Sexual harassment | Lawyer pestered newly promoted female colleague for sex during work trip

A lawyer told a colleague he “would really like to f*** her” and other sexually-charged comments during a work weekend away.

A panel of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) heard solicitor Matthew James Machen Barker propositioned a newly promoted colleague and refused to leave her hotel room, told her he needed “a cuddle” and that his problem was “attractive women.”

He was found guilty of misconduct for inappropriate behaviour, suspended from the profession for nine months and ordered to pay £11,000 in costs.

Details of the case

The allegations against Barker centred around his behaviour towards a newly promoted female partner, referred to as Person A, during a firm-organised weekend at the Hallmark Hotel in Gloucester in June 2012 (legal documents show that, despite the incidents taking place 12 years ago, the SDT only recently became aware of the claims).