Employment lawyer admits making unwanted sexual advances towards junior colleague
A senior employment lawyer has agreed to stop practicing as a solicitor, after he admitted making unwanted sexual advances towards a junior colleague.
Ronald Stephen Simms, a former partner at UK national law firm Capsticks, agreed to remove himself from the roll of solicitors, after admitting to placing his hand on a junior colleague’s thigh and making inappropriate comments.
The law firm partner said he placed his hand on his colleague’s thigh whilst she was driving, before saying “ooh give me a moment,” after she made clear that she did not consent to him touching her.
The lawyer also sent the junior colleague a series of inappropriate, and at time unwanted, messages, and made inappropriate comments about her sex life in front of colleagues, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
The incidents came after Simms and a group of other employees transferred from their previous employer to Capsticks employment law department in 2014.
Following the transfer, Simms began exchanging messages with the junior colleague, including a series of inappropriate message.
In 2017, the employment lawyer placed his hand on the junior colleague’s thigh, whilst she was driving them back from a work meeting.
After the junior colleague left for maternity leave the same year, Simms allegedly made inappropriate comments about the colleague sex life, the SRA said.
Simms agreed to remove himself from the roll of solicitors, meaning he will be unable to act as a solicitor, and pay £13,000 in costs to the SRA.
The sanctions come as the SRA pushes forwards with plans to stop fining solicitors for personal misconduct charges, with a view to using strike offs instead.
Morning Wire has approached Simms for comment.