Linklaters: Events followed team away day
A former employee of Linklaters has been made subject to controls on his future employment in the profession over “serious sexual misconduct” targeted at a junior colleague.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued a section 43 order against Vivek Ramsaroop, whose last known address was in Johannesburg, South Africa.
As a result, he cannot work for a law firm in England and Wales without the regulator’s consent.
An SRA notice published yesterday that the events in question took place at a firm-organised social event in November 2022. Following an offsite team event, dinner and drinks, a number of attendees, including Mr Ramsaroop and ‘Employee A’ went to a karaoke bar.
“Whilst at the karaoke bar Mr Ramsaroop approached Employee A and stood closely to her talking and said the words ‘you’re gorgeous’ and ‘you’re amazing’. He then put his arm around Employee A’s waist and kissed the side of her face making contact with her cheek for several seconds.
“Shortly afterwards Mr Ramsaroop started dancing directly behind Employee A, grabbed her waist with both hands and touched her bottom. Mr Ramsaroop started rubbing himself against Employee A on the dancefloor with his pelvis pressed against Employee A’s bottom.”
This constituted “serious sexual misconduct” as defined by the SRA’s guidance on sexual misconduct “as it involved physical contact and intentional actions which were repeated and which were directed at a junior colleague”.
Mr Ramsaroop was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA’s costs of £1,350.
Thsi is more than a bit pathetic. There is no crime committed, and IMHO, whilst inappropriate, he should have received a reprimand, or at the very most, asked to leave.