Solicitors’ watchdog will not appeal against decision not to strike off ex-Freshfields partner Ryan Beckwith after ‘inappropriate’ sex case
Solicitors’ watchdog the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said today it will not seek to appeal against a tribunal decision that allowed former Freshfields partner Ryan Beckwith to remain a member of the profession.
In October, restructuring lawyer Ryan Beckwith was fined £35,000 and ordered to pay costs of £200,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).
The tribunal found that Beckwith had a sexual encounter with a junior lawyer who he was in a position of responsibility over when he knew she was “heavily intoxicated and that her judgement and decision making ability was impaired”.
It said Beckwith’s conduct engaging in sexual activity with Person A was inappropriate and considered he owed his junior colleague a duty of care.
The junior lawyer, known as Person A, accused Beckwith of taking advantage of her when she was too drunk to consent to sexual activity.
Beckwith denied the accusations, and characterised the night the two spent at her flat as “a consensual sexual encounter between two adults”.
Earlier this month the SDT published its full ruling explaining the rationale for its decision.
The SRA said at the time it was considering appealing against the decision, but today said it had decided not to after taking legal advice.
An SRA spokesperson said: “Solicitors hold positions of trust and must uphold the high professional standards we and the public expect.
“We are committed to tackling the issue of sexual harassment, including taking disciplinary action and ensuring law firms meet their obligations to create a culture where this is not tolerated.
“We refer allegations of serious misconduct to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and it is they who reach findings and decide on sanctions.
“We are able to appeal their decisions if specific legal grounds are met. Following a review of the judgment in this case and having taken legal advice, we have decided not to appeal.”
In its ruling, the tribunal said it considered the matter “a one-off incident where there was no suggestion that he had coerced or manipulated Person A”.
And said: “The tribunal considered that the respondent had engaged in inappropriate conduct in circumstances where his judgement had been affected by the amount of alcohol he had consumed.”
The married lawyer resigned from Freshfields on the day the tribunal ruled against him in October.
Average partner pay at Freshfields last year was £1.8m, with top partners able to earn up to £3.5m.
Beckwith’s solicitor was contacted for comment.