SDT dismisses allegations against managing partner but criticises law firm’s drinking culture
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has dismissed allegations that a managing partner instigated a non-consensual drunken kiss with a much younger paralegal, while criticising the law firm involved for fostering a workplace culture that encouraged excessive drinking.
The tribunal cleared Darren Lawrence Roiser of all allegations arising from an incident that took place after a work-related social event in October 2020. Although the SDT described the kiss as “inappropriate”, it found that Mr Roiser did not instigate it and that it was not established to have been non-consensual.
The firm involved was not named in the tribunal’s decision. However, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said the case related to the now-defunct London office of King & Wood Mallesons, an international law firm headquartered in Asia and Australia.
The allegation was brought by a paralegal, referred to as Person A, who was 24 at the time. She alleged that after a team dinner in Mayfair, Mr Roiser grabbed her arms, pushed her against a wall, kissed her forcibly and commented that she was “very attractive”.
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The SDT found that the evidence did not substantiate most of these factual claims. While the kiss itself was not disputed and was considered sexually motivated, the tribunal concluded that it had not been proven that Mr Roiser instigated it or that it was non-consensual.
Mr Roiser, who was 40 at the time, denied the allegations in full. He said Person A followed him outside after dinner and initiated the kiss. He told the tribunal that he had briefly engaged before pulling away and regretted the incident.
The SDT accepted that both individuals were under the influence of alcohol. It noted that the amount of alcohol purchased and consumed by Mr Roiser and five members of his team over several hours reflected a workplace culture that “lacked appropriate safeguards and encouraged excessive drinking”. The tribunal described this culture as “unwise and inappropriate in a professional setting”.
Mr Roiser, admitted as a solicitor in 2005, was a litigator and managing partner of the firm’s London office from 2018. The evening began with drinks at a bar in High Holborn before the group went on to dine at MNKY HOUSE in Mayfair.
The tribunal found all witnesses to be truthful and said that Person A had demonstrated courage in giving evidence in difficult circumstances. A colleague who assisted her at home that evening had also reported that she told him what had happened shortly afterwards.
However, the SDT said the significant delay in bringing proceedings, which did not begin until September 2024, made the case more difficult, with inconsistencies in witness recollections to be expected given the passage of time.
Ultimately, the tribunal concluded that Mr Roiser had not acted without integrity and had not failed to uphold public trust and confidence in the profession. All allegations were dismissed. There was no application for costs by either party, and no order for costs was made.