned’ by what she called ‘entirely inappropriate behaviour’ which made her extremely uncomfortable at the possibility of seeing him again at work.

Adams, through his representatives, initially submitted that Person A was ‘clearly flirting’ with him and that he believed her behaviour was equally sexual in nature. He later told the tribunal in a statement that he admitted touching her bottom and making a sexually explicit comment to her, and that in his drunken state he ‘likely misinterpreted his interactions with Person A’.

Adams, admitted in 2016, was suspended for three months and ordered to pay £10,000 costs.