Shearman associate sacked after alleged sex harassment
Shearman & Sterling has sacked an associate after a vacation student claimed he sexually harassed her in a West End strip club.
Shearman & Sterling has sacked one of its associates after a vacation student claimed that he sexually harassed her after taking her to a West End strip club.
Shearmans has apologised to the student after conducting an internal investigation which resulted in the sacking of the associate, but the firm denies liability for the alleged harrassment.
In a letter to the vacation student dated 1 August, the firm wrote: “We apologise for the experience that you had at Shearman & Sterling and wish you well […]
“Although we accept that the conduct displayed by the associate in taking you to The Windmill Club was deeply inappropriate, it was not a Shearman & Sterling organised event and we therefore accept no liability for what may have occurred.”
The vacation student alleged that she was taken to a strip club on Friday 18 July by the Shearman associate after drinks in the Light Bar, Liverpool St, which is close to Shearman’s London office.
A spokesman for the firm confirmed that at least one partner was present at these drinks.
It is understood that at around 10pm, the group moved on to the Chinawhite club in Piccadilly, where a guest list reservation had been made.
However, the associate and the vacation student separated from the group and went to the Windmill strip club in Soho.
The vacation student claimed that she did not realise she was entering a strip club and that she told the associate that she should leave, but that he responded that he had already paid for the entrance fee and they should stay a while longer.
The firm confirmed that the associate paid for the entrance fee to the strip club on the firm’s credit card.
“This guy’s an associate and I’m an intern,” the vacation student told The Lawyer, “I didn’t want to p*ss him off.”
The associate is alleged to have begun making sexually suggestive remarks and to have touched her inappropriately.
The vacation student said that she left the club in tears and hired a taxi home shortly afterwards. She filed a complaint with Shearman’s HR department the week after, on 24 July, because she said that she wanted to finish the last week of her vacation placement before an internal investigation began.
A Shearman & Sterling statement said: “A student on our UK summer vacation scheme lodged a complaint regarding the conduct of one of the firm’s associates during an informal social evening outside the offices.
“Shearman & Sterling takes such matters very seriously and, following a full investigation in accordance with internal disciplinary procedures, the associate has now left the firm.”
The vacation student has accepted a training contract at another firm and is considering the options that are open to her in pursuing this matter.
The former associate could not be reached for comment.
Readers' comments (88)
Anonymous | 5-Aug-2008 4:23 pm
Do we have all the facts?
Has the associate admitted that it went down the way the vac student suggests? I know it won't be popular, but do we know for sure that the student is telling the truth? What if she came onto him and he turned her down? What if they had a fumble, she found out he couldn't get her a TC, and she was annoyed...do we know for sure that she is telling the truth?
Has he been fired before having a chance to defend himself?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 5-Aug-2008 4:40 pm
Sexual Harassment in Law Firms
Only recently have I discovered that a number of law firms practice or condone misogyny and justify it as being "commercial" knowing that rarely will the female take action for fear of the financial and career cost of taking a case against them.
The blatant flouting of discrimination law is disappointing and shocking but the very nature of a law firm ensures that they can proctice this behaviour far easier than other businesses. Shearman should be congratulated on their stance and quick action. They have gone up in my estimation!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
blazza | 5-Aug-2008 4:42 pm
does any1 know
how 2 still get Sherman summer vac place, coz it seems like happening place. or maybs Freshfiles. this assoc seems total n00b with ladies. thnxbye
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Sally | 5-Aug-2008 4:43 pm
interesting
I'm pleased to see everyone is being fairly open-minded about this and not just going for the "Women's rights are being violated and I think it's disgusting" line we constantly hear.
It can't be ignored that there are male partners out there who may cross lines every now and then, but to be honest some young women really need to get it into their minds that this is always a danger.
By the sounds of things, this girl set herself up for it by accompanying him. He was obviously drunk and took her into a strip club. She says she was unaware of where she was being taken, yet her memory was working well enough to remember the "suggestive comments" and "inappropriate touch".
And the timing of this complaint has conveniently been "missed" by the writer - after the vacation scheme had ended and when she was told she would not be getting a training contract?
When things like this happen people just tend to react only to the sexist behaviour of the man and don't consider the woman's part in it all.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Hold on! | 5-Aug-2008 4:48 pm
This is all one-sided
Many of the posts below seem to ignore the fact that we don't yet know if the former associate actually did it.
The story has no quote from him and he hasn't been interviewed. And for all we know Shearman could simply have sacked him just for using the company credit card to get into the club, not for sexual harassment.
Equally, they could have sacked him cynically just because they couldn't be bothered with the association of the allegation, or because it's a good excuse to sack him instead of making him redundant in six months time.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 5-Aug-2008 4:59 pm
injustice
They may well have just sacked him to avoid the bad press. Whenever women complain of any type of harrassment it's always the same, "there's no excuse".
I'm not saying it didn't happen, it may well have done in which case the associate can't expect to get off lightly but these things have to be investigated - the firm obviously haven't thought of that in their desperation to save face.
Nevermind however many years that man has worked to build up his career, or what it cost him in time and money at university, whenever women complain it has to be taken care of or it's sexist.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Martin Fletcher | 5-Aug-2008 5:17 pm
Shearman associate
I will say that when drunken women who work in lawyers' offices have molested me, I haven't complained.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Mike | 5-Aug-2008 5:19 pm
Last post
...you've just woken up. Hahahahahahahahah!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Senior female lawyer | 5-Aug-2008 5:20 pm
can she handle it?
If a voluntary trip to a strip club and a few inappropriate advances are enough to send her running off to HR then - it's very sad - but she does not stand a chance in the City.
The days of sexual harassment are alive and kicking and, part of progressing at a law firm, is being able to fend off unsolicited approaches by drunken peers/superiors/clients without also alienating them.
The student in question should really question whether she has what it takes (as well as pray that her new employers/ peers don't work out who she is - everyone will tiptoe around her for the rest of her (likely shortlived) career).
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Employment lawyer | 5-Aug-2008 5:40 pm
Shearmans sacking
There's a real rush to judgment going on from both sides of this debate. Face it - nobody actually knows what happens except the vacation student, the associate and whoever handled his disciplinary hearing. We're just not in a position to dispense moral indignation.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment