Colleagues accuse solicitor of sexual misconduct at bars and in taxi tribunal hands 12-month ban
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has suspended a London solicitor for 12 months after finding that he inappropriately touched two female colleagues during post-lockdown social gatherings in 2021 and 2022.
In a decision dated 11 June 2025, which remains in force pending an appeal to the High Court, the tribunal concluded that Lewis Brady had engaged in non-consensual and sexually motivated conduct outside the workplace but with serious professional implications.
The case centred on allegations made by two colleagues—Person A, a paralegal, and Person B, an associate lawyer. All three were employed at the same firm and often socialised together at bars and clubs in London following the easing of the national COVID-19 lockdown.
Embed from Getty ImagesPerson A alleged that on seven occasions between September and December 2021—including once at Brady’s residence—he had touched her inappropriately and without consent. The tribunal, however, found only one of those claims proved: that Brady had touched her bottom in a non-consensual and sexually motivated manner.
The second complainant, Person B, described a close and, in Brady’s words, “confusing” friendship. She alleged that during an outing in October 2021, Brady attempted to kiss her. Months later, in March 2022, during a taxi ride after a social event, he allegedly touched her breast under her clothing three times. The tribunal found the events in the taxi to be proven on the balance of probabilities. It did not find the attempted kiss proved.
Brady denied all of Person A’s allegations, stating that any romantic or physical contact between them was either mutual or had not occurred at all. He also rejected Person B’s account, denying both the attempted kiss and the later alleged touching in the taxi.
His legal representatives argued that the alleged conduct took place entirely outside the context of legal practice and should not fall under the regulatory scope of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They maintained that this was a private matter and did not engage the SRA Principles or the Code of Conduct for Solicitors.
The tribunal disagreed. It concluded that Brady’s actions, even if occurring outside office hours and outside the legal setting, were serious enough to damage the reputation of the profession as a whole. The conduct breached Principle 2 (acting with integrity) and Principle 5 (acting in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the profession).
Given the findings, the tribunal ruled that a 12-month suspension was the appropriate sanction. It acknowledged the damaging nature of the behaviour—not only to the individuals involved but also to the standing of the profession.
The decision has been appealed by Brady and is now pending review by the High Court (Administrative Court). Until the appeal is resolved, the suspension remains in effect.
This case sends a sobering message to professionals: conduct during after-work drinks, however casual, can carry significant consequences. Though the actions occurred in social settings, they were serious enough to warrant professional sanction, highlighting the evolving expectations around solicitor behaviour—even beyond the office.
